Post-Soviet States after 30 years of Independence: Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Georgia!
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the host explores Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, former USSR countries, 32 years post-independence. They discuss each nation's geography, population, economy, and political landscape, highlighting challenges like corruption and nostalgia for Soviet times. The host shares personal experiences, emphasizing the friendly locals and safety, recommending Georgia as a top travel destination for its diverse landscapes and rich culture.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan were all once part of the USSR and gained independence in 1991.
- 🗺️ Kazakhstan is the largest of the four countries, similar in size to Argentina, while Georgia is the smallest, comparable to Ireland.
- 🏙️ Population trends vary: Georgia has seen a decline since 1991, while Uzbekistan's population has nearly doubled.
- 🏛️ Each country's capital has unique characteristics: Astana (Kazakhstan), Tbilisi (Georgia), Baku (Azerbaijan), and Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
- 📈 Azerbaijan has a predominantly oil-based economy with strong ties to Turkey, while Kazakhstan has vast oil reserves and agricultural potential.
- 💼 Corruption is a significant issue in Kazakhstan, affecting business and major projects like the LRT Line in Astana.
- 🌐 Georgia has undergone economic reforms since 2003, making it business-friendly with low tax rates for non-residents.
- 📊 Uzbekistan has seen rapid economic and social reforms, opening up to foreign investment and developing its capital, Tashkent.
- 🏦 The economies compared: Kazakhstan has the largest economy and the highest GDP per capita, while Uzbekistan has the lowest GDP per capita.
- 🏅 Georgia ranks highest in terms of political freedoms, being partly free, while Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are considered not free by Freedom House.
- 👨👩👧👦 The people of these countries are generally friendly, with rural areas of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan being particularly welcoming.
Q & A
Which countries were discussed in the video?
-The video discussed Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
What is the population of Kazakhstan?
-The population of Kazakhstan is 19.3 million people.
What is the capital city of Georgia?
-The capital city of Georgia is Tbilisi.
Which regions of Georgia are under occupation?
-The regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are currently under occupation.
What is the population growth trend in Azerbaijan since 1991?
-The population of Azerbaijan has increased from 7.2 million in 1991 to 10 million.
How does the video describe the population growth in Uzbekistan since 1991?
-The population of Uzbekistan has nearly doubled from 20 million in 1991 to almost 35 million.
What is the main economy of Azerbaijan?
-Azerbaijan's economy is predominantly oil-based.
What is the biggest problem in doing business with Kazakhstan according to the World Economic Forum?
-Corruption is listed as the biggest problem in doing business with Kazakhstan.
How does the video describe Georgia's economic reforms since the Rose Revolution in 2003?
-Georgia has undertaken a number of institutional reforms modernizing the economy, minimizing bureaucracy, and introducing great tax policies.
What is the Freedom House rating for Azerbaijan in terms of political freedoms?
-Azerbaijan gets nine points out of 100, which is considered not free.
Which country among the discussed has the highest GDP per capita?
-Kazakhstan has the highest GDP per capita at $11,591.
Outlines
🌍 Overview of Post-USSR Countries
The video discusses the experiences and statistics of four former USSR countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. These countries gained independence after the USSR dissolved in 1991. The video provides an overview of each country's size, population, and capital city. Kazakhstan is highlighted as the largest but least densely populated, with Astana as its capital. Georgia is noted for its declining population and regions under occupation. Azerbaijan's population growth and Baku's significance are mentioned. Uzbekistan's rapid population growth and Tashkent as its capital are also discussed.
📈 Economic Insights and Challenges
The video delves into the economies of these countries. Azerbaijan relies on oil and has strong ties with Turkey, with a pipeline bypassing Russia. Corruption is a significant issue in Kazakhstan, which has vast natural resources but faces challenges due to questionable billion-dollar projects. Georgia has undergone reforms since 2003, with a focus on tourism and favorable tax policies. Uzbekistan is transforming from a command economy to a market economy, with reforms attracting foreign investment. The economies are compared, with Kazakhstan having the largest economy and Uzbekistan the smallest in terms of GDP per capita.
🏛️ Cultural, Political, and Social Observations
The video covers human rights, political freedoms, and religious aspects of the countries. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan score low on the Freedom House index, indicating limited freedoms. Kazakhstan and Georgia fare better, with Georgia being the only partly free country on the list. The video discusses the nostalgia for USSR times among older generations and the contrasting views of the youth. It also mentions the prevalence of corruption and nepotism, with personal anecdotes about bribes and the 'who you know' principle.
🌟 Travel Recommendations and Future Outlook
The video provides travel recommendations, suggesting starting with Georgia for its diverse landscapes and rich culture. Azerbaijan is noted for its mountains and ski resorts, while Kazakhstan offers a variety of landscapes and the city of Almaty. Uzbekistan is recommended for its Silk Road cities and modern Tashkent. The video concludes with a summary of each country's current state and future prospects, with Georgia facing population decline and political challenges, Kazakhstan struggling with corruption, Azerbaijan showing economic prosperity but limited freedoms, and Uzbekistan relying heavily on agriculture and tourism with uncertain reforms.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡USSR
💡Independence
💡Population Density
💡Economic Reforms
💡Human Rights
💡Corruption
💡Religion
💡Nepotism
💡Intentional Homicide Rate
💡Silk Road
Highlights
The video discusses Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, all former USSR countries.
Kazakhstan is the largest of the four countries, ranking ninth in the world for size.
Kazakhstan has a low population density, with only 19.3 million people.
Georgia has experienced a declining population since 1991.
Georgia has regions under occupation, which affects its stability.
Azerbaijan has seen positive population growth since 1991.
Uzbekistan has almost doubled its population since gaining independence.
Azerbaijan's economy is oil-based with strong ties to Turkey.
Kazakhstan has vast oil reserves and faces issues with corruption.
Georgia has undergone economic reforms and has a pro-Western stance.
Uzbekistan is rapidly transforming its economy with new social reforms.
Kazakhstan has the largest economy among the four countries.
Uzbekistan has the lowest GDP per capita, indicating it's the poorest of the group.
Azerbaijan is considered not free by Freedom House.
Uzbekistan's political freedom is similar to Azerbaijan's.
Kazakhstan's political freedom is slightly better but still limited.
Georgia is the freest country of the four, with a partly free rating.
The video shares personal experiences of friendliness in rural areas.
Safety is generally good, with Uzbekistan being the safest.
Older generations tend to be nostalgic about USSR times, while youths are not.
Nepotism and corruption are significant challenges in these countries.
Georgia is recommended as a starting point for visitors due to its diverse attractions.
Each country has unique offerings for tourists.
The video concludes with a summary of each country's current state and future prospects.
Transcripts
hello guys my name is slower this is
Russian plus and in this video I wanted
to talk about a few countries that have
visited over the last couple years and
those are Azerbaijan Georgia Uzbekistan
and Kazakhstan now what all these
countries have in common they all used
to be part of the USSR and as you might
know the USSR started in 1922 and it
ended in 1991 so I thought it would be a
good idea to make a video about how
these countries are doing some 32 years
after they got their independence I'm
going to be sharing some statistical
information as well as my personal
experiences and if you look at these
countries it's easy to see that
Kazakhstan is by far the largest country
it's 2.7 million square kilometers it's
about the size of Argentina and it's the
ninth largest country in the world and
at the same time its population is just
19.3 million people which makes it one
of the least densely populated countries
in the world and the capital of
Kazakhstan is Astana this is what it
looks like
Georgia on the other hand is the
smallest country on the list the area is
just 69.7
000 square kilometers it's about the
size of Ireland and the population is
just 3.7 million which is actually down
from 5.4 million in 1991 so the
population is declining and the capital
city is Tbilisi this is what it looks
like
[Music]
to make things worse Georgia has two
regions of the country that are
currently under occupation and those are
apazia and South asadia you see them on
the map Georgia and nearly all the UN
members consider them to be occupied by
Russia next country is Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has a population of 10
million people which is up from 7.2
million in 1991 so the population growth
is pretty good the area is 86 000 square
kilometers it's about the size of Serbia
and the capital city is Baku this is
what it looks like
and finally Uzbekistan the area is 448
000 square kilometers it's about the
size of Sweden Uzbekistan has more
people than that all the other three
countries combined almost 35 million
people and also what's fascinating is
how fast the population is growing in
1991 the population was just 20 million
now it's almost 35 so it nearly doubled
that's impressive and the capital city
is teshkent this is what it looks like
[Music]
okay next thing we can talk about is
their economies let's start with the
zerbaijan it's predominantly an
oil-based economy strategic Partners
turkey and you will see Turkish flags
all over the country their languages are
similar and the locals actually like to
say two states One Nation tourism
potential is great in the country I can
confirm that and but there's not really
much done to promote it they recently
completed a pipeline that bypasses
Russia and goes directly through Georgia
and turkey and to Europe and overall
this country has the least dependency on
trade with Russia just 6.3 percent okay
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan possesses huge oil
reserves minerals Metals as well as
considerable agricultural potential
China is becoming kazakhstan's largest
trading partner soon to overtake Russia
but the major problem is corruption in
2012 the world economic Forum listed
corruption is the biggest problem in
doing business with the country and if
you ask the locals though tell you that
in recent years there were a lot of
questionable billion dollar projects
undertaken like the LRT Line in Astana
on and also Expo 2017 in Astana which
are never going to be profitable they're
never going to be able to pay for
themselves while at the same time if you
look at the map of the country the two
major cities astronaut and almati are
still not connected by a major highway
now let's look at Georgia
since the rose revolution in 2003 which
was under sakash really Administration
Georgia undertook a number of
institutional reforms modernizing the
economy that touched every aspect of the
country's life tourism is doing great
bureaucracy has been minimized and great
tax policies introduced say for a
non-resident the tax rate can be as low
as one percent which is pretty
impressive as long as your income does
not top one hundred and sixty thousand
dollars a year so for YouTuber like me
this could be a very good deal and
finally it Uzbekistan for this country
took the longest to transform from a
soviet-style command economy to a market
economy however since the election of
presidentev the country has seen rapid
economic and social reforms that allowed
the path to foreign investment and I
spent six months in the city of dashkent
and I can I saw it with my own eyes
there's a lot of new construction going
on new restaurants opening up and new
hotels Tuscan International Airport is
becoming a major Hub it already has
direct flights with Dubai Saudi Arabia
Kuala Lumpur Paris and even New York
Uzbekistan has substantial deposits of
gold silver strategic Metals gas and oil
of course Uzbekistan is a major producer
of cotton and luckily the country has
finally succeeded in eradicating
systemic Forest labor and child labor
okay now let's compare the economies as
you can see Kazakhstan has the biggest
economy the nominal GDP is 224 billion
dollars and it also has the highest GDP
per capita which is 11
591 dollars and Uzbekistan has the
lowest
GDP per capita just
3478 which makes this country the
poorest on the list
what about human rights and political
freedoms those are important right so
Freedom House rates countries on a scale
of one to a hundred let's start with the
lowest score and that is Azerbaijan it
only gets nine points out of 100 which
is considered not free Azerbaijan is
clearly not a democracy the situation is
similar to countries like China and
Yemen and since 1993 Azerbaijan only had
two presidents that is Hadar aliv and
now his son the current president ilham
Alief so the two of them were in power
for 30 years
Uzbekistan is not that far ahead with 12
points which is similar to Cuba and
Bahrain since the fall of the USSR
president ilham Karim have held office
for 26 years until he died and now shift
katnir zioev is in his second term
Kazakhstan is doing a little better with
23 points out of 100 which is similar to
Oman and Rwanda president Nur Sultan
azerbayev was in office for 28 years
until he stepped down in 2019 and was
replaced by takayev who's now been in
office for four years it seems like the
population might be a little tired of
authoritative governments and the
January protests of 2022 is a clear
indication of that
what About Georgia well Georgia's doing
much better 58 points out of 100 and
that's similar to Indonesia and
Philippines and it's the only country on
this list to be considered partly free
since 1991 Georgia had nine presidents
and then the current president is Salome
zugabeshwali it's a lady president that
was elected in 2018. I know I was
praising George's achievements in my
videos a lot and for a good reason but
what once was a beacon of democracy in
South caucuses has now backsliding into
something that not a lot of Georgians
are happy about you can't but notice
this dissonance between the public
Georgian opinion and its foreign policy
three quarters of Georgians are
pro-western and only a tiny proportion
of the population is pro-russian like
this oligarch bezina ivanishvili who
they say through his control of the
Georgian Dream party and the government
might be maneuvering the country into
the Russian sphere of influence instead
of be becoming a candidate for EU
membership on the streets of Belize you
will see a lot of graffiti just like
this
let's talk about religion for a second
Georgia is Christian 88
Kazakhstan is 69 Muslim and 17 Christian
Azerbaijan is 96 Muslim but it's the
most secular Muslim country in the world
so the role of Islam in politics and
everyday life is really small and
Uzbekistan in my opinion is the most
religious country on the list 96 Muslim
and some regions of Uzbekistan like
namangan and fergana Valley in general
are very religious it's funny one is big
guy in a conversation told me oh you
worry about democracy too much here
we'll just respect and Obey and not
question anybody who's in charge because
they're godsend
that's way that's one way of looking at
it okay now let me share some of my
personal experiences first I want to
point out how friendly people are
especially the top two are rural areas
of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan you know I
was really surprised how people were
treating me way better than I expected
and you know I was born in the USSR and
since the Soviet days Russia was not
really teaching you to be tolerant and
accepting and understanding of other
people's culture so and I fell into the
Trap of Imperial thinking also when I
was younger but traveling and living
abroad molded me into the person that I
am today
what about safety is safety an issue
well it's not but let's look at the
statistics if you look at intentional
homicide rate which is I think the best
indication of how dangerous a country is
the dangerous the most dangerous turns
out to be Kazakhstan 3.2 cases of
intentional homicide per 100 000 people
is that a lot
well it's similar to Estonia so it's not
too crazy and actually if you compare
that to the US it's twice safer than the
U.S Azerbaijan has a rating of 2.3 which
is even safer George's 1.9 and
Uzbekistan surprisingly is the safest
1.2 cases of intentional homicide per
100 000 people that is similar to
England and Wales and Slovakia and six
times safer than the US good job
Uzbekistan what about the public opinion
in this country as well I've noticed
that men and women over 50 or 60 tend to
be very nostalgic about the USSR times
while the youths are clearly not
Kazakhstan youths consider the Soviet
time as a time of occupation and at the
same time I saw trucks with a picture of
Stalin
in Georgia out of all places so opinions
differ but in all these countries you'll
find museums of Soviet occupation and
repressions
like there's a museum like there's
Museum victims of political repression
in Tashkent there are Glock museums in
Kazakhstan and there is a museum of
Soviet occupation in Tbilisi what's the
biggest challenge for these countries
it's nepotism and Corruption I had to
give bribes on a few occasions to
traffic cops in Azerbaijan and
Uzbekistan these countries run on who
you know principles so like you make
friends with someone and they will
always say hey I have a traffic cop in
this city I know a state official in
that town if you need my help I'm gonna
help you but at the same time they
expect the same kind of favor from you
so it's all about who you know also I
heard multiple stories of traffic cops
in Kazakhstan demanding bribes from
drivers so it's a major problem there as
well actually I have a funny story to
share I was at one of the kazakhstan's
national parks and I wanted to fly my
drone so I asked the locals and they say
I gotta go see that uh National Park
Administration official so I went to his
office and I said hey can I fly my drone
here he said sure but you need to get
that a stamp and for that you need to
drive to a nearby town like two hours
one way two hours back to get that
stupid stamp and I said can we just do
it over facts and he said well not
really and but he was kind of letting me
know that things could be done faster if
only I
well he got zero 10 gifts from me let's
just say that and I flew my drone no
problem and he was saying that oh you
know this park is so close to the
Chinese border so it's a matter of State
security but if I only got that stupid
stamp
you know it would be safe all of a
sudden so it's funny
this was not my experience in Georgia
though if you came across corruption in
Georgia let me know in the comments now
in case you're considering visiting some
of these countries which one do you
start with well
all of them are worth visiting but I
would start with Georgia because it has
so much to offer it has the remote
mountainous regions like svenetti remote
mesmerizing Landscapes and fantastic
Cuisine then there's the Black Sea Coast
and the City of Batumi then there's the
wine region of kaheri and it's just
breathtaking
let's take a look
over there you can visit a number of
Wineries and of course the Cosmopolitan
city of tibilisi has so much to offer so
you can't go wrong
what about Azerbaijan it also has a lot
of majestic mountains it's because it's
next door to Georgia so it's basically
the same mountains and it has a lot of
ski resorts great friendly people
delicious Cuisine the cities of
gubashiki ganja and the City of Baku of
course modern and historic at the same
time some people say the central part of
Baku looks like Paris and it really does
this is where they also have F1 races
it's called Azerbaijan Grand Prix the
locals actually hated they told me
because the city gets shut down for a
couple weeks
if you decide to visit Kazakhstan you
will see different Landscapes the
mountains the lakes and the canyons and
the endless step with horses of course
and camels
if you decide between the two major
cities Astana and almati I would choose
almati because Astana is more of a
business City while Almaty has so much
to offer it has fantastic mountain
resorts and lots of lakes around it
great Landscapes and finally if you
decide to visit Uzbekistan you can just
follow the magical Silk Road cities like
buharah and summer can of course where
you can find yourselves in a 16th
century surrounding and dive deep into
history and apart from that the capital
city of Tashkent is a modern Metropolis
that's developing fast and there are
very modern ski resorts just one hour
away from the city so I recommend that
also
you know I enjoyed my stay in all of
these countries but let's sum things up
Georgia since the days of the USSR has
done a good job at building a democracy
infrastructure and tourism but
unfortunately it's experience in a
population Decline and politically it's
still caught between the west and Russia
Kazakhstan is doing better economically
but if it wasn't for corruption and
nepotism I'm sure it would be doing much
better because you know it has this vast
land is just enormous natural resources
Azerbaijan in my opinion is becoming
similar to some of those oil rich
countries in the Gulf region that are
struggling with democracy and freedom of
speech but at the same time enjoy a
little bit of economic prosperity
Uzbekistan has the fastest growing
population but economically it's the
weakest country on the list and it
pretty much relies on agriculture and
tourism which is in the modern world is
never a good idea I've never seen a
single country that relies solely on
tourism Agriculture and is doing well it
has to be accompanied by some
manufacturing and some high-tech
Industries some say the current reforms
in Uzbekistan are substantial and they
will guarantee a bright future for the
country but some locals have doubts
about it saying they're superficial and
the country will be stuck and it's
current forum for years to come so we
just have to wait and see so guys hope
you enjoyed this video now let me know
which one of these countries you think
has the brightest future if you enjoyed
this video I could be doing more videos
on the X USSR countries and
similar toppings all right leave a
comment hit a like button hit the like
button and I'll see you in my next video
thanks for watching guys
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