Central Asia’s Quiet Rise

Central Asia has long been considered a geopolitical backwater in the minds of many Western geopolitical thinkers and foreign policy strategists, earning it the name "Russia's backyard." Most Americans know nothing about the region except that it is home to many weak post-Soviet states. However, these perceptions are gradually changing as the current geopolitical landscape undergoes tectonic shifts toward multipolarity. Central Asia—and the countries within it—is gaining newfound importance. As a bridge between Europe and Asia, its burgeoning economic potential is drawing international attention.