Geography of Kazakhstan the water in Kazakhstan is polluted by industrial effluents, pesticide and fertilizer residue, and, in some places, radioactive elements. The most visible damage has been to the Aral Sea, which as recently as the 1970s was larger than any of the Great Lakes of North America save Lake Superior. The sea began to shrink rapidly when sharply increased irrigation and other demands on the only significant tributaries, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya (the latter reaching the Aral from neighboring Uzbekistan), all but eliminated inflow. During the Soviet Era, Kazakhstan received water from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
Between the Rivers Between the Rivers Between the Rivers is a fantasy novel by Harry Turtledove. The book centers on a fantasy realm that is analogous to ancient Mesopotamia based on the myths and legends of Sumer and Babylon. In the novel, the cities and regions are each ruled by their own gods. In the city of Gibil, however; the god Engibil has gotten lazy and does not monitor his city. As such the inhabitants have developed technology such as writing and smelting, and have started to lose respect for Engibil and his power. The other gods have gotten angry at Gibil for