Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region

Central Asia located as a region of the world

Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. Though various definitions of its exact composition exist, no one definition is universally accepted. Despite this uncertainty in defining borders, it does have some important overall characteristics. For one, Central Asia has historically been closely tied to its nomadic peoples and the Silk Road. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the ^[1] 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. Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. ^[2]

Central Asia is largely coextensive with Turkestan. Turkestan (literally meaning "Land of the Turks" is a region in Central Asia, which today is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples. In modern context, Central Asia consists of the five former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly The nations of Afghanistan and Mongolia may also be included in Central Asia, in addition to the western Chinese provinces of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai and Tibet. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Inner Mongolia ( Mongolian:, Öbür mongɣul; occasionally romanized to Nei Mongol is the Mongol Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European

Definitions

Physical map of Central Asia from the Caucasus in the northwest, to Mongolia in the northeast.

In ancient Chinese history records, the term Western Regions was used to describe the lands to the west of China. Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era The Western Regions or Xiyu ( was a historical name specified in the Chinese chronicles between the 3rd century BC to 8th century that referred to the regions west of Jade China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

The idea of Central Asia as a distinct region of the world was introduced in 1843 by the geographer Alexander von Humboldt. (September 14 1769 &ndash May 6 1859 was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister philosopher and linguist The borders of Central Asia are subject to multiple definitions. Many text books still refer to this area as Turkestan, which was the name used prior to Stalin's rule. Turkestan (literally meaning "Land of the Turks" is a region in Central Asia, which today is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples.

The most limited definition was the official one of the Soviet Union that defined the "Middle Asia" as consisting solely of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, but did not include Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the This definition was also often used outside the USSR in this period. However, the Russian language has two distinct terms: Средняя Азия (Srednyaya Azia 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 (Tsentral'naya Azia or "Central Asia", the wider definition which includes "Central Asian" lands that have never been part of historical Russia). Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages However, there lacks a meaningful distinction between the two in the English language; and so "Central Asia" is used for both Russian usages, thus creating some confusion. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The new post-USSR Russian Federation has now included Kazakhstan in its new definition of "Middle Asia". Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Soon after independence, the leaders of the five former 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. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south 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. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 According to it, Central Asia includes Mongolia, Western China (including Tibet), northern India (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Punjab states), northeast Iran (Golestan, North Khorasan, and Razavi provinces), Afghanistan, northern Pakistan (Punjab, Northern Areas, and N.W.F.P. provinces), central-east Russia south of the Taiga, and the former Central Asian Soviet Republics (the five "Stans" of the former Soviet Union). Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Himachal Pradesh ( Hindi: हिमाचल प्रदेश Punjabi: ਹਿਮਾਚਲ ਪ੍ਰਦੇਸ਼ pronounced) is a state in the ( Dogri: जम्मू और कश्मीर Urdu: جموں و کشمیر is the northernmost state of India. Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Golestān ( گلستان) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. North Khorasan (in Persian: خراسان شمالی is a province located in northeastern Iran. Razavi Khorasan (in Persian: خراسان رضوی) is a province located in northeastern Iran. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Punjab ( Urdu:) province of The Northern Areas ( Urdu:,) is officially referred to by the government of Pakistan as the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP ( Urdu: śimāl maġribī sarhadī sūba) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan. Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 An alternative method is to define the region based on ethnicity, and in particular, areas populated by Eastern Turkic, Eastern Iranian, or Mongolian peoples. The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. These areas include Xinjiang, the Turkic/Muslim regions of southern Siberia, the five republics, and Afghan Turkestan, northern Pakistan and Afghans. Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Afghan Turkestan is a region in northern Afghanistan, on the border with the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Demographics of Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically mixed The Tibetans are also included. The Tibetan people are indigenous to Tibet and surrounding areas stretching from Central Asia in the North and West to Myanmar and China Proper Insofar, the mentioned peoples are considered the "indigenous" peoples of the vast region.

The Republic of Tuva (now part of the Russian Federation) is claimed to be located at the geographical center of Asia that has a location 200 miles (320 km) North of Urumqi ^[3]

Geography

Climate map of Central Asia. Tyva Republic (Респу́блика Тыва́ Respublika Tyva, rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva Тыва Республика Tyva Respublika) or Tuva Ürümchi or Ürümqi, sometimes spelled Wulumuqi (English uːˈruːmtʃi ئۈرۈمچی|Ürümchi) is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of This map clearly illustrates the boundaries of Central Asia. From the northwest, the mountain climate (purple) extends from the Caucasus, through Iranian Azerbaijan, along the Iranian border, through Afghanistan, and into Tibet in the southeast. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European The steppe climate (peach) extends from the North Caucasus in the northwest, over the Caspian Sea, through Kazakhstan, and around Mongolia in the northeast. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East The arid climates of the Ferghana Valley, Takla Makan and Gobi deserts are also prominently visible. Fergana or Farghana ( Uzbek: Farg'ona, Persian فرغانه, UniPers "Farqāna", Russian: Фергана The Taklamakan Desert (Takelamagan Shamo 塔克拉玛干沙漠 also known as Taklimakan, is a Desert in Central Asia, in the Xinjiang The Gobi (Говь Govi or Gov', "gravel-covered plain" Chinese: zh-t 戈壁(沙漠 Gēbì (Shāmò) The labels refer to the Trewartha climate classification scheme. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist

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Mountainous (H)      Semi-arid steppe (BSh, BSk)      Desert (BWk)

Continental (DWc)      Humid sub-tropical (CWa)      Humid sub-tropical (CWa)

Central Asia is an extremely large region of varied geography, including high passes and mountains (Tian Shan), vast deserts (Kara Kum, Kyzyl Kum, Taklamakan), and especially treeless, grassy steppes. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys The Tian Shan (天山 Pinyin: Tiān Shān "celestial mountains" also commonly spelled Tien Shan, is a Mountain range located in Central A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara Gum (“Black Sand” ( Turkmen: Garagum, Russian: Каракумы) The Kyzyl Kum (Qizilqum Қызылқұм also called Qyzylqum, is the 11th largest Desert in the world The Taklamakan Desert (Takelamagan Shamo 塔克拉玛干沙漠 also known as Taklimakan, is a Desert in Central Asia, in the Xinjiang In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced The vast steppe areas of Central Asia are considered together with the steppes of Eastern Europe as a homogenous geographical zone known as the Euro-Asian Steppe. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. The Eurasian Steppe (sometimes referred to collectively as The Steppes or The Steppe) is the term often used to describe the vast Steppe Ecoregion

Much of the land of Central Asia is too dry or too rugged for farming. The Gobi desert extends from the foot of the Pamirs, 77° east, to the Great Khingan (Da Hinggan) Mountains, 116°–118° east. The Gobi (Говь Govi or Gov', "gravel-covered plain" Chinese: zh-t 戈壁(沙漠 Gēbì (Shāmò) The Pamir Mountains are located in Central Asia and are formed by the junction or Knot of the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and The Greater Khingan Range ( Pinyin: Dàxīng'ānlǐng Manchu: Amba Hinggan also called the Greater Hing'an Range or Greater Hinggan Range

Central Asia has the following geographic extremes:

• The world's northernmost desert (sand dunes), at Buurug Deliin Els, Mongolia, 50°18' north. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East
• The Northern Hemisphere's southernmost permafrost, at Erdenetsogt sum, Mongolia, 46°17' north. Northern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is North of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' This article is about frozen ground For other meanings see Permafrost (disambiguation. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East
• The world's shortest distance between non-frozen desert and permafrost: 770 km (440 mi). A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. This article is about frozen ground For other meanings see Permafrost (disambiguation.

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 and the Hari River. The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. Syr Darya (Сырдария Сирдарё Sirdaryoسيردريا also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo) is a River in Central Asia The Hari River (Persian Rudkhaneh-ye Hari Rud sometimes Harirud) is a River flowing 1100 kilometers from the mountains of central Afghanistan 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. The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i Lake Balqash ( Kazakh: kk Балқаш Көлі, also Balkhash from the Russian ru Озеро Балхаш) is a Lake in southeastern An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged 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.

Climate

Since Central Asia is not buffered by a large body of water, temperature fluctuations are more severe.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Central Asia is part of the Palearctic ecozone. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight Ecozones dividing the Earth surface An ecozone or biogeographic realm is the largest scale biogeographic division of the earth's surface based on the historic and evolutionary distribution patterns The largest biome in Central Asia is the Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and Temperate grasslands Savannas and shrublands is a Biome whose predominant vegetation consists of Grasses and/or Shrubs The Climate Central Asia also contains the Montane grasslands and shrublands, Deserts and xeric shrublands and Temperate coniferous forests biomes. Montane grasslands and shrublands is a Biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial Biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest

History

Main article: History of Central Asia

A Scythian horseman from the general area of the Ili river, Pazyryk, c. The history of Central Asia has been determined primarily by the area's Climate and geography. The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic The Ili River (Іле İle, Или 伊犁河 Yili He is a River in northwestern China ( Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of the Xinjiang The Pazyryk (Пазарык is the name of an ancient Nomadic people who lived in the Altai Mountains lying in Siberian Russia south of the modern city 300 BCE. Events By place Egypt Pyrrhus, the King of Epirus, is taken as a hostage to Egypt after the Battle of Ipsus

Map of Soviet Central Asia in 1922 with the Turkistan ASSR and the Kyrgyz ASSR (present-day Kazakhstan). The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (Қазақ Кеңестік Социалистік Республикасы Qazaq Keñestik Socialistik Respublikasi; Казахская

The history of Central Asia is defined by the area's climate and geography. The aridness of the region made 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. In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced

Relations between the steppe nomads and the settled people in and around Central Asia were long marked by conflict. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that The nomadic lifestyle was well suited to warfare and the steppe horse riders became some of the most militarily potent peoples in the world, only limited by their lack of internal unity. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units Horses were first used in warfare over 5000 years ago The earliest evidence of the use of horses ridden in warfare dates Any internal unity that was achieved, was most probably due to the influence of the Silk Road, which traveled along Central Asia. The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the Periodically great leaders or changing conditions would organize several tribes into to one force, and create an almost unstoppable power. These included the Hun invasion of Europe, the Wu Hu attacks on China and most notably the Mongol conquest of much of Eurasia. The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy For the city see Wuhu. For the history of each of the Wu Hu tribes see Sixteen Kingdoms. The Mongol Empire emerged in the course of the 13th century by a series of conquests and invasions throughout Central and Western Asia, reaching Eastern Europe For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. ^[4]

The dominance of the nomads ended in the 16th century, as firearms allowed settled peoples to gain control of the region. A firearm is a Tool that projects either single or multiple Projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion Russia, China, and other powers expanded into the region and had captured the bulk of Central Asia by the end of the nineteenth century. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National After the Russian Revolution the Central Asian regions were incorporated into the Soviet Union. See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them Mongolia remained independent but became a Soviet satellite state. Satellite state is a political term that refers to a country which is formally independent but under heavy influence or control by another country The Soviet areas of Central Asia saw much 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.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union five countries gained independence. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 In all the new states former Communist Party officials retained power as local strongmen. None of the new republics could be considered functional democracies, although it appears Kyrgyzstan may achieve this. Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Other parts of Central Asia remain part of China or Russia.

Culture

The Ethnolinguistic patchwork of Central Asia

Religions

Islam is the religion most common in the Central Asian Republics, Afghanistan, Xinjiang (Uyghurstan/East Turkistan) and the peripheral western regions. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Most Central Asian Muslims are Sunni, although there are sizeable Shia and Hindu minorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Hinduism is the religion most prevalent in northwest India although there is a considerable presence of Islam. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Tibetan Buddhism is most common in Tibet, Mongolia, and the southern Russian regions of Siberia, where Shamanism is also popular. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including Increasing Han Chinese migration westward since the establishment of the PRC has brought Confucianism and other beliefs into the region. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Nestorianism was the form of Christianity most practiced in the region in previous centuries, but now the largest denomination is the Russian Orthodox Church, with many members in Kazakhstan. Nestorius Nestorius (c  386 &ndashc  451) was a pupil of Theodore of Mopsuestia in Antioch in Syria (modern See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure The Bukharian Jews were once a sizable community in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but nearly all have emigrated since the Collapse of the Soviet Union and the revival of Islam in the region. Bukharan Jews, also Bukharian Jews or Bukhari Jews, ( בוכרים, Bukharim) are Jews from Central Asia who speak The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation.

Arts

Yama, Lord of Death, Tibet, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois. Yama is the name of the Buddhist Dharmapala and judge of the dead who presides over the Buddhist Narakas ( Pāli: Nirayas "Hells" Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.

At the crossroads of Asia, shamanist practices live alongside Buddhism. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Thus Yama, Lord of Death, was revered in Tibet as a spiritual guardian and judge. Yama is the name of the Buddhist Dharmapala and judge of the dead who presides over the Buddhist Narakas ( Pāli: Nirayas "Hells" Mongolian Buddhism in particular influenced Tibetan Buddhism. The Qianlong Emperor of China in the 18th century was Tibetan Buddhist, and would sometimes travel from Beijing to other cities for personal religious worship. Emperor Qianlong (Chinese 乾隆 Qiánlóng, Wade-Giles' Ch'ien-Lung', Mongolian Tengeriig Tetgesen Khaan, born Hongli (弘历 September

Note the human skulls and severed heads that festoon Yama's crown and necklace, which give some concept of the size that Yama was expected to be when one faced him at one's death. This particular Dharmapala is painted wood, four feet high in total. In Vajrayana Buddhism a dharmapāla ( Tibetan chos-kyong) is a type of Wrathful deity.

Central Asia also has an indigenous form of improvisational oral poetry which is over 1000 years old. Oral poetry is a form of Poetry that is transmitted orally and memorized or improvised rather than written down It is principally practiced in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan by akyns, lyrical improvisationists. They will engage in lyrical battles, the aitysh or the alym sabak. Freestyle rap is an Improvisational form of Rapping, performed with few or no previously composed Lyrics, which is said to reflect a direct mapping of the The tradition arose out of early bardic oral historians. Oral history can be defined as the recording preservation and interpretation of historical information, based on the personal experiences and opinions of the speaker They are usually accompanied by a stringed instrument—in Kyrgyzstan, a three-stringed komuz and in Kazakhstan a similar two-stringed instrument. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs The komuz ( Kyrgyz: комуз koˈmuz is an ancient Fretless String instrument used in Kyrgyz music closely related to other Some also learn to sing the Manas, Kyrgyzstan's epic poem (those who learn the Manas exclusively but do not improvise are called manaschis). The Epic of Manas is a traditional epic poem of the Kyrgyz people 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 Washington Post article proposed a similarity between the improvisational art of akyns and modern freestyle rap performed in the West. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Freestyle rap is an Improvisational form of Rapping, performed with few or no previously composed Lyrics, which is said to reflect a direct mapping of the ^[5]

Demographics

By the most inclusive definition, more than 80 million people live in Central Asia, about 2% of Asia's total population. Of the regions of Asia, only North Asia has fewer people. North Asia or Northern Asia is sometimes defined as a Subregion of Asia consisting only of the Asian portion of Russia. It has a population density of 9 people per km², vastly less than the 80. 5 people per km² of the continent as a whole.

Languages

The languages of the majority of the inhabitants of the former Soviet Central Asian Republics come from the Turkic language group. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Turkmen ( Latin script: türkmen Cyrillic: түркмен ISO 639 -1 tk ISO 639-2 tuk is the name of the national language of Turkmenistan Kazakh (also Qazaq and variants natively kk Qazaq tili, kk Қазақ тілі; pronounced tˈlə is a Turkic language closely related to Kyrgyz or Kirghiz (Кыргыз тили Kyrgyz tili, قىرعىز ٴتىلى is a Turkic language, and together with Russian, an official The Tatar language (,, Татар теле, Татарча) is a Turkic Language spoken by the Tatars. Uzbek ( O‘zbek tili or O'zbekcha in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic Uyghur (/ ug-Latn Uyƣurqə/ug-Cyrl Уйғурчә, or / ug-Latn Uyƣur tili/ug-Cyrl Уйғур The Iranian languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family and its subfamily Indo-Iranian. The Tajik language, or Tajik Persian, or Tajiki, (sometimes written Tadjik or Tadzhik; тоҷикӣ, tg-Latn ''tojikí'') is a modern Bukhori (also known as Bukhari, Bukharic, Bukharan, or Bukharian) is an Indo-Iranian language. Pashto ( Naskh: پښتو‎ pəʂ'to also rendered as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Pushtu, also known as Balochi (بلوچی also Baluchi, Baloci or Baluci) is a Northwestern Iranian language. The Kurdish language (Kurdish Kurdî or کوردی is a term used for the language spoken by Kurds. The Pamir languages are a subgroup of the Iranian languages, spoken by Pamiri people in the Pamir Mountains, primarily along the Panj River and The Mongolian language (mn [[ImageMonggol kelesvg 17px]] Mongɣol kele, Cyrillic: Монгол хэл Mongol khel) is the best-known member of Tibetan refers to a group of languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia as well as by overseas A lingua franca (from Italian, literally meaning Frankish language, see etymology under Sabir and Italian below is any Language widely Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the ^[6] Turkmen, closely related to Turkish (they are both members of the Oghuz group of Turkic), is mainly spoken in Turkmenistan and into Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. Turkmen ( Latin script: türkmen Cyrillic: түркмен ISO 639 -1 tk ISO 639-2 tuk is the name of the national language of Turkmenistan Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. The Oghuz (variously known as Ghuzz, Guozz, Kuz, Oguz, Oğuz, Okuz, Oufoi, Ouz, Ouzoi, Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tatar are related languages of the Kypchak group of Turkic languages, and are spoken throughout Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and into Afghanistan, Xinjiang and Qinghai. Kazakh (also Qazaq and variants natively kk Qazaq tili, kk Қазақ тілі; pronounced tˈlə is a Turkic language closely related to Kyrgyz or Kirghiz (Кыргыз тили Kyrgyz tili, قىرعىز ٴتىلى is a Turkic language, and together with Russian, an official The Tatar language (,, Татар теле, Татарча) is a Turkic Language spoken by the Tatars. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. Uzbek and Uyghur are spoken in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang. Uzbek ( O‘zbek tili or O'zbekcha in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic Uyghur (/ ug-Latn Uyƣurqə/ug-Cyrl Уйғурчә, or / ug-Latn Uyƣur tili/ug-Cyrl Уйғур Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk

Russian, as well as being spoken by around six million ethnic Russians and Ukrainians of Central Asia^[7], is a lingua franca throughout the former Soviet Central Asian Republics. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens A lingua franca (from Italian, literally meaning Frankish language, see etymology under Sabir and Italian below is any Language widely A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Mandarin Chinese has an equally dominant presence in Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Xinjiang. Inner Mongolia ( Mongolian:, Öbür mongɣul; occasionally romanized to Nei Mongol is the Mongol (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk

The Turkic languages belong to the much larger Altaic language family, which includes Mongolian. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Altaic, according to its proponents is a language family that includes 66 Languages ref> Altaic languages spoken by about 348 million people mostly in and around The Mongolian language (mn [[ImageMonggol kelesvg 17px]] Mongɣol kele, Cyrillic: Монгол хэл Mongol khel) is the best-known member of Mongolian is spoken throughout the region of Mongolia and into Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Xinjiang. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk

Iranian languages were once spoken throughout Central Asia, but the once prominent Sogdian,Chorasmian, Bactrian and Scythian languages are now extinct. The Iranian languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family and its subfamily Indo-Iranian. The Sogdian language is a Middle Iranian language that was spoken in Sogdiana ( Zarafshan River Valley located in modern day Uzbekistan The Bactrian language is an extinct Eastern Iranian language which was spoken in the Central Asian region of Bactria. The Scythian languages form a North Eastern branch of the Iranian language family and comprise the distinctive languagesspoken by the Scythian ( Sarmatian However, the Persian language is still spoken in the region, locally known as Dari or Tajik. The Tajik language, or Tajik Persian, or Tajiki, (sometimes written Tadjik or Tadzhik; тоҷикӣ, tg-Latn ''tojikí'') is a modern Pashto is spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pashto ( Naskh: پښتو‎ pəʂ'to also rendered as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Pushtu, also known as Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Bukhori is a Persian dialect spoken by the Bukharian Jews. Bukhori (also known as Bukhari, Bukharic, Bukharan, or Bukharian) is an Indo-Iranian language.

The Tibetan language is spoken by around six million people across the Tibetan Plateau and into Qinghai and Sichuan. Tibetan refers to a group of languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia as well as by overseas The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Qinghai-Tibetan (Qingzang Plateau is a vast elevated Plateau in Central Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu.

Geostrategy

Main article: Geostrategy in Central Asia

Central Asia has long been a strategic location merely because of its proximity to several great powers on the Eurasian landmass. Central Asia has long been a geostrategic 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. Much like Poland throughout European history, 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.

Political cartoon from the period of the 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. For the film see The Great Game (film The Great Game was a term used for the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire 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. Manchu Qing dynasty would conquer Uyghurstan/East Turkistan and Tibet. DO NOT ADD THE FLAG OF EAST TURKESTAN TO THIS ARTICLE *** THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AND DO NOT ADD THE FLAG OF EAST TURKESTAN TO THIS ARTICLE *** THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AND As part of the Sino-Soviet bloc, China would swallow Tibet. However, with the Sino-Soviet split, China would project 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. Several historical Indian dynasties, especially those seated along the Indus river would expand into Central Asia. India's ability to project power into Central Asia has been limited due to the mountain ranges in Pakistan, and the cultural differences between Hindu India, and what would become a mostly Muslim Central Asia.
• To the Southwest, Western Asian powers have expanded into the Southern areas of Central Asia (usually, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). 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.

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 these countries shed their post-Soviet authoritarian systems, Russia's influence is slowly waning.
• China, already controlling Xinjiang and Tibet, projects significant power in the region, especially in energy/oil politics (for example, through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization). The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ( SCO) is an Intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 by the leaders of China,
• India, as a nuclear-armed rising power, exercises some influence in the region, especially in Tibet with which it has cultural affinities. India is also perceived as a potential counterweight to China's regional power. The Indian Air Force operates the Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan. The Indian Air Force (Devanāgarī भारतीय वायु सेना IAST Bhartiya Vāyu Senā is the air arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the Farkhor Air Base (फ़र्ख़ार एयर बैस is an Indian Airbase located in Farkhor / Ayni in Tajikistan,130 kilometres Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of
• Turkey 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 oil pipeline. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is a crude oil pipeline from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli Oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean 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 which 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 large and nuclear-armed state, helped to sustain Taliban rule in Afghanistan, and is capable of exercising some 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. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane,
• And the United States with its military involvement in the region, and oil diplomacy, is also significantly involved in the region's politics.

Oil politics

Further information: Oil geostrategy, Pipeline transport, Caspian Sea, and Petroleum politics

War on Terror

In the context of the United States' War on Terror, Central Asia has once again become the center of geostrategic calculations. Petroleum politics have been an increasingly important aspect of international diplomacy since the discovery of oil in the Middle East in the early 1900s Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. Petroleum politics have been an increasingly important aspect of international diplomacy since the discovery of oil in the Middle East in the early 1900s The War on Terrorism (also known as the War on Terror) is the common term for the military political and legal, and ideological conflict and specifically for U 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, believed to still be in the region. Major non-NATO ally ( MNNA) is a designation given by the United States government to exceptionally close allies who have close strategic working relationships 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 U. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately 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.

It is argued that the Russia, China and former SSRs have taken advantage of the War on Terror to increase oppression of separatist ethnic minorities. Washington, which considers Russia and China as strategic partners in the War on Terror, has largely turned a blind eye to these actions. The ethnically diverse former SSRs, especially Uzbekistan have reclassified ethnic separatist attacks as terrorist attacks and pursued more oppressive policies.

See also

• Agriculture in Central Asia
• Central Asian studies
• Central Asian Union
• Eurasian nomads
• Euro-Asian Steppe
• Central Asia Health Review
• Great Game (the rivalry between the British Empire and Tsarist Russia in the 19th century for control of Central Asia)
• Hindutash
• Khotan
• Music of Central Asia
• Soviet Central Asia (1924-1991)
• Survey of India
• Turkistan
• Afghan Turkestan
• University of Central Asia

References

• Dani, A. H. and V. M. Masson eds. UNESCO History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Paris: UNESCO, 1992. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16
• Mandelbaum, Michael. Michael Mandelbaum is the Christian A Herter Professor and Director of the American Foreign Policy program at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International ed. Central Asia and the World: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Council on Foreign Relations ( CFR) is an American Nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (at
• Olcott, Martha Brill. Martha Brill Olcott (born 1949) is a leading US expert on Central Asian and the Caspian. Central Asia's New States: Independence, Foreign policy, and Regional security. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1996. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D
• Soucek, Svatopluk. Dr Svat Soucek is a compiler and author of works in relation to Central Asia and Central Asian studies and works in the Oriental division of the New York Public Library. A History of Inner Asia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England Cambridge University Press (known colloquially as CUP is a Publisher given a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1534
• 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. Singapore
• Rall, Ted. Ted Rall (born August 26, 1963, Cambridge Massachusetts) is an American liberal Columnist, syndicated Editorial cartoonist "Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?" New York: NBM Publishing, 2006. NBM Publishing is a publisher of Graphic novels located in New York State in the United States
• 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. Teaching about Inner Asia, Bloomington, Indiana: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies, 1989.

External links

• Central Asia Health Review
• University of Cambridge Central Asia Forum
• Central Asia Gateway
• Central Eurasian Studies World Wide
• Publications on the history of Central Asia Prior to 1917
• University of Central Asia
• Discovery Central Asia magazine: Publications on the travel, history and culture of Central Asia
• New Europe News Extensive news coverage and analysis of Central Asia.
• Where West Meets East: The Complex mtDNA Landscape of the Southwest and Central Asian Corridor
• Texas Tech University, full-text examples of Central Asian literature
• [1] The International Politics of Central Eurasia], (272 pp). Central Eurasian Studies On Line: The International Eurasian Institute for Economic and Political Research, 2001.
• Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies (RIFIAS) Library Online Catalog Text Collection is one of North America's premier resources for teaching and research in the history, languages, literatures, geography, religions, and cultures of Inner Asia and is located at Indiana University
• University of Turin-Observatory on Central Asia
• The Library: Central Asia Info on politics, universities, culture, languages, etc.