According to this article at the United Nations’ website, lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness and isolation from world markets and high transit costs continue to impose serious constraints on the overall socio-economic development of landlocked developing countries. Their sea borne trade unavoidably depends on transit through other countries. Additional border crossings and long distance from the market substantially increase the total expenses for the transport services. Landlocked developing countries are generally among the poorest of the developing countries, with the weakest growth rates, and are typically heavily dependent on a very limited number of commodities for their export earnings. Moreover, of 30 landlocked developing countries 16 are classified as least developed.
In my opinion, even with poor road infrastructure and remoteness from the sea such developing countries as Kazakhstan can significantly improve the life of working poor by providing an affordable basic vehicle. The terrain of this Central Asian country is a perfect fit for a Basic Utility Vehicle - vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south. Kazakhstan possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves and plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has a large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain. BUVs can be used in many agricultural applications and are suitable for mining. I look forward to working with local entrepreneurs and helping build BUV based businesses in Kazakhstan!
