Question: 1. In some parts of Central Asia, cotton is the most important economic resource; in other parts oil and natural gas play the same role. Contrast the impact of cotton as opposed to oil dependence, and discuss how dependence on and development of one major resource have cultural and political ramifications in addition to economic implications.

2. Can Afghanistan develop an economy based on something other than resource extraction?

3. How is economic development affected by settlement in Central Asia being limited to narrow spaces along river courses in the arid and semi-arid areas and is concentrated in river valleys emanating from the highlands in the southeast?

4. Is the landlocked situation of Central Asian countries a development challenge?

5. In what ways did the imposition of colonial borders on Afghanistan exacerbate political problems and increase the potential for conflict?