Central Asia
Kazakhstan's neighborhood, roughly
Central Asia is the landlocked region stretching from the Caspian Sea to western China, encompassing Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan—the five former Soviet republics whose names end in -stan.
The region is characterized by vast steppes, deserts, and mountain ranges, historically serving as the crossroads of the Silk Road.
Central Asia has become strategically important for its oil and gas reserves.
Largest landlocked country
- UzbekistanLandlocked Central Asian nation
- TurkmenistanCentral Asian country
- KyrgyzstanCentral Asian mountainous republic
- TajikistanCentral Asian republic
Samarkand · Tashkent · Astana · Merv · Caspian Sea · Turkestan
Traveler's courtyard lodge
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
- spicesAromatic food flavorings
- silkFine woven insect fiber
- tradeExchange of commodities
camels · caravan · oasis · bazaars · porcelain · tea · incense · cultural exchange
Portable circular tent homes
- herdersLivestock guardians and guides
- horsebackAtop a steed
- tribesAncestral social groups
- migrationMovement to new territory
flocks · shepherds · livestock · clans · felt · eagle hunting · Scythians · Mongols
Treeless herb-covered ecosystem
- plainsBroad, level grasslands
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
- plateauFlat highland area
rangeland · horses · windswept · flatlands · vast · arid · semi-arid · continental
Kazakhstan
Largest landlocked country
- UzbekistanLandlocked Central Asian nation
- TurkmenistanCentral Asian country
- KyrgyzstanCentral Asian mountainous republic
Tajikistan · Samarkand · Tashkent · Astana · Merv · Caspian Sea · Turkestan
caravanserai
Traveler's courtyard lodge
trade · camels · caravan · oasis · bazaars · porcelain · tea · incense · cultural exchange · commerce
yurts
Portable circular tent homes
migration · flocks · shepherds · livestock · clans · felt · eagle hunting · Scythians · Mongols · ger
grassland
Treeless herb-covered ecosystem
- plainsBroad, level grasslands
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
plateau · rangeland · horses · windswept · flatlands · vast · arid · semi-arid · continental · endless horizon
Hindu Kush
Asian mountain range
peak · summit · trekking · alpinism · plateau · ridge · passes · Wakhan Corridor · high altitude
- AsiaChina, India, Japan, Thailand, Korea
- EurasiaRussia, China, India, Germany, France
- Asian regionsIndian subcontinent, Far East, Near East, Middle East, China
- World RegionsEurope, Africa, Australia, Oceania, East Africa
- Eurasian HistoryOttoman Empire, Mongol Empire, Byzantine, Byzantium, Constantinople
- Former SovietArmenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia
Central Asiacoastal regions
Areas bordering oceans
island nations · Caribbean · Pacific Islands · Southeast Asia · Mediterranean region
Central AsiaWestern Europe
Atlantic-facing continental zone
Pacific coast · Far East · Eastern Seaboard · East Asia · Pacific Rim
central, Asia, centralize, centrally, centralized, centralization, decentralize, decentralization, eccentrically