Central Asia

'''Central Asia''' is a region of Asia. Various definitions of its exact composition exist.

Definitions

Under one definition, Central Asia covers about 9,029,000 km², or 21% of the continent. Under this definition Central Asia includes the following countries:

China (the province of Qinghai, and the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Tibet)
Kazakhstan (the territories east of the Ural River),
Kyrgyzstan,
Mongolia,
Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan.

A second definition includes:

Iranian Azerbaijan
The countries of Transcaucasia (Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia)
Turkic/Muslim regions of southern Russia (Southern Siberia)
Mongolia
The western portions of China (Xinjiang and Tibet)
Afghanistan or parts of it
Parts of northern Pakistan

A third definition describes Central Asia as consisting of only the former Soviet Central Asian Republics:

Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan and
Turkmenistan.

History

In ancient times, Central Asia was home to many nomadic peoples such as

Xiongnu (Huns) and other Turkic peoples
Yuezhi (Tocharians or Kushans), Iranian peoples, and other Indo-European peoples
Mongols

Over the last five centuries, most of this region was gradually conquered by the Russian and the Chinese empires, with the British empire establishing itself in India to the south of the region. During the 20th century, most of the lands of Central Asia were part of the Communist-led Soviet Union, which broke up in 1991. The exceptions were Mongolia and Chinese-controlled areas such as Xinjiang. These nations have moved away from the Communist system, and now have a variety of political systems ranging from somewhat democratic to highly authoritarian. However, most have retained close ties to Russia, which led the Soviet Union. Most Central Asian nations are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Geography

Central Asia is a region of high plateaus and mountains (Tian Shan), vast deserts (Kara Kum, Kyzyl Kum, Taklamakan), and treeless, grassy plains. Much of the land is too dry or too rugged for farming. A majority of the people earn a living by herding livestock. Industrial activity centers in the region's cities. Rivers include: Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Hari Rud Major bodies of water include: Aral Sea, Lake Balkhash

Demographics

By the most inclusive definition, more than 80 million people live in Central Asia, or about 2% of the continent's population. Of the regions of Asia, only North Asia has fewer people. It has a population density of 9 persons per km².

External links

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East Asia > Central Asia

Southeast Asia > South Asia

North Asia > Middle East

Levant > Arabia | North Africa

Central Africa > Great Lakes

Congo > Guinea

Sahel > Sudan

West Africa > East Africa

Southern Africa > Great Plains

Central America > Caribbean

Andean States > Eastern South America

Northern South America > Western Europe

Eastern Europe > Northern Europe

Scandinavia > Southern Europe

Central Europe > Balkans

Australasia > Micronesia

Melanesia > Polynesia
(For more, visit subcontinent and subregion)

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