CENTRAL ASIA : KAZAKHSTAN, UZBEKISTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN & TURKMENISTAN   Geographically, Central Asia refers to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, but culturally this area also includesAzerbaijan, which is located in The Caucasus Region. Geopolitically, Central Asia is an area that separates the Russian Federation and China, and the place of intersection of major geopolitical massifs - the Eurasian, Islamic, Chinese, and Indian.   Central Asia has no access to the great oceans, and its communications with world markets relate to inland transport and energy routes. This makes countries of the region dependent upon stability of their relationship with adjacent states as well as on security of communications. Due to unfavourable conditions the economy of the region is not self-sufficient, and its development to a great extent depends on the ability of local states to integrate into the global economic system. All that determines the main features of the regional countries’ behaviour as regards RF, the West, China, Islamic countries, which has to be flexible, deliberate, built on compromise and balancing between different interests.   Like in many other parts of the post-soviet area, the national and state identity of the Central Asia societies have not taken its final shape yet. Since the disintegration of the former USSR in 1991 the Central Asia has been witnessing the processes of transformation of the socio-political, ideological and economic order. Russia remains and will for a long time continue to remain the most influential power as regards the newly independent Central Asian states. Due to historic circumstances the Eurasian or Russian-soviet pattern of thinking continues to be the most influential. According to that pattern all countries of the post-soviet area should predominantly be oriented at Moscow. Russia is a major trading partner for the new states of Central Asia region, especially Kazakstan and Kyrghyzstan. Большую роль также играет Укарина, because Ukraine and countries of Central Asia have important economic and geopolitical interests in common.   Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, the countries’ economies languished as regional trade collapsed. Central Asia is rich with natural resources, and it is also a vast market for consumer and industrial goods. The need of Central Asia countries to modernize and diversify their economies, which used to have colonial characteristics being based on monocultures, increases their activity in searching for equal and beneficial partners.   There are two major leaders in the Central Asia region: Kazakhstan, which is mostly oriented to cooperation with Russia, and Uzbekistan, which is oriented to cooperation with Ukraine. Other countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, traditionally cooperate with Russia.