Central Asia

Central Asia is a subregion of Asia. Definitions of the region vary, for example [1] gives in "rough terms": the region from Iranian Azerbaijan and Turkic/Muslim regions of southern Russia in the west, through northern Afghanistan and southern Siberia, to Tibet and Mongolia in the east.

Countries typically included in entirety are:

• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan

together with parts of:

• Afghanistan
• China (Xinjiang)
• Iran
• Mongolia
• Pakistan
• Russia

History

Historically, the region was crossed by the Silk Road.

Geography

The area features high mountain ranges (Tian Shan), deserts (Kara Kum, Kyzyl Kum, Taklamakan[?]) and steppes.

Rivers include: Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Hari Rud

Demographics

The region is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples.

External links

1. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~casww/index, where the a more detailed attempt at a definition is given at http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~casww/CASWpg_definition
2. http://www.centralasiatravel.com
3. http://www.centralasiannews.com