Central Asia sayfasının kaynağını görüntüle

{{Use dmy dates |date = January 2016}}
{{Infobox
| bodyclass = geography
| above = Central Asia
| image = [[File:Central Asia (orthographic projection).svg|200px|Map of Central Asia]]
| label1 = Area
| data1 = {{convert|4003451|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}{{efn|The area figure is based on the combined areas of five countries in Central Asia.}}
| label2 = {{ublist|class=nowrap |Population |{{bullet}} Density}}
| data2 = {{ublist|class=nowrap |67,986,864 |{{pad|0.6em}}{{convert|50.1|/sqkm|abbr=on}} }}
| label3 = [[List of sovereign states|Countries]]
| data3 = {{Collapsible list |titlestyle=background:transparent;font-weight:normal;text-align:left; |{{flag|Kazakhstan}} |{{flag|Kyrgyzstan}} |{{flag|Tajikistan}} |{{flag|Turkmenistan}} |{{flag|Uzbekistan}} }} 
| label4 = Nominal GDP
| data4 = $295.331 billion {{smaller|(2012)}}
| label5 = {{nowrap|GDP per capita}}
| data5 = $6,044 {{smaller|(2012)}}
}}
'''Central Asia''' or '''Middle Asia''' is the core region of the [[Asia]]n [[continent]] and stretches from the [[Caspian Sea]] in the west to [[China]] in the east and from [[Afghanistan]] in the south to [[Russia]] in the north. It is also colloquially referred to as "the [[-stan|'stans]]" (as the five countries generally considered to be within the region all have names ending with the [[Persian language|Persian]] suffix "-stan", meaning "land of")<ref>{{cite web |author=Paul McFedries |url = http://www.wordspy.com/words/stans.asp |title=stans |publisher = Word Spy |date=25 October 2001 |accessdate = 16 February 2011}}</ref> and is within the scope of the wider [[Eurasia]]n continent.

In modern contexts, all definitions of Central Asia include these five republics of the former [[Soviet Union]]: [[Kazakhstan]] (pop. 17 million), [[Kyrgyzstan]] (5.7 million), [[Tajikistan]] (8.0 million), [[Turkmenistan]] (5.2 million), and [[Uzbekistan]] (30 million), for a total population of about 66 million as of 2013–2014. [[Afghanistan]] (pop. 31.1 million) is also sometimes included.

Various definitions of Central Asia's exact composition exist, and not one definition is universally accepted. Despite this uncertainty in defining borders, the region does have some important overall characteristics. For one, Central Asia has historically been closely tied to its [[nomad]]ic peoples and the [[Silk Road]].<ref>[http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=Central_Asia Steppe Nomads and Central Asia] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529004408/http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=Central_Asia |date=29 May 2008 }}</ref> As a result, it has acted as a crossroads for the movement of people, goods, and ideas between [[Europe]], [[Western Asia]], [[South Asia]], and [[East Asia]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.silk-road.com/artl/srtravelmain.shtml |title=Travelers on the Silk Road |author=Silkroad Foundation, Adela C.Y. Lee |publisher= |accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref>

During pre-Islamic and early Islamic times, Central Asia was a predominantly [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]]<ref name="ReferenceA">Encyclopædia Iranica, "CENTRAL ASIA: The Islamic period up to the Mongols", C. Edmund Bosworth: "In early Islamic times Persians tended to identify all the lands to the northeast of Khorasan and lying beyond the Oxus with the region of Turan, which in the Shahnama of Ferdowsi is regarded as the land allotted to Fereydun's son Tur. The denizens of Turan were held to include the Turks, in the first four centuries of Islam essentially those nomadizing beyond the Jaxartes, and behind them the Chinese (see Kowalski; Minorsky, "Turan"). Turan thus became both an ethnic and a diareeah term, but always containing ambiguities and contradictions, arising from the fact that all through Islamic times the lands immediately beyond the Oxus and along its lower reaches were the homes not of Turks but of Iranian peoples, such as the Sogdians and Khwarezmians."</ref><ref>C.E. Bosworth, "The Appearance of the Arabs in Central Asia under the Umayyads and the establishment of Islam", in ''History of Civilizations of Central Asia'', Vol. IV: The Age of Achievement: AD 750 to the End of the Fifteenth Century, Part One: The Historical, Social and Economic Setting, edited by M. S. Asimov and C. E. Bosworth. Multiple History Series. Paris: Motilal Banarsidass Publ./UNESCO Publishing, 1999. excerpt from page 23: "Central Asia in the early seventh century, was ethnically, still largely an Iranian land whose people used various Middle Iranian languages.". [https://books.google.com/books?id=lodSckjlNuMC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=The+Appearance+of+the+Arabs+in+Central+Asia+under+the+Umayyads+and+the+establishment+of+Islam&source=bl&ots=OMseLQZtu0&sig=_K6knxMsp4dHH5_-rPayBlDXgDo&hl=en&ei=gZS7StbnJ8SQlAfI-dT-Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=The%20Appearance%20of%20the%20Arabs%20in%20Central%20Asia%20under%20the%20Umayyads%20and%20the%20establishment%20of%20Islam&f=false]</ref> region that included the sedentary [[Eastern Iranian languages|Eastern Iranian]]-speaking [[Bactrians]], [[Sogdians]] and [[Khwarezmian language|Chorasmians]], and the semi-nomadic [[Scythians]] and [[Parthians]]. The ancient sedentary population played an important role in the history of Central Asia. After expansion by [[Turkic peoples]], Central Asia also became the homeland for many Turkic peoples, including the [[Kazakhs]], [[Uzbeks]], [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]], [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]], [[Uyghur people|Uyghurs]], and other extinct Turkic nations; Turkic languages largely replaced the Iranian languages spoken in the area. Central Asia is sometimes referred to as [[Turkestan]].<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Polo| first1 = Marco| last2 = Smethurst| first2 = Paul| title = The Travels of Marco Polo| year = 2005| isbn = 978-0-7607-6589-0| page = 676 }}</ref><ref>Ferrand, Gabriel (1913), "Ibn Batūtā", Relations de voyages et textes géographiques arabes, persans et turks relatifs à l'Extrème-Orient du 8e au 18e siècles (Volumes 1 and 2) (in French), Paris: Ernest Laroux, pp. 426–458</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Andrea | first1 = Bernadette | year = | title = Ibn Fadlan's Journey to Russia: A Tenth‐Century Traveler from Baghdad to the Volga River by Richard N. Frye: Review by Bernadette Andrea | url = | journal = Middle East Studies Association Bulletin | volume = 41 | issue = 2 | pages = 201–202 }}</ref>

Since the earliest of times, Central Asia has been a crossroads between different civilizations. The Silk Road connected Muslim lands with the people of Europe, India, and China.<ref>Ta'lim Primary 6 Parent and Teacher Guide (p.72) – Islamic Publications Limited for the Institute of Ismaili Studies London</ref> This crossroads position has intensified the conflict between tribalism and traditionalism and modernization.<ref>{{Cite journal | year= 2013 | last1 = Phillips | first1 = Andrew | last2 = James | first2 = Paul | authorlink2 = Paul James (academic) | title = National Identity between Tradition and Reflexive Modernisation: The Contradictions of Central Asia | url = http://www.academia.edu/2832538/National_Identity_between_Tradition_and_Reflexive_Modernisation_in_Central_Asia | journal= National Identities | volume=  3 | issue=  1 | pages = 23–35 |quote = In Central Asia the collision of modernity and tradition led all but the most deracinated of the [[intellectual]]s-[[cleric]]s to seek salvation in reconstituted variants of traditional identities rather than succumb to the modern European idea of nationalism. The inability of the elites to form a united front, as demonstrated in the numerous declarations of autonomy by different authorities during the Russian civil war, paved the way for the Soviet re-conquest of Central Asia in the early 1920s.}}</ref>

From the mid-19th century until almost the end of the 20th century, most of Central Asia was part of the [[Russian Empire]] and later the [[Soviet Union]], both being [[Slavic Peoples|Slavic]]-majority countries. As of 2011, the five former Soviet "'stans'" are still home to about 7 million Russians and 500,000 [[Ukrainians]].<ref>[http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_89.php Демоскоп Weekly – Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316172713/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_89.php |date=16 March 2010 }}. Demoscope.ru. Retrieved on 29 July 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stat.kg/stat.files/din.files/census/5010003.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206105009/http://www.stat.kg/stat.files/din.files/census/5010003.pdf |archivedate=2009-02-06 |title=5.01.00.03 Национальный состав населения}}</ref><ref>[http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/2005/0191/analit05.php Итоги переписи населения Таджикистана 2000 года: национальный, возрастной, половой, семейный и образовательный составы] {{webarchive |url=http://www.webcitation.org/61CULh3l6?url=http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/2005/0191/analit05.php |date=25 August 2011 }}. Demoscope.ru (20 January 2000). Retrieved on 2013-07-29.</ref>

== Definitions ==
[[File:Central Asia borders4.png|260px|thumb|Three sets of possible boundaries for the region]]
[[File:Map of Central Asia.png|thumb|Map of Central Asia (including Afghanistan)]]

The idea of Central Asia as a distinct region of the world was introduced in 1843 by the geographer [[Alexander von Humboldt]]. The borders of Central Asia are subject to multiple definitions. Historically built political geography and geoculture are two significant parameters widely used in the scholarly literature about the definitions of the Central Asia.<ref>Mehmet Akif Okur, "Classical Texts Of the Geopolitics and the "Heart Of Eurasia", Journal of Turkish World Studies, XIV/2, pp.74–75 http://tdid.ege.edu.tr/files/dergi_14_2/mehmet_akif_okur.pdf https://www.academia.edu/10035574/CLASSICAL_TEXTS_OF_THE_GEOPOLITICS_AND_THE_HEART_OF_EURASIA_Jeopoliti%C4%9Fin_Klasik_Metinleri_ve_Avrasya_n%C4%B1n_Kalbi_</ref>

The most limited definition was the official one of the [[Soviet Union]], which defined Middle Asia as consisting solely of [[Uzbekistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Tajikistan]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]]. This definition was also often used outside the USSR during this period.

However, the [[Russian culture]] has two distinct terms: ''Средняя Азия'' (''Srednyaya Aziya'' or "[[Middle Asia]]", the narrower definition, which includes only those traditionally non-Slavic, Central Asian lands that were incorporated within those borders of historical Russia) and ''Центральная Азия'' (''Tsentralnaya Aziya'' or "Central Asia", the wider definition, which includes Central Asian lands that have never been part of historical Russia).

Soon after independence, the leaders of the four former [[Soviet Central Asia|Soviet Central Asian Republics]] met in [[Tashkent]] and declared that the definition of Central Asia should include Kazakhstan as well as the original four included by the Soviets. Since then, this has become the most common definition of Central Asia.

The [[UNESCO]] general history of Central Asia, written just before the collapse of the USSR, defines the region based on climate and uses far larger borders. According to it, Central Asia includes [[Mongolia]], [[Tibet]], northeast [[Iran]] ([[Golestan Province|Golestan]], [[North Khorasan Province|North Khorasan]] and [[Razavi Khorasan Province|Razavi]] provinces), central-east [[Russia]] south of the [[Taiga]], large parts of [[China]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Pakistan]], and the former Central Asian Soviet republics (the five "Stans" of the former [[Soviet Union]]).{{citation needed|date=November 2012}}

An alternative method is to define the region based on ethnicity, and in particular, areas populated by Eastern [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]], Eastern [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]], or [[Mongols|Mongolian]] peoples. These areas include [[Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region]], the Turkic regions of southern [[Siberia]], the five republics, and [[Afghan Turkestan]]. Afghanistan as a whole, the northern and western areas of Pakistan and the [[Kashmir Valley]] of India may also be included. The [[Tibetans]] and [[Ladakh]]i are also included. Insofar, most of the mentioned peoples are considered the "indigenous" peoples of the vast region.

There are several places that claim to be the geographic center of Asia, for example [[Kyzyl]], the capital of [[Tuva]] in the [[Russian Federation]], and a village {{convert|200|mi|km}} north of [[Ürümqi]], the capital of the [[Xinjiang]] region of China.<ref>[http://www.confluence.org/confluence.php?visitid=12710 43°40'52"N 87°19'52"E] Degree Confluence Project.</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Bringing the sheep home, on the southern shore of Issy-Kol. (3968109583).jpg|thumb|right|On the southern shore of Issyk Kul lake, [[Issyk Kul Region]].]]
Central Asia is an extremely large region of varied geography, including high passes and [[mountain ranges|mountains]] ([[Tian Shan]]), vast [[desert]]s ([[Kyzyl Kum]], [[Taklamakan]]), and especially treeless, grassy [[steppe]]s. The vast steppe areas of Central Asia are considered together with the steppes of [[Eastern Europe]] as a homogeneous geographical zone known as the [[Eurasian Steppe]].

Much of the land of Central Asia is too dry or too rugged for farming. The [[Gobi desert]] extends from the foot of the [[Pamir Mountains|Pamirs]], 77°&nbsp;E, to the [[Great Khingan]] (Da Hinggan) Mountains, 116°–118°&nbsp;E.

Central Asia has the following geographic extremes:
* The world's northernmost [[desert]] ([[dune|sand dunes]]), at Buurug Deliin Els, [[Mongolia]], 50°18′&nbsp;N.
* The [[Northern Hemisphere|Northern Hemisphere's]] southernmost [[permafrost]], at Erdenetsogt sum, [[Mongolia]], 46°17′&nbsp;N.
* The world's shortest distance between non-frozen [[desert]] and [[permafrost]]: {{convert|770|km|mi|abbr=on}}.
* The Eurasian [[pole of inaccessibility]].

A majority of the people earn a living by herding livestock. Industrial activity centers in the region's cities.

Major rivers of the region include the [[Amu Darya]], the [[Syr Darya]], [[Irtysh]], the [[Hari River, Afghanistan|Hari River]] and the [[Morghab River (Afghanistan)|Murghab River]]. Major bodies of water include the [[Aral Sea]] and [[Lake Balkhash]], both of which are part of the huge west-central Asian [[endorheic]] basin that also includes the [[Caspian Sea]].

Both of these bodies of water have shrunk significantly in recent decades due to diversion of water from rivers that feed them for irrigation and industrial purposes. Water is an extremely valuable resource in arid Central Asia and can lead to rather significant international disputes.

== Divisions ==
[[File:Central Asia map of Köppen climate classification.svg|thumb|Central Asia map of Köppen climate classification.]]
The northern belt is part of the Eurasian Steppe. In the northwest, north of the Caspian Sea, Central Asia merges into the Russian Steppe. To the northeast, [[Dzungaria]] and the [[Tarim Basin]] may sometimes be included in Central Asia. Just west of Dzungaria, [[Zhetysu]], or Semirechye, is south of [[Lake Balkhash]] and north of the [[Tian Shan]] Mountains. [[Khorezm]] is south of the [[Aral Sea]] along the [[Amu Darya]]. Southeast of the Aral Sea, Maveranahr is between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya. [[Transoxiana]] is the land north of the middle and upper Amu Darya (Oxus). [[Bactria]] included northern Afghanistan and the upper Amu Darya. [[Sogdiana]] was north of Bactria and included the trading cities of Bukhara and Samarkhand. [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] and [[Margiana]] approximate northeastern Iran. The [[Kyzyl Kum]] Desert is northeast of the Amu Darya, and the [[Karakum Desert]] southwest of it.

=== Climate ===
Because Central Asia is not buffered by a large body of water, temperature fluctuations are more severe. In most of the places the climate is moderate.

According to the [[Biome#WWF system|WWF Ecozones system]], Central Asia is part of the [[Palearctic]] [[ecozone]]. The largest [[biomes]] in Central Asia are the [[temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands]] biome. Central Asia also contains the [[montane grasslands and shrublands]], [[deserts and xeric shrublands]] as well as [[temperate coniferous forests]] biomes.

== History ==
[[File:Scythia-Parthia 100 BC.png|thumb|right|Geographical extent of Iranian influence in the 1st century BC. [[Scythia]] (mostly [[Eastern Iranian languages|Eastern Iranian]]) is shown in orange.]]
{{Main|History of Central Asia}}

Although, during the golden age of Orientalism the place of Central Asia in the world history was marginalized, contemporary historiography has rediscovered the "centrality" of the Central Asia.<ref>Mehmet Akif Okur, "Classical Texts Of the Geopolitics and the "Heart Of Eurasia", Journal of Turkish World Studies, XIV/2, pp.86–90 https://www.academia.edu/10035574/CLASSICAL_TEXTS_OF_THE_GEOPOLITICS_AND_THE_HEART_OF_EURASIA_Jeopoliti%C4%9Fin_Klasik_Metinleri_ve_Avrasya_n%C4%B1n_Kalbi_ http://tdid.ege.edu.tr/files/dergi_14_2/mehmet_akif_okur.pdf</ref> The history of Central Asia is defined by the area's climate and geography. The aridness of the region made [[Agriculture in Central Asia|agriculture]] difficult, and its distance from the sea cut it off from much trade. Thus, few major cities developed in the region; instead, the area was for millennia dominated by the nomadic horse peoples of the [[steppe]].

Relations between the [[Eurasian nomads|steppe nomads]] and the settled people in and around Central Asia were long marked by conflict. The nomadic lifestyle was well suited to [[war]]fare, and the steppe [[Horses in warfare|horse riders]] became some of the most militarily potent people in the world, limited only by their lack of internal unity. Any internal unity that was achieved was most probably due to the influence of the [[Silk Road]], which traveled along Central Asia. Periodically, great leaders or changing conditions would organize several tribes into one force and create an almost unstoppable power. These included the [[Huns|Hun]] invasion of Europe, the [[Five Barbarians|Wu Hu]] attacks on China and most notably the [[Timeline of Mongol conquests|Mongol conquest]] of much of [[Eurasia]].<ref>[http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Ibn_Battuta/Battuta's_Trip_Three.html A Land Conquered by the Mongols]</ref>
[[File:Men from Khiva.JPG|thumb|left|Uzbek men from [[Khiva]], ca. 1861–1880]]
During pre-Islamic and early Islamic times, southern Central Asia was inhabited predominantly by speakers of [[Iranian languages]].<ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref>C.E. Bosworth, "The Appearance of the Arabs in Central Asia under the Umayyads and the establishment of Islam", in ''History of Civilizations of Central Asia'', Vol. IV: The Age of Achievement: AD 750 to the End of the Fifteenth Century, Part One: The Historical, Social and Economic Setting, edited by M. S. Asimov and C. E. Bosworth. Multiple History Series. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, 1998. excerpt from page 23: "Central Asia in the early seventh century, was ethnically, still largely an Iranian land whose people used various Middle Iranian languages.</ref> Among the ancient sedentary [[Iranian peoples]], the [[Sogdian people|Sogdians]] and [[Khwarezmian language|Chorasmians]] played an important role, while Iranian peoples such as [[Scythians]] and the later on [[Alans]] lived a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle. The well-preserved [[Tarim mummies]] with [[Caucasoid]] features have been found in the [[Tarim Basin]].<ref>{{cite news | first = Robert J. | last = Saiget | authorlink = | title = Caucasians preceded East Asians in basin | url = http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20050419-101056-2135r.htm | work = The Washington Times | publisher = News World Communications | date = 19 April 2005 | accessdate = 20 August 2007 | quote = A study last year by [[Jilin]] University also found that the mummies' DNA had Europoid genes.| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20050420224622/http://washingtontimes.com/world/20050419-101056-2135r.htm | archivedate = 20 April 2005}}</ref>

The main migration of [[Turkic peoples]] occurred between the 5th and 10th centuries, when they spread across most of Central Asia. The [[Tang Dynasty|Tang Chinese]] were defeated by the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Arabs]] at the [[battle of Talas]] in 751, marking the end of the Tang Dynasty's western expansion. The [[Tibetan Empire]] would take the chance to rule portion of Central Asia along with South Asia. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the [[Mongols]] conquered and ruled the largest contiguous empire in recorded history.  Most of Central Asia fell under the control of the [[Chagatai Khanate]]. [[File:SB - Kazakh man on horse with golden eagle.jpg|thumb|[[Kazakhs|Kazakh]] man on a horse with golden eagle]]
The dominance of the nomads ended in the 16th century, as [[firearm]]s allowed settled peoples to gain control of the region. [[Russia]], [[China]], and other powers expanded into the region and had captured the bulk of Central Asia by the end of the 19th century. After the [[Russian Revolution of 1917|Russian Revolution]], the western Central Asian regions were incorporated into the [[Soviet Union]]. The eastern part of Central Asia, known as East Turkistan or [[Xinjiang]], was [[Incorporation of Xinjiang into the People's Republic of China|incorporated]] into the [[People's Republic of China]]. Mongolia remained independent but became a Soviet [[satellite state]]. Afghanistan remained relatively independent of major influence by the USSR until the [[Saur Revolution]] of 1978.

The Soviet areas of Central Asia saw much [[Soviet infrastructure in Central Asia|industrialization and construction of infrastructure]], but also the suppression of local cultures, hundreds of thousands of deaths from failed collectivization programs, and a lasting legacy of ethnic tensions and environmental problems. Soviet authorities [[Population transfer in the Soviet Union|deported]] millions of people, including entire nationalities,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faqs.org/minorities/USSR/Deported-Nationalities.html|title=Deported Nationalities|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref> from western areas of the USSR to Central Asia and [[Siberia]].<ref>[http://www.anneapplebaum.com/gulag/intro.html Anne Applebaum – Gulag: A History Intro]</ref> According to Touraj Atabaki and Sanjyot Mehendale, "From 1959 to 1970, about two million people from various parts of the Soviet Union migrated to Central Asia, of which about one million moved to Kazakhstan."<ref>"''[https://books.google.com/books?id=zwKBZmpBo5YC&pg=PA66&dq&hl=en#v=onepage&q=&f=false Central Asia and the Caucasus: transnationalism and diaspora]''". Touraj Atabaki, Sanjyot Mehendale (2005). p.66. ISBN 0-415-33260-5</ref>

With the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]], five countries gained independence. In nearly all the new states, former Communist Party officials retained power as local strongmen. None of the new republics could be considered functional democracies in the early days of independence, although in recent years [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Mongolia]] have made further progress towards more open societies, unlike [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], and [[Turkmenistan]], which have maintained many Soviet-style repressive tactics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eiu.com//public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=DemocracyIndex2011 |title=Democracy Index 2011 |work=Economist Intelligence Unit}}</ref>

== Culture ==
[[File:Petropavl mosque.jpg|thumb|Mosque in [[Petropavl]]ovsk, Kazakhstan]]

=== Religions ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2016}}<!-- This section is linked from [[Kashgar]] -->
[[Islam in Central Asia|Islam]] is the religion most common in the Central Asian Republics, [[Afghanistan]], Xinjiang and the peripheral western regions, such as [[Bashkortostan]]. Most Central Asian Muslims are [[Sunni]], although there are sizable [[Shia Islam|Shia]] minorities in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

[[Buddhism]] and [[Zoroastrianism]] were the major faiths in Central Asia prior to the arrival of Islam. Zoroastrian influence is still felt today in such celebrations as [[Nowruz]], held in all five of the Central Asian states.{{cn|date=September 2016}}

[[Buddhism in Central Asia|Buddhism]] was a prominent religion in Central Asia prior to the arrival of Islam, and the [[Silk Road transmission of Buddhism|transmission of Buddhism along the Silk Road]] eventually brought the religion to China.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Buddhist Conquest of China: The Spread and Adaptation of Buddhism in Early Medieval China|last=Zürcher|first=Erik|publisher=BRILL|year=2007|isbn=9789004156043|location=|pages=23|quote=|via=}}</ref> Amongst the [[Turkic peoples]], [[Tengriism|Tengrianism]] was the popular religion before arrival of Islam.{{cn|date=September 2016}} [[Tibetan Buddhism]] is most common in Tibet, Mongolia, [[Ladakh]] and the southern Russian regions of Siberia.

The form of [[Christianity]] most practiced in the region in previous centuries was [[Nestorianism]], but now the largest denomination is the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], with many members in Kazakhstan.

The [[Bukharan Jews]] were once a sizable community in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but nearly all have emigrated since the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]].

In Siberia, [[Shamanism]] is practiced, including forms of [[divination]], such as [[Kumalak]].

Contact and migration with [[Han Chinese|Han people]] from China has brought [[Confucianism]], [[Daoism]], [[Mahayana Buddhism]], and other [[Chinese Folk Religion|Chinese folk beliefs]] into the region.

=== Arts ===
[[File:Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Hazrat-e Turkestan, Kazakhstan.jpg|thumbnail|left|[[Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi]] in Hazrat-e Turkestan, [[Kazakhstan]]. Timurid architecture consisted of [[Persian art]].]]
[[File:Sadi and the youth of kashgar Bukhara 1547.JPG|thumb|Saadi Shirazi is welcomed by a youth from [[Kashgar]] during a forum in [[Bukhara]].]]
At the crossroads of Asia, shamanistic practices live alongside [[Buddhism]]. Thus, [[Yama (East Asia)|Yama]], Lord of Death, was revered in Tibet as a spiritual guardian and judge. Mongolian Buddhism, in particular, was influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. The [[Qianlong Emperor]] of Qing China in the 18th century was Tibetan Buddhist and would sometimes travel from [[Beijing]] to other cities for personal religious worship.

Central Asia also has an indigenous form of improvisational [[oral poetry]] that is over 1000 years old. It is principally practiced in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan by ''akyns'', lyrical improvisationists. They engage in [[Freestyle battle|lyrical battles]], the ''aitysh'' or the ''alym sabak''. The tradition arose out of early bardic [[Oral history|oral historians]]. They are usually accompanied by a [[String instrument|stringed instrument]]—in Kyrgyzstan, a three-stringed [[komuz]], and in Kazakhstan, a similar two-stringed instrument, the dombra.

Photography in Central Asia began to develop after 1882, when a [[Russian Mennonite]] photographer named Wilhelm Penner moved to the [[Khanate of Khiva]] during the Mennonite migration to Central Asia led by [[Claas Epp, Jr.]]. Upon his arrival to [[Khanate of Khiva]], Penner shared his photography skills with a local student Khudaybergen Divanov, who later became the founder of [[Uzbek photography]].<ref>Walter Ratliff, "Pilgrims on the Silk Road: A Muslim-Christian Encounter in Khiva", Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2010</ref>

Some also learn to sing the ''[[Manas (epic)|Manas]]'', Kyrgyzstan's epic poem (those who learn the ''Manas'' exclusively but do not improvise are called ''manaschis''). During Soviet rule, ''akyn'' performance was co-opted by the authorities and subsequently declined in popularity. With the fall of the Soviet Union, it has enjoyed a resurgence, although ''akyns'' still do use their art to campaign for political candidates. A 2005 ''[[The Washington Post]]'' article proposed a similarity between the improvisational art of ''akyns'' and modern [[freestyle rap]] performed in the West.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10646-2005Mar5.html|title="In Central Asia, a Revival of an Ancient Form of Rap – Art of Ad-Libbing Oral History Draws New Devotees in Post-Communist Era" by Peter Finn, Washington Post Foreign Service, Sunday, March 6, 2005, p. A20.|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014|work=The Washington Post|date=6 March 2005}}</ref>

As a consequence of Russian colonization, European fine arts – painting, sculpture and graphics – have developed in Central Asia. The first years of the Soviet regime saw the appearance of modernism, which took inspiration from the Russian avant-garde movement. Until the 1980s, Central Asian arts had developed along with general tendencies of Soviet arts. In the 90's, arts of the region underwent some significant changes. Institutionally speaking, some fields of arts were regulated by the birth of the art market, some stayed as representatives of official views, while many were sponsored by international organizations. The years of 1990 – 2000 were times for the establishment of contemporary arts. In the region, many important international exhibitions are taking place, Central Asian art is represented in European and American museums, and the Central Asian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale has been organized since 2005.

=== Sports ===
[[Equestrianism|Equestrian sports]] are traditional in Central Asia, with disciplines like [[endurance riding]], [[buzkashi]], [[dzhigit]] and [[kyz kuu]].

[[Association football]] is popular across Central Asia. Most countries are members of the [[Central Asian Football Association]], a region of the [[Asian Football Confederation]]. However, [[Kazakhstan]] is a member of the [[UEFA]].

[[Wrestling]] is popular across Central Asia, with Kazakhstan having claimed 14 Olympic medals and Uzbekistan seven. As former Soviet states, Central Asian countries have been successful in [[gymnastics]].

[[Cricket]] is the most popular sport in [[Afghanistan]]. The [[Afghanistan national cricket team]], first formed in 2001, has claimed wins over Bangladesh, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Notable Kazakh competitors include cyclists [[Alexander Vinokourov]] and [[Andrey Kashechkin]], boxer [[Vassiliy Jirov]], runner [[Olga Shishigina]], decathlete [[Dmitriy Karpov]], gymnast [[Aliya Yussupova]], judoka [[Askhat Zhitkeyev]] and [[Maxim Rakov]], skier [[Vladimir Smirnov (skier)|Vladimir Smirnov]], weightlifter [[Ilya Ilyin]], and figure skater [[Denis Ten]].

Notable Uzbekistani competitors include cyclist [[Djamolidine Abdoujaparov]], boxer [[Ruslan Chagaev]], canoer [[Michael Kolganov]], gymnast [[Oksana Chusovitina]], tennis player [[Denis Istomin]] and chess player [[Rustam Kasimdzhanov]].

== Territory and region data ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#ececec;"
! scope="col" style="width:120px;"|[[Country]]
! scope="col" style="width:80px;"|[[List of countries by area|Area]]<br />km²
! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|[[List of countries by population|Population]]<br />(2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kz.html|title=The World Factbook|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kg.html|title=The World Factbook|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ti.html|title=The World Factbook|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tx.html|title=The World Factbook|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html|title=The World Factbook|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:50px;"|[[List of countries by population density|Population density]]<br />per km<sup>2</sup>
! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|[[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|Nominal GDP]]<br />millions of USD (2015)
! [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|GDP per capita]]<br />in USD (IMF 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/01/|title=IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) – Recovery Strengthens, Remains Uneven, April 2014|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref>
! [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2015)
! [[Capital (political)|Capital]]
! [[Official languages]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{Country|Kazakhstan}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,724,900
| style="text-align:right;"| 17,067,216
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 216,036
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,796
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.788
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Astana]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], [[Russian language|Russian]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{Country|Kyrgyzstan}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 199,950
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,940,743
| style="text-align:right;"| 29.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,402
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,113
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.655
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Bishkek]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]], [[Russian language|Russian]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{Country|Tajikistan}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 142,550
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,628,742
| style="text-align:right;"| 60.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,242
| style="text-align:right;"| 922
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.624
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Dushanbe]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Tajik language|Tajik]], [[Russian language|Russian]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{Country|Turkmenistan}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 488,100
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,417,285
| style="text-align:right;"| 11.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 47,932
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,622
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.688
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Ashgabat]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{Country|Uzbekistan}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 447,400
| style="text-align:right;"| 30,932,878
| style="text-align:right;"| 69.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 62,613
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,121
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.675
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Tashkent]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]]
|-

|}

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Central Asia}}
[[Image:Central Asia Ethnic en.svg|thumb|right|250px|The ethnolinguistic patchwork of Central Asia]]
[[File:Uzbek Kids.JPG|thumb|Uzbek children in [[Samarkand]]]]
By a broad definition including Mongolia and Afghanistan, more than 90 million people live in Central Asia, about 2% of Asia's total population. Of the regions of Asia, only [[North Asia]] has fewer people. It has a population density of 9 people per km<sup>2</sup>, vastly less than the 80.5 people per km<sup>2</sup> of the continent as a whole.

=== Languages ===
<!-- ''[[Central Asian Languages|Main Article]]'' -->

[[Russian language|Russian]], as well as being spoken by around six million ethnic [[Russians]] and [[Ukrainians]] of Central Asia,<ref>Robert Greenall, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4420922.stm Russians left behind in Central Asia], [[BBC News]], 23 November 2005.</ref> is the de facto [[lingua franca]] throughout the former Soviet Central Asian Republics. [[Chinese language|Mandarin Chinese]] has an equally dominant presence in [[Inner Mongolia]], [[Qinghai]] and [[Xinjiang]].

The languages of the majority of the inhabitants of the former Soviet Central Asian Republics come from the [[Turkic languages|Turkic language group]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hunmagyar.org/turan/ethno.html|title=Ethnographic maps|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref> [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]], is mainly spoken in [[Turkmenistan]], and as a minority language in [[Afghanistan]], [[Russia]], [[Iran]] and [[Turkey]]. [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]] and [[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]] are related languages of the [[Kipchaks|Kypchak]] group of Turkic languages and are spoken throughout [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], and as a minority language in [[Tajikistan]], [[Afghanistan]] and [[Xinjiang]]. [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] and [[Uyghur language|Uyghur]] are spoken in [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], Kyrgyzstan, [[Afghanistan]] and [[Xinjiang]].

The [[Turkic language]]s may belong to a larger, but controversial, [[Altaic language]] family, which includes [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]]. Mongolian is spoken throughout Mongolia and into [[Buryatia]], Kalmyk, [[Tuva]], [[Inner Mongolia]], and [[Xinjiang]].

[[Middle Iranian languages]] were once spoken throughout Central Asia, such as the once prominent [[Sogdian language|Sogdian]], [[Khwarezmian language|Khwarezmian]], [[Bactrian language|Bactrian]] and [[Scythian language|Scythian]], which are now extinct and belonged to the [[Eastern Iranian languages|Eastern Iranian]] family. The Eastern Iranian [[Pashto language]] is still spoken in [[Afghanistan]] and northwestern [[Pakistan]]. Other minor Eastern Iranian languages such as [[Shughni language|Shughni]], [[Munji language|Munji]], [[Ishkashimi language|Ishkashimi]], [[Sarikoli language|Sarikoli]], [[Wakhi language|Wakhi]], [[Yaghnobi language|Yaghnobi]] and [[Ossetic language|Ossetic]] are also spoken at various places in Central Asia. Varieties of [[Persian language|Persian]] are also spoken as a major language in the region, locally known as [[Dari (Eastern Persian)|Dari]] (in Afghanistan), [[Tajik language|Tajik]] (in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), and [[Bukhori dialect|Bukhori]] (by the [[Bukharan Jews]] of Central Asia).

[[Tocharian languages|Tocharian]], another Indo-European language group, which was once predominant in oases on the northern edge of the [[Tarim Basin]] of Xinjiang, is now extinct.

Other language groups include the [[Tibetic languages]], spoken by around six million people across the [[Tibetan Plateau]] and into [[Qinghai]], [[Sichuan]], [[Ladakh]] and [[Baltistan]], and the [[Nuristani languages]] of northeastern Afghanistan. [[Dardic languages]], such as [[Shina language|Shina]], [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Pashayi language|Pashayi]] and [[Khowar language|Khowar]], are also spoken in eastern Afghanistan, the [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] and [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] of Pakistan and the disputed territory of [[Jammu and Kashmir|Kashmir]].

== Geostrategy ==
{{Main|Geostrategy in Central Asia}}
[[File:Qianlong Horse.jpg|thumb|left|Kazakh prostrating before [[Qianlong Emperor]] of China (1757).<ref>{{citation|first=James A. |last=Millward|publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2007
|isbn=0-231-13924-1|title=Eurasian crossroads: a history of Xinjiang|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8FVsWq31MtMC|pages=45–47}}</ref>]]

Central Asia has long been a strategic location merely because of its proximity to several great powers on the Eurasian landmass. The region itself never held a dominant stationary population nor was able to make use of natural resources. Thus, it has rarely throughout history become the seat of power for an empire or influential state. Central Asia has been divided, redivided, conquered out of existence, and fragmented time and time again. Central Asia has served more as the battleground for outside powers than as a power in its own right.

Central Asia had both the advantage and disadvantage of a central location between four historical seats of power. From its central location, it has access to trade routes to and from all the regional powers. On the other hand, it has been continuously vulnerable to attack from all sides throughout its history, resulting in political fragmentation or outright power vacuum, as it is successively dominated.
[[Image:Great Game cartoon from 1878.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Political cartoon from the period of the [[The Great Game|Great Game]] showing the Afghan Amir Sher Ali with his "friends" Imperial Russia and the United Kingdom (1878)]]
* To the North, the steppe allowed for rapid mobility, first for nomadic horseback warriors like the Huns and Mongols, and later for Russian traders, eventually supported by railroads. As the Russian Empire expanded to the East, it would also push down into Central Asia towards the sea, in a search for warm water ports. The Soviet bloc would reinforce dominance from the North and attempt to project power as far south as Afghanistan.
* To the East, the demographic and cultural weight of Chinese empires continually pushed outward into Central Asia since the [[Silk road]] period of [[Han Dynasty]]. However, with the Sino-Soviet split and collapse of Soviet Union, China would project its soft power into Central Asia, most notably in the case of Afghanistan, to counter Russian dominance of the region.
* To the Southeast, the demographic and cultural influence of India was felt in Central Asia, notably in Tibet, the [[Hindu Kush]], and slightly beyond. From its base in India, the [[British Empire]] competed with the Russian Empire for influence in the region in the 19th and 20th centuries.
* To the Southwest, Western Asian powers have expanded into the southern areas of Central Asia (usually Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan). Several Persian empires would conquer and reconquer parts of Central Asia; Alexander the Great's Hellenic empire would extend into Central Asia; two Islamic empires would exert substantial influence throughout the region; and the modern state of Iran has projected influence throughout the region as well. Turkey, through a common [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] nation identity, has gradually increased its ties and influence as well in the region. Furthermore, all Central Asian Turkic-speaking states are together with Turkey part of the [[Turkic Council]].

In the post–Cold War era, Central Asia is an ethnic cauldron, prone to instability and conflicts, without a sense of national identity, but rather a mess of historical cultural influences, tribal and clan loyalties, and religious fervor. Projecting influence into the area is no longer just Russia, but also Turkey, Iran, China, Pakistan, India and the United States:
* Russia continues to dominate political decision-making throughout the former SSRs; although, as other countries move into the area, Russia's influence has begun to wane though Russia still maintains military bases in [[Kyrgyzstan]] and [[Tajikistan]].<ref>{{cite web|title = Why Russia Will Send More Troops to Central Asia|url = https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/why-russia-will-send-more-troops-central-asia|website = Stratfor|accessdate = 2015-09-26}}</ref>
* The United States, with its military involvement in the region and oil diplomacy, is also significantly involved in the region's politics. The United States and other NATO members are the main contributors to the [[International Security Assistance Force]] in Afghanistan and also exert considerable influence in other Central Asian nations.
* China has security ties with Central Asian states through the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]], and conducts energy trade bilaterally.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.cfr.org/publication/10883/shanghai_cooperation_organization.html |title = The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation |first=Andrew |last=Scheineson |date = 24 March 2009 |accessdate = 24 September 2010 |work=Backgrounder |publisher=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]}}</ref>
* India has geographic proximity to the Central Asian region and, in addition, enjoys considerable influence on Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7492982.stm |title = India: Afghanistan's influential ally |publisher= |accessdate=14 November 2014 |work=BBC News |date=8 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url = http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1945666,00.html |title = India, Pakistan and the Battle for Afghanistan |date = 5 December 2009 |magazine = TIME.com |accessdate = 14 November 2014}}</ref> India maintains a military base at [[Farkhor Air Base|Farkhor]], Tajikistan, and also has extensive military relations with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.<ref name="Reiter">{{cite book |last1 = Reiter|first1 = Erich |last2 = Hazdra |first2 = Peter |title = The Impact of Asian Powers on Global Developments |year = 2004 |publisher = Springer, 2004 |ISBN = 978-3-7908-0092-0 }}</ref>
* Turkey also exerts considerable influence in the region on account of its ethnic and linguistic ties with the Turkic peoples of Central Asia and its involvement in the [[Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline|Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline]]. Political and economic relations are growing rapidly (e.g., Turkey recently eliminated visa requirements for citizens of the Central Asian Turkic republics).
* Iran, the seat of historical empires that controlled parts of Central Asia, has historical and cultural links to the region and is vying to construct an oil pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf.
* [[Pakistan]], a nuclear-armed Islamic state, has a history of political relations with neighboring Afghanistan and is termed capable of exercising influence. For some Central Asian nations, the shortest route to the ocean lies through Pakistan. Pakistan seeks [[natural gas]] from Central Asia and supports the development of pipelines from its countries. According to an independent study, [[Turkmenistan]] is supposed to be the '''fifth''' largest natural gas field in the world.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Turkmenistan Gas Field Is One of World's Largest|url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122409510811337137|newspaper = Wall Street Journal|access-date = 2015-09-26|issn = 0099-9660|first = Guy|last = Chazan}}</ref> The mountain ranges and areas in northern Pakistan lie on the fringes of greater Central Asia; the [[Gilgit–Baltistan]] region of Pakistan lies adjacent to Tajikistan, separated only by the narrow Afghan [[Wakhan Corridor]]. Being located on the northwest of South Asia, the area forming modern-day Pakistan maintained extensive historical and cultural links with the central Asian region.

Russian historian [[Lev Gumilev]] wrote that [[Xiongnu]], [[Mongols]] ([[Mongol Empire]], [[Zunghar Khanate]]) and [[Turkic peoples]] ([[Turkic Khaganate]], [[Uyghur Khaganate]])  played a role to stop Chinese [[List of endangered languages in China|aggression]] [[Ethnic groups in Chinese history|to the north]]. The Turkic Khaganate had special policy against Chinese assimilation policy.<ref>[http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/articles/Article16.htm ЛЮДИ И ПРИРОДА ВЕЛИКОЙ СТЕПИ] '''(Russian)'''</ref> Another interesting theoretical analysis on the historical-geopolitics of the Central Asia was made through the reinterpretation of Orkhun Inscripts.<ref>Mehmet Akif Okur, "Classical Texts Of the Geopolitics and the "Heart Of Eurasia", Journal of Turkish World Studies, XIV/2, pp.91–100 https://www.academia.edu/10035574/CLASSICAL_TEXTS_OF_THE_GEOPOLITICS_AND_THE_HEART_OF_EURASIA_Jeopoliti%C4%9Fin_Klasik_Metinleri_ve_Avrasya_n%C4%B1n_Kalbi_ http://tdid.ege.edu.tr/files/dergi_14_2/mehmet_akif_okur.pdf</ref>

The region, along with Russia, is also part of "the great pivot" as per the [[Heartland Theory]] of [[Halford Mackinder]], which says that the power which controls Central Asia—richly endowed with natural resources—shall ultimately be the "empire of the world".<ref>For an analysis of Mackinder's approach from the perspective of "Critical Geopolitics" look: Mehmet Akif Okur, "Classical Texts Of the Geopolitics and the "Heart Of Eurasia", Journal of Turkish World Studies, XIV/2, pp.76–80 https://www.academia.edu/10035574/CLASSICAL_TEXTS_OF_THE_GEOPOLITICS_AND_THE_HEART_OF_EURASIA_Jeopoliti%C4%9Fin_Klasik_Metinleri_ve_Avrasya_n%C4%B1n_Kalbi_ http://tdid.ege.edu.tr/files/dergi_14_2/mehmet_akif_okur.pdf</ref>

=== War on Terror ===
[[File:Islam karimov.jpg|thumb|180px|Uzbekistan's authoritarian leader [[Islam Karimov]] in [[the Pentagon]], March 2002]]
In the context of the United States' [[War on Terror]], Central Asia has once again become the center of geostrategic calculations. Pakistan's status has been upgraded by the U.S. government to [[Major non-NATO ally]] because of its central role in serving as a staging point for the invasion of Afghanistan, providing intelligence on Al-Qaeda operations in the region, and leading the hunt on Osama bin Laden.

Afghanistan, which had served as a haven and source of support for Al-Qaeda under the protection of Mullah Omar and the [[Taliban]], was the target of a [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|U.S. invasion]] in 2001 and ongoing reconstruction and drug-eradication efforts. U.S. military bases have also been established in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, causing both Russia and the People's Republic of China to voice their concern over a permanent U.S. military presence in the region.

Western governments have accused Russia, China and the former Soviet republics of justifying the suppression of separatist movements, and the associated ethnics and religion with the War on Terror.

== Major cultural and economic centers ==
{{legend2|#CCEEFF|Cities within the regular definition of Central Asia and Afghanistan|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#cef;"
! style="width:100px;"|City
! style="width:150px;"|Country
! style="width:100px;"|Population
! style="width:200px;"|Image
! style="width:350px;"|Information
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Astana]]
| {{flag|Kazakhstan}}
| {{nts|835,153}}<br />(2014)
| [[File:Central Astana on a Sunny, Snowy Day in February 2013.jpg|200px]]
| The capital and second largest city in Kazakhstan. After Kazakhstan gained its independence in 1991, the city and the region were renamed Aqmola. The name was often translated as "White Tombstone", but actually means "Holy Place" or "Holy Shrine". The "White Tombstone" literal translation was too appropriate for many visitors to escape notice in almost all guide books and travel accounts. In 1994, the city was designated as the future capital of the newly independent country and again renamed to the present Astana after the capital was officially moved from [[Almaty]] in 1997.
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Almaty]]
| {{flag|Kazakhstan}}
| {{nts|1,552,349}}<br />(2015)
| [[File:Almaty, Kok-tobe exposition 3.jpg|200px]]
| It was the capital of Kazakhstan (and its predecessor, the [[Kazakh SSR]]) from 1929 to 1998. Despite losing its status as the capital, Almaty remains the major commercial center of Kazakhstan. It is a recognized financial center of Kazakhstan and the Central Asian region.
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Bishkek]]
| {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}
| {{nts|865,527}}<br />(2009)
| [[File:E7904-Bishkek-Ala-Too-Square.jpg|200px]]
| The capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative center of [[Chuy Region]], which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the region, but rather a region-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Osh]]
| {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}
| {{nts|243,216}}<br />(2009)
| [[File:Osh 03-2016 img28 view from Sulayman Mountain.jpg|200px]]
| The second largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Osh is also the administrative center of [[Osh Region]], which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the region, but rather a region-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Dushanbe]]
| {{flag|Tajikistan}}
| {{nts|780,000}}<br />(2014)
| [[File:Dushanbe panorama 07.jpg|200px]]
| The capital and largest city of Tajikistan. Dushanbe means "Monday" in [[Tajik language|Tajik]] and [[Persian language|Persian]],<ref>D. Saimaddinov, S. D. Kholmatova, and S. Karimov, ''Tajik-Russian Dictionary'', Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rudaki Institute of Language and Literature, Scientific Center for Persian-Tajik Culture, Dushanbe, 2006.</ref> and the name reflects the fact that the city grew on the site of a village that originally was a popular Monday [[marketplace]].
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Ashgabat]]
| {{flag|Turkmenistan}}
| {{nts|1,032,000}}<br />(2014)
| [[File:Panorama of Ashgabat.jpg|200px]]
| The capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. Ashgabat is a relatively young city, growing out of a village of the same name established by [[Russian Empire|Russians]] in 1818. It is not far from the site of [[Nisa (village)|Nisa]], the ancient capital of the [[Parthia]]ns, and it grew on the ruins of the [[Silk Road]] city of Konjikala, which was first mentioned as a wine-producing village in the 2nd century BCE and was leveled by an earthquake in the 1st century BCE (a precursor of the [[1948 Ashgabat earthquake]]). Konjikala was rebuilt because of its advantageous location on the Silk Road, and it flourished until its destruction by Mongols in the 13th century CE. After that, it survived as a small village until the Russians took over in the 19th century.<ref>[http://www.geographicbureau.com/trips/central_asia/turkmenistan/info/brief_description_of_the_main_s.jdx Konjikala] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029043151/http://www.geographicbureau.com/trips/central_asia/turkmenistan/info/brief_description_of_the_main_s.jdx |date=29 October 2014 }}: the Silk Road precursor of Ashgabat</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UGanxmJgQNIC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=konjikala&source=bl&ots=76-v-N-YOn&sig=_SxnsotPclSEHqnFjepj4qQhlzc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA41,M1 Konjikala], in: MaryLee Knowlton, ''Turkmenistan'', Marshall Cavendish, 2006, pp. 40–41, ISBN 0-7614-2014-2, ISBN 978-0-7614-2014-9 (viewable on [[Google Books]]).</ref>
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Bukhara]]
| {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
| {{nts|237,900}}<br />(1999)
| [[File:Uzbekistan 2007 092 Bukhara.jpg|200px]]
| The nation's fifth-largest city and the capital of the [[Bukhara Region]] of Uzbekistan. Bukhara has been one of the main centers of Persian civilization from its early days in the 6th century BCE, and, since the 12th century CE, Turkic speakers gradually moved in. Its architecture and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of Central Asian history and art.
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Kokand]]
| {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
| {{nts|209,389}}<br />(2011)
| [[File:KokandPalace.jpg|200px]]
| '''Kokand''' ({{lang-uz|'''Qo‘qon''' / Қўқон}}; {{lang-tg|Хӯқанд}}; {{lang-fa|خوقند}}; [[Chagatai language|Chagatai]]: خوقند; {{lang-ru|Коканд}}) is a city in [[Fergana Region]] in eastern [[Uzbekistan]], at the southwestern edge of the [[Fergana Valley]]. It has a population of 192,500 (1999 census estimate). Kokand is 228&nbsp;km southeast of [[Tashkent]], 115&nbsp;km west of [[Andijan]], and 88&nbsp;km west of [[Fergana]]. It is nicknamed "City of Winds", or sometimes "Town of the Boar".
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Samarkand]]
| {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
| {{nts|596,300}}<br />(2008)
| [[Image:Samarkand view from the top.jpg|200px]]
| The second largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of [[Samarqand Region]]. The city is most noted for its central position on the [[Silk Road]] between [[People's Republic of China|China]] and the West, and for being an Islamic center for scholarly study.
|- style="background:#cef;"
|[[Tashkent]]
| {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
| {{nts|2,180,000}}<br />(2008)
| [[Image:International Business Center. Tashkent city.jpg|200px]]
| The capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. In pre-Islamic and early Islamic times, the town and the region were known as Chach. Tashkent started as an [[oasis]] on the [[Chirchik River]], near the foothills of the [[Golestan Province|Golestan]] Mountains. In ancient times, this area contained Beitian, probably the summer "capital" of the [[Kangju]] confederacy.<ref>{{cite journal |last = Pulleyblank |first = Edwin G |year = 1963 |title = The consonantal system of Old Chinese |url = |journal = Asia Major |volume = 9 |issue = |page = 94 }}</ref>
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Kabul]]
| {{flag|Afghanistan}}
| {{nts|3,895,000}}<br />(2011)
| [[Image:Kabul Skyline.jpg|200px]]
| The capital and largest city of Afghanistan. The city of Kabul is thought to have been established between 2000&nbsp;BCE and 1500&nbsp;BCE.<ref>''The history of Afghanistan'', [http://www.gandhara.com.au/afghan_table.html Ghandara.com website]</ref> In the [[Rigveda|Rig Veda]] (composed between 1700–1100&nbsp;BCE), the word ''Kubhā'' is mentioned, which appears to refer to the [[Kabul River]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KG0xJ659O1QC&pg=PA385|title="Kabul" ''Chambers's Encyclopaedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge'' (1901 edition) J.B. Lippincott Company, NY, page 385|publisher=|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cef;"
| [[Mazar-e Sharif]]
| {{flag|Afghanistan}}
| {{nts|375,181}}<br />(2008)
| [[File:Mi-17 helicopter flies over the northern Afghan city-101113-N-5006D-582.jpg|200px]]
| The fourth largest city in Afghanistan and the capital of [[Balkh province]], is linked by roads to [[Kabul]] in the southeast, [[Herat]] to the west and [[Uzbekistan]] to the north.
|}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Geography<!-- |Eurasia -->|Asia<!-- |Central Asia -->}}
* Chinese Central Asia: [[Western Regions]] and [[Xinjiang]]
* [[Central Asian studies]]
* [[Central Asian Union]]
* [[Central Asian Football Federation]]
* [[Pole of inaccessibility#Eurasia|Continental pole of inaccessibility]]
* [[Economic Cooperation Organization]]
* [[Inner Asia]]
* [[Hindutash]]
* [[University of Central Asia]]
* [[Central Asians in Ancient Indian literature]]
* [[India’s ‘Connect Central Asia’ Policy]]
* [[Turkestan]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last = Blank |first = Stephen J. |title = Central Asia After 2014 |year = 2013 |ISBN = 978-1-58487-593-2 |url = http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo44943 }}
* Chow, Edward. "Central Asia's Pipelines: Field of Dreams and Reality", in ''[http://www.nbr.org/publications/element.aspx?id=456 Pipeline Politics in Asia: The Intersection of Demand, Energy Markets, and Supply Routes]''. [[National Bureau of Asian Research]], 2010.
* Farah, Paolo Davide, Energy Security, Water Resources and Economic Development in Central Asia, World Scientific Reference on Globalisation in Eurasia and the Pacific Rim, Imperial College Press (London, UK) & World Scientific Publishing, Nov. 2015.. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2701215
* Dani, A.H. and V.M. Masson, eds. ''[http://www.unesco.org/culture/asia/index-en.html History of Civilizations of Central Asia]''. Paris: [[UNESCO]], 1992.* Gorshunova. Olga V. ''Svjashennye derevja Khodzhi Barora...'', ('' Sacred Trees of Khodzhi Baror: Phytolatry and the Cult of Female Deity in Central Asia'') in Etnoragraficheskoe Obozrenie, 2008, n° 1, pp.&nbsp;71–82. ISSN 0869-5415. {{ru icon}}.
* {{cite journal | last1 = Klein | first1 = I. | last2 = Gessner | first2 = U. | last3 = Kuenzer | first3 =  | year = | title = Regional land cover mapping and change detection in Central Asia using MODIS time-series | url = | journal = Applied Geography | volume = 35 | issue = 1–2| pages = 219–234 | doi = 10.1016/j.apgeog.2012.06.016 }}
* [[Michael Mandelbaum|Mandelbaum, Michael]], ed. ''Central Asia and the World: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan''. [[New York City|New York]]: [[Council on Foreign Relations]] Press, 1994.
* Marcinkowski, M. Ismail. ''Persian Historiography and Geography: Bertold Spuler on Major Works Produced in Iran, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Pakistan and Early Ottoman Turkey''. [[Singapore]]: [[Pustaka Nasional]], 2003.
* [[Martha Brill Olcott|Olcott, Martha Brill]]. ''Central Asia's New States: Independence, Foreign policy, and Regional security''. [[Washington, D.C.]]: [[United States Institute of Peace Press]], 1996.
* {{Cite journal | year= 2013 | last1= Phillips | first1= Andrew | last2= James | first2= Paul | authorlink2= Paul James (academic) | title= National Identity between Tradition and Reflexive Modernisation: The Contradictions of Central Asia | url= http://www.academia.edu/2832538/National_Identity_between_Tradition_and_Reflexive_Modernisation_in_Central_Asia | journal= National Identities | volume=  3 | issue=  1 | pages=23–35}}
* [[Hasan Bulent Paksoy]]. ''ALPAMYSH: Central Asian Identity under Russian Rule''. [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]]: [[AACAR]], 1989. http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/paksoy-1/
* [[Svat Soucek|Soucek, Svatopluk]]. ''A History of Inner Asia''. [[Cambridge]]: [[Cambridge University Press]], 2000.
* [[Ted Rall|Rall, Ted]]. ''Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?'' New York: [[NBM Publishing]], 2006.
* Stone, L.A. ''The International Politics of Central Eurasia'' (272 pp). Central Eurasian Studies On Line: Accessible via the Web Page of the International Eurasian Institute for Economic and Political Research: http://www.iicas.org/forumen.htm
* Weston, David. [http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9211/asia.htm ''Teaching about Inner Asia''], Bloomington, Indiana: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies, 1989.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Central Asia}}
{{wikivoyage|Central Asia}}
* [http://www.sras.org/library_central_asia The Library: Central ] on politics, universities, culture, languages, etc.
* [http://www.cagateway.org Central Asian Gateway ] Project of UNDP and CER, managed by N. Talibdjanov (since 2003).
* [http://uiuc.libguides.com/aecontent.php?pid=109814 Modernity, State and Society in Central Asia: A Research Guide]
* [http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11743/ General Map of Central Asia: I] is a historic map from 1874
* [http://aton.ttu.edu ] Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative, [[Texas Tech University]]; literature, customs, full-text works

{{Regions of the world}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Central Asia| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Asia]]
[[Category:Biodiversity hotspots]]