 |
1 – Uzbekistan 2 – Kyrgyzstan 3 – Turkmenistan 4 – Tajikistan |
Various definitions of its exact composition exist and 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. As a result it has acted as a crossroads for the movement of people, goods, and ideas between Europe, West Asia, South Asia, and East Asia.
In modern context, Central Asia consists of the five former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Other areas are often included such as Mongolia, Afghanistan, northern-Pakistan, north-eastern Iran, north-western India, and western parts of the People's Republic of China such as Xinjiang. South-western and middle China such as Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai, Gansu and Inner Mongolia, and southern parts of Siberia may also be included in Central Asia. During pre-Islamic and early Islamic times, Central Asia was a predominantely Iranian region that included sedentary Sogdians, Chorasmians and semi-nomadic Scythians, Alans. The ancient sedentary population played an important role in the history of Central Asia. Tajiks, Pashtuns, Pamiris and other Iranian groups are still present in the region. After expansion by Turkic peoples, central Asia became also the homeland for many Turkic peoples, including the Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Uyghurs, and Central Asia is sometimes referred to as Turkestan.
Kazakhstan
|
||||
| Capital | Astana 51°10?N 71°30?E / 51.167°N 71.5°E |
|||
| largest city | Almaty | |||
| Official languages | Kazakh Russian |
|||
| Ethnic groups | (2009 census) 67% Kazakh 18% Russian 2.7% Ukrainian 2.6% Uzbek 1.5% Uyghur 1.4% Tatar 1.3% German 5.5% Other |
|||
| Government | Presidential republic | |||
| President | Nursultan Nazarbayev | |||
| Prime Minister | Karim Massimov |
|||
| Independence | from the Soviet Union | |||
| Declared | December 16, 1991 | |||
| Finalized | December 25, 1991 |
|||
| Currency | Tenge ( ) (KZT) |
|||
| Calling code | +7-6xx, +7-7xx | |||
Republic of Kazakhstan, is an Asian country which is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km? is greater than Western Europe. It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea. The capital moved in 1997 to Astana from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city.
Kazakhstan declared itself an independent country on December 16, 1991, the last Soviet republic to do so. Its communist-era leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, became the country's new president. Since independence, Kazakhstan has pursued a balanced foreign policy and worked to develop its economy, especially its hydrocarbon industry. While the country's economic outlook is improving, President Nazarbayev maintains strict control over the country's politics. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan's international prestige is building. It is now considered to be the dominant state in Central Asia.
Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Stone Age: the region's climate and terrain are best suited for nomads practicing pastoralism. Historians believe that humans first domesticated the horse in the region's vast steppes. While ancient cities Taraz (Aulie-Ata) and Hazrat-e Turkestan had long served as important way-stations along the Silk Road connecting East and West, real political consolidation only began with the Mongol invasion of the early 13th century. Under the Mongol Empire, administrative districts were established, and these eventually came under the emergent Kazakh Khanate.
Throughout this period traditionally nomadic life and a livestock-based economy continued to dominate the steppe. In the 15th century, a distinct Kazakh identity began to emerge among the Turkic tribes, a process which was consolidated by the mid-16th century with the appearance of a distinctive Kazakh language, culture, and economy.
Kyrgyzstan
 Flag |
 Coat of Arms |
 Map |
| Capital | Bishkek |
| Official languages | Kyrgyz(State) Russian (Official) |
| Independence | from the Soviet Union |
| Declared | 31 August 1991 |
Completed |
25 December 1991 |
Currency |
Som (KGS) |
Calling code |
+996 |
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia", as a result), with the remainder made up of valleys and basins.
In October 1991, Akayev ran unopposed and was elected president of the new independent Republic by direct ballot, receiving 95% of the votes cast. Together with the representatives of seven other Republics that same month, he signed the Treaty of the New Economic Community. Finally, on December 21, 1991, Kyrgyzstan joined with the other four Central Asian Republics to formally enter the new Commonwealth of Independent States. In 1992, Kyrgyzstan joined the UN and the OSCE.
The Kyrgyz state reached its greatest expansion after defeating the Uyghur Khanate in 840 A.D. Then Kyrgyz quickly moved as far as the Tian Shan range and maintained their dominance over this territory for about 200 years.
In the twelfth century, however, the Kyrgyz domination had shrunk to the Altay Range and Sayan Mountains as a result of the Mongol expansion. With the rise of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century, the Kyrgyz migrated south. The Kyrgyz were conquered by Genghis Khan’s son Jochiin 1207.
Chinese and Muslim sources of the 7th–12th centuries AD describe the early Kyrgyz as red-haired with white skin and blue eyes, features that were interpreted as suggestive of Slavic origins. Because of the processes of migration, conquest, intermarriage, and assimilation, many of the Kyrgyz peoples that now inhabit Central and Southwest Asia are of mixed origins, often stemming from fragments of many different tribes, though they speak closely related languages.
Each province comprises a number of districts (raions), administered by government-appointed officials (akim). Rural communities (ay?l okmotu), consisting of up to 20 small settlements, have their own elected mayors and councils.
The provinces, and independent cities, are as follows:
Bishkek (city),Batken, Chui, Jalal-Abat, Naryn, Osh (province), Talas, Issyk-Kul, Osh (city)
Lake Issyk-Kul in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. Peak Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 m (24,400 feet), is the highest point and is considered by geologists (though not mountaineers) to be the northernmost peak over 7,000 m (23,000 feet) in the world. Heavy snowfall in winter leads to spring floods which often cause serious damage downstream. The runoff from the mountains is also used for hydro-electricity.
The climate varies regionally. The south-western Fergana Valley is subtropical and extremely hot in summer, with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F.) The northern foothills are temperate and the Tian Shan varies from dry continental to polar climate, depending on elevation. In the coldest areas temperatures are sub-zero for around 40 days in winter, and even some desert areas experience constant snowfall in this period.
Bishkek in the north is the capital and largest city, with approximately 900,000 inhabitants (as of 2005). The second city is the ancient town of Osh, located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. The principal river is the Kara Darya, which flows west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Across the border in Uzbekistan it meets another major Kyrgyz river, the Naryn.
The confluence forms the Syr Darya, which originally flowed into the Aral Sea. At this time it no longer reaches the sea, as its water is withdrawn upstream to irrigate cotton fields in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and southern Kazakhstan. The Chu River also briefly flows through Kyrgyzstan before entering Kazakhstan.
Turkmenistan
 Flag |
 Coat of Arms |
 Map |
| Capital | Ashgabat |
| Official languages | Turkmen |
| Language for inter-ethnic communication |
Russian |
Demonym |
Turkmen |
Independence |
from the Soviet Union |
Declared |
27 October 1991 |
Recognized |
25 December 1991 |
Currency |
Turkmen new manat |
Calling code |
+993 |
Republic of Turkmenistan also known as Turkmenia, is a country in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR). It is bordered by Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, Uzbekistan to the east and northeast, Kazakhstan to the north and northwest and the Caspian Sea to the west.
Until recently it was a single-party system that was considered to not meet even the most basic standards of democracy. Turkmenistan was ruled by President for Life Saparmurat Niyazov (called "Turkmenbashy" — "leader of the Turkmens") until his sudden death on December 21, 2006. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow was elected the new president on February 11, 2007.
The territory of Turkmenistan has a long and checkered history, as armies from one empire after another decamped there on their way to more prosperous territories. The region's written history begins with its conquest by the Achaemenid Empire of ancient Persia, as the region was divided between the satrapies of Margiana, Khwarezmand Parthia
In the seventh century CE, Arabs conquered this region, bringing with them Islam and incorporating the Turkmen into the greater Middle Eastern culture.The Turkmenistan region soon came to be known as the capital of Greater Khorasan, when the caliph Al-Ma'mun moved his capital toMerv.
Amu Darya basin, tribal Turkmen society further developed cultural traditions that became the foundation of Turkmen national consciousness.
After 69 years as part of the Soviet Union (including 67 years as a union republic), Turkmenistan declared its independence on 27 October 1991.
It is one of the driest deserts in the world, some places have an average annual precipitation amount of only 12 mm. The highest temperature recorded in Ashkhabad is 48.9 °C (120 F°) and Kerki, an extreme inland city located on the banks of the Amu Darya river, recorded 51.7 °C (125 °F) in July 1983.
Tadjikistan
 Flag |
 Coat of Arms |
 Map |
| Capital | Dushanbe |
| Official languages | Tajik |
| Language for inter-ethnic communication |
Russian |
Independence Declared |
September 9, 1991 |
Completed |
December 25, 1991 |
Currency |
Somoni (TJS) |
Calling code |
+992 |
Tajikistan, (Tadjikistan Òî?èêèñòîí), officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east. Tajikistan also sits next to Pakistan but is separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. The country is geographically, politically and culturally divided in the center: the sparsely populated Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) occupies the mountainous eastern half; while the agrarian and urban centers of Tajikistan make up the western and far northern parts.
Most of Tajikistan's population belongs to the Tajik ethnic group, who share culture and history with the Iranian peoples and speak a dialect of the Persian language (officially named Tajiki). However, the country is also home to many other ethnic groups, primarily Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, and a small minority of Russians, and most Tajiks speak Russian and understand Uzbek.
The capital and largest city is Dushanbe, located among lowlands in the west of the country. In modern times, the country was part of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union, achieving independence in 1991. From 1992-1997, it experienced a devastating civil war, from which it has mostly recovered. Although tensions remain between various groups and the country faces economic challenges, Tajikistan today is a very peaceful and rapidly developing nation.
The Amu Darya and Panj rivers mark the border with Afghanistan, and the glaciers in Tajikistan's mountains are the major source of runoff for the Aral Sea. There are over 900 rivers in Tajikistan longer than 10 kilometers.
About 2% of the country's area is covered by lakes, the best known of which are the following:
Kayrakum (Qairoqqum) Reservoir (Sughd), Iskanderkul (Fann Mountains), Kulikalon (Kul-i Kalon) (Fann Mountains), Nurek Peservoir (Khatlon), Kara-Kul (Tajik: Qarokul; eastern Pamir), Sarez (Pamir) Shadau Lake (Pamir), Zorkul (Pamir)
Lesser known lakes (all in the Pamir region) include
Xiniang
|
|
Capital |
Urumqi |
Largest city |
Urumqi |
Population (2007) |
20,952,000 (24th) |
Ethnic composition |
Uyghur – 45% |
Xinjiang is an autonomous region (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) of the People's Republic of China and also claimed by the Republic of China. It spans over 1.6 million sq. km and borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, has abundant oil reserves and is China's largest natural gas-producing region. It administers most of Aksai Chin, a territory formally part of Kashmir's Ladakh region over which India claims sovereignty since 1962.
The name "Xinjiang", which literally means "New Frontier" , was given during the Qing Dynasty. In the early part of the Qing Dynasty, the name "Xinjiang" was used to refer to any area of former a Chinese empire that had been previously lost but was regained by the Qing—for example, part of present-day Xinjiang was known as "Western Region xinjiang", present-day Jinchuan County was known as "Jinchuan xinjiang", etc. After 1821, the Qing changed the names of the other regained regions, and "Xinjiang" became the name specifically of present-day Xinjiang.
Most of Xinjiang is young geologically, having been formed from the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate, forming the Tian Shan, Kunlun Shan, and Pamir mountain ranges. Consequently, Xinjiang is a major earthquake zone. Older geological formations occur principally in the far north where the Junggar Block is geologically part of Kazakhstan, and in the east which is part of the North China Craton.
Geography and geology
A panoramic view of Urumqi, Xinjiang's provincial capital, taken from Hong Shan mountain against the Tian Shan or Celestial Mountains.
Xinjiang is known for its fruits and produce, including grapes, melons, pears, cotton, wheat, silk, walnuts and sheep. Xinjiang also has large deposits of minerals and oil.
Eighty per cent of Xinjiang's Uyghurs live in the southwestern Xinjiang (prefectures Kashgar, Khotan, Kizilsu and Aksu), Kazakhs are mostly concentrated in Ili prefecture in northern Xinjiang, Han are the majority in eastern and northern Xinjiang.
 Close to Karakoram Highway in Xinjiang |
 Tianchi lake |
Kashgar
?Kashgar is said to mean "variegated houses". Kashgar is sited west of the Taklamakan Desert at the feet of the Tian Shan mountain range, south of Argu Tagh mountain range.
Situated at the junction of routes from the valley of the Oxus, from Khokand and Samarkand, Almati, Aksu, and Khotan, the last two leading from China and Pakistan, Kashgar has been noted from ancient times as a political and commercial centre.
The Kashgar oasis is where both the northern and southern routes from China around the Taklamakan Desert converge. It is also almost directly north of Tashkurgan through which traffic passed from the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Gandhara, in what is now Pakistan, and Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan.
The huge Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in China, is located in the heart of the city.
An 18-m (59 ft) high statue of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong in Kashgar is one of the few large-scale statues of Mao remaining in China.
