Geographically surrounded by Russia to the north, India in the south, Central China to the east and the Caspian Sea to the west, Central Asia has made strides in recent years to exploit its fossil-fuel resources following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia, specifically Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, boast plentiful oil and gas reserves, and the offshore Caspian region is the primary energy hub for these countries' burgeoning exploration and production operations.