A CHRONOLOGY OF CENTRAL ASIA - Tourism in Central Asia: Cultural Potential and Challenges - page 358

April 1978 A Communist-backed coup in Afghanistan results in the assas-

sination of Daud Khan and the establishment of the Democratic
Republic of Afghanistan.

January 1979 The Islamic Revolution in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini.

December 1979 The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan props up the Afghan regime in

its battle against the mujehaddin.

1985 Mikhail Gorbachev is appointed as General Secretary of the

CPSU.

1986 The 27th CPSU Party Congress approves the policies of glasnost

(openness) and perestroika (restructuring).

16-18 December Anti-Russian riots in Alma-Ata, Kazakstan, as a result of the Ka-

zak Communist Party chief being replaced by a Russian. 1986

1989 Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan.

1989 Birlik (Unity) organized as the first serious non-Communist party

in Uzbekistan.

February 1989 Anti-Russian riots in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

June 1989 Ethnic violence in Uzbekistan between Uzbeks and Meskhetian

Turks.

February 1990 Ethnic riots in Tajikistan.

February 1990 Ethnic violence in Osh, Kirghiz SSR, between Uzbeks and Kir-

ghiz.

27 October 1990 Askar Akayev is elected president by the Kirgizstan Parliament.

27 October 1990 Saparmurad Niyazov is elected president of Turkmenistan.

November 1990 Kyrgystan SSR becomes Republic of Kyrgystan.

April-May 1991 The five Soviet Central Asian republics declare their sovereignty.

31 August 1991 Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan are declared independent countries.

9 September 1991 Tajikistan is declared an independent country.

27 October 1991 Turkmenistan is declared an independent country.

1 December 1991 Nursultan Nazarbayev is elected president of Kazakstan. Kazak-

stan SSR becomes Republic of Kazakstan.

16 December 1991 Kazakstan is declared an independent country.

21 December 1991 Founding of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Almaty.