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Central asia
*** Shopping-Tip: Central asia
{{cleanup-date|September 2005}}
Image:Central Asia borders.png frame|Map of '''Central Asia''' showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region
Image:Central Asia world region2.png thumb|326px|'''Central Asia''' located as a region of the world
'''Central Asia''' (
Russian language Russian: СреднÑ?Ñ? Ð?зиÑ?/"Srednyaya Azia" for "Middle Asia" or ЦентральнаÑ? Ð?зиÑ?/"Tsentral'naya Azia" for "Central Asia"; in
Turkic languages "Orta Asya"; in
Persian language Persian آسياى مرکزی;
Arabic language Arabic: آسيا الوسطى/"Asya al Wusta"; (
Urdu: وسطى ايشيا)"Wasti Asia";
Standard Mandarin Chinese language Chinese: ä¸äºš/
pinyin: "ZhÅ?ngyà ") is a vast
landlocked region of
Asia. 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. As a result, it has acted as a crossroads for the movement of people, goods, and ideas between
Europe, the
Middle East,
South Asia, and
East Asia. It is also sometimes known as '''Middle Asia''' or '''Inner Asia''', and is within the scope of the wider
Eurasian Eurasian continent. It is also sometimes known as
Turkestan.
Definitions
The idea of Central Asia as a distinct region of the world was introduced in 1843 by the geographer
Alexander von Humboldt. 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.
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. This definition was also often used outside the USSR in this period. However, the
Russian language has two distinct terms: СреднÑ?Ñ? Ð?зиÑ? (''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 ЦентральнаÑ? Ð?зиÑ? (''Tsentral'naya Azia'' or "Central Asia", the wider definition which includes "Central Asian" lands that have never been part of historical Russia). 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. The new post-USSR
Russian Federation has now included Kazakhstan in its new definition of "Middle Asia".
Soon after independence, the leaders of the five former
Soviet Union 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. 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. According to it, Central Asia includes
Mongolia, Western
China (including
Tibet), northeast
Iran,
Afghanistan and western
Pakistan, central-east Russia south of the
Taiga, the former Central Asian
Soviet Republics (the five "Stans" of the former
Soviet Union), but also even the
Punjab region Punjab, northern
India and
Pakistan.
An alternative method is to define the region based on ethnicity, and in particular, areas populated by
Eastern Turkic, Eastern
Iranian peoples Iranian, or
Mongolian peoples. These areas include
Xinjiang, the Turkic/
Muslim regions of southern
Siberia, the five republics, and
Afghan Turkestan. The
Tibetans are also included. Insofar, the mentioned peoples are considered the "indigenous" peoples of the vast region.
Colonization and settlement by
Chinese people Chinese,
Iranian peoples Iranians, and
Russians was to come later.
Geography
Image:Central Asia Physical.jpg Physical_map.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|375px|[[Physical map of '''Central Asia''' from the Caucasus in the northwest, to Mongolia in the northeast..html" title="Meaning of 375px|[[Physical map">thumb|375px|[[Physical map of '''Central Asia''' from the Caucasus in the northwest, to Mongolia in the northeast.">375px|[[Physical map">thumb|375px|[[Physical map of '''Central Asia''' from the Caucasus in the northwest, to Mongolia in the northeast.
Central Asia is an extremely large region of varied geography, including high plateaus and
mountain range mountains (
Tian Shan), vast
deserts (
Kara Kum,
Kyzyl Kum,
Taklamakan), and especially treeless, grassy
steppes. Much of the land is too dry or too rugged for farming. The
Gobi desert extends from the foot of the
Pamir Mountains Pamirs, 77° east, to the
Great Khingan (Da Hinggan) Mountains, 116°-118° east.
Central Asia has the following geographic extremes:
*The world's northernmost
desert (
dune sand dunes), at Buurug Deliin Els,
Mongolia, 50°18' north.
*The
Northern Hemisphere Northern Hemisphere's southernmost
permafrost, at Erdenetsogt sum,
Mongolia, 46°17' north.
*The world's shortest distance between non-frozen
desert and
permafrost: 770 km (440 mi).
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 Rud. 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. 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.
Image:Central Asia climate.jpg Climate.html"_title="Meaning of thumb thumb|375px|[[Climate_map of Central Asia. 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 steppe climate (peach) extends from the North Caucasus in the northwest, over the Caspian Sea, through Kazakhstan, and around
Mongolia (region) Mongolia in the northeast. The arid climates of the Ferghana Valley, Takla Makan and Gobi deserts are also prominently visible..html" title="Meaning of 375px|[[Climate">thumb|375px|[[Climate map of Central Asia. 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 steppe climate (peach) extends from the North Caucasus in the northwest, over the Caspian Sea, through Kazakhstan, and around
Mongolia (region) Mongolia in the northeast. The arid climates of the Ferghana Valley, Takla Makan and Gobi deserts are also prominently visible.">375px|[[Climate">thumb|375px|[[Climate map of Central Asia. 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 steppe climate (peach) extends from the North Caucasus in the northwest, over the Caspian Sea, through Kazakhstan, and around
Mongolia (region) Mongolia in the northeast. The arid climates of the Ferghana Valley, Takla Makan and Gobi deserts are also prominently visible.
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 largest
biome in Central Asia is the
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. Central Asia also contains the
Montane grasslands and shrublands,
Deserts and xeric shrublands and
Temperate coniferous forests biomes.
History
:''Main article:
History of Central Asia''
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.
Relations between the steppe nomads and the settled people in and around Central Asia were long marked by conflict. 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. Periodically great leaders or changing conditions would organize several tribes into to one force, and create an almost unstoppable power. These included the
Huns Hun invasion of Europe, the
Wu Hu attacks on China and most notably the
Mongol conquest of much of
Eurasia.
The dominance of the nomads ended in the sixteenth century, as
firearms allowed settled peoples to gain control of the region.
Russia,
China, and other powers expanded into the region and had captured the bulk of Central Asia by the end of the nineteenth century. After the
Russian Revolution of 1917 Russian Revolution the Central Asian regions were incorporated into the Soviet Union. Mongolia remained independent but became a Soviet
satellite state. 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. In all the new states former Communist Party officials retained power as local strongmen. In no state is repression as great as it was in Soviet times, but none of the new republics could be considered functional democracies. Other parts of Central Asia remain part of China or Russia.
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. 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, or lines of attack, to 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.
*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. 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. The Mongol Yuan dynasty would conquer parts of East Turkestan and Tibet, and the later Manchu dynasty would reconquer those areas several centuries later. 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, Middle Eastern 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 Arab 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 Caucasus, and former SSRs, although as these countries shed their post-Soviet authoritarian systems, Russia's influence is slowly waning.
*Turkey has some influence because of the ethnic and linguistic ties with the Turkic peoples of Central Asia, as well as serving as an oil pipeline route to the Mediterranean.
*Iran, the seat of historical empires which controlled parts of Central Asia, has historical and cultural links to the region, as is vying to construct an oil pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf.
*China, already controlling Xinjiang and Tibet, projects significant power in the region, especially in energy/oil politics (for example, through the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization.)
*Pakistan, a large but unstable 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.
*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.
*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
''See:''
Oil geostrategy,
Pipelines,
Caspian Sea,
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. Pakistan's status has been upgraded by the U.S.-government to a "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. 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.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 PRC and Russia, as well as several of the former SSRs, have taken advantage of the War on Terror to increase oppression of separatist ethnic minorities. China has taken a harder line against the Uighur separatists of Xinjiang, while Russia has pursued the second war in Chechnya with greater intensity. 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.
Culture
Image:Central Asia Ethnic.jpg thumb|350px|The Ethnolinguistic patchwork of '''Central Asia'''
Religions
Islam is the religion most common in the former Soviet
Central Asian Republics, Afghanistan, Xinjiang and the peripheral western regions. Most Central Asian Muslims are
Sunni, although
Shia comprise the great majority in Azerbaijan, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan there are sizable Shia minorities.
Tibetan Buddhism is most common in Tibet, Mongolia, and the southern Russian regions of Siberia, where
Shamanism is also popular. Increasing
Han Chinese migration westward since the establishment of the PRC has brought
Confucianism and other beliefs into the region.
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. The
Bukharan Jews were once a sizable community in Uzbekistan, but nearly all have emigrated in recent years.
Arts
Image:102 0811.jpg Yama.html"_title="Meaning of thumb thumb|right|300px|[[Yama,_Lord of Death,
Tibet,
Field Museum,
Chicago, Illinois..html" title="Meaning of right|300px|[[Yama">thumb|right|300px|[[Yama, Lord of Death,
Tibet,
Field Museum,
Chicago, Illinois.">right|300px|[[Yama">thumb|right|300px|[[Yama, Lord of Death,
Tibet,
Field Museum,
Chicago, Illinois.
At the crossroads of Asia, shamanist practices live alongside
Buddhism. Thus
Yama, Lord of Death, was revered in Tibet as a spiritual guardian and judge. 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.
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.
Central Asia also has an indigenous and ancient form of
rap music rap which is over 1000 years old. It is principally practiced in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan by ''akyns'', lyrical improvisationists. They will engage in
Freestyle battle lyrical battles, the ''aitysh'' or the ''alym sabak''. The tradition arose out of early bardic
Oral history oral historians. They are usually accompanied by a
String instrument stringed instrument—in Kyrgyzstan, a three-stringed ''komuz'' and in Kazakstan a similar two-stringed instrument. Some also learn to sing the ''
Manas (epic) Manas'', Kyrgyzstan's epic poem (those who learn the ''Manas'' exclusively, without engaging in rap, are called ''manaschis''). During Soviet rule, ''akyn'' rap was co-opted by the authorities and subsequently declined in popularity. With the fall of the Soviet Union it has enjoyed a resurgence, although ''aykns'' still do use their art to campaign for political candidates. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10646-2005Mar5.html]
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. 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.
{|style="margin: 0 0 0.5em 0.5em; float: right; clear: right; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-colapse: colapse;"
!style="padding: 5px; background-color: yellow;"|Major languages
of Central Asia
|-
|style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|
Turkic languages
*
Turkmen language Turkmen
*
Kazakh language Kazakh
*
Kyrgyz language Kyrgyz
*
Tatar language Tatar
*
Uzbek language Uzbek
*
Uighur language Uighur
|-
|style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|
Iranian languages
*
Persian language Persian
*
Dari (of Afghanistan) Dari
*
Pushtu language Pashto
*
Tajik language Tajik
|-
|style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|Other major languages
*
Mongolian language Mongolian
*
Tibetan language Tibetan
|-
|style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|
lingua franca Linguae francae
*
Russian language Russian
*
Chinese language Chinese
|}
Languages
The languages of the majority of the inhabitants of the former
Soviet Central Asian Republics come from the
Turkic languages Turkic language group.
Turkmen language Turkmen, closely related to
Turkish language Turkish (they are both members of the
Oghuz Turks Oghuz group of Turkic), is mainly spoken in
Turkmenistan and into
Afghanistan,
Iran and
Turkey.
Kazakh language Kazakh,
Kyrgyz language Kyrgyz and
Tatar language Tatar are related languages of the
Kipchaks Kypchak group of Turkic languages, and are spoken throughout
Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan, and into
Afghanistan,
Xinjiang and
Qinghai.
Uzbek language Uzbek and
Uighur language Uighur are spoken in
Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan and
Xinjiang.
Russian language Russian, as well as being spoken by the ethnic
Russians of Central Asia, is a
lingua franca throughout the former
Soviet Central Asian Republics.
Chinese language Chinese has an equally dominant presence in
Inner Mongolia,
Qinghai and
Xinjiang.
The
Turkic languages belong to the much larger
Altaic languages Altaic language family, which includes
Mongolian language Mongolian. Mongolian is spoken throughout the region of
Mongolia and into
Qinghai and
Xinjiang.
Iranian languages were once spoken throughout Central Asia, but the once prominent
Sogdian language Sogdian,
Bactrian language Bactrian and
Scythian language Scythian languages are now extinct. However, the
Persian language Persian language is still spoken in the region, locally known as
Dari (of Afghanistan) Dari or
Tajik language Tajik.
Pushtu language Pashto is spoken in
Afghanistan and western
Pakistan.
The
Tibetan language is spoken by around six million people across the
Tibetan Plateau and into
Qinghai.
References
* Dani, A.H. and V.M. Masson eds. ''UNESCO History of Civilizations of Central Asia''. Paris:
UNESCO, 1992-
* Mandelbaum, Michael. ed. ''Central Asia and the World: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan'' New York:
Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994.
* Olcott, Martha Brill. ''Central Asia's New States: Independence, Foreign policy, and Regional security. ''Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1996.
* Soucek, Svatopluk. ''A History of Inner Asia.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
* Marcinkowski, M. Ismail. ''Persian Historiography and Geography: Bertold Spuler on Major Works Produced in Iran, the Caucasus, Central Asia, India and Early Ottoman Turkey'', Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 2003.
External links
-
Carrie Central Asia Collection — Full-text documents, literature, interpretive commentaries at the University of Kansas.
-
Eurasia Daily Monitor — political, strategic, and economic news from Central Asia.
-
EurasiaNet — information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in Central Asia.
-
Central Eurasian Studies World Wide.
-
Publications on the history of Central Asia Prior to 1917.
-
University of Central Asia.
See also
*
Music of Central Asia
*
Turkistan
{{Central_Asia}}
{{Region}}
Category:Central Asia
an:Asia Zentral
bg:Централна Ð?зиÑ?
de:Zentralasien
es:Asia Central
eo:Mez-Azio
fr:Asie centrale
ko:중앙아시아
id:Asia Tengah
kw:Asi Gres
lt:VidurinÄ— Azija
nl:Centraal-Azië
ja:ä¸å¤®ã‚¢ã‚¸ã‚¢
no:Sentral-Asia
pl:Azja Åšrodkowa
pt:Ã?sia Central
ro:Asia Centrală
ru:ЦентральнаÑ? Ð?зиÑ?
sr:Централна Ð?зија
sv:Centralasien
tl:Gitnang Asya
fi:Keski-Aasia
vi:Trung Ã?
zh:ä¸äºš
th:เà¸à¹€à¸Šà¸µà¸¢à¸?ลาง
kn:ಮಧ�ಯ �ಶಿಯ
{| align="center" class="toccolours" cellspacing="0"
|- bgcolor="#ccccff"
! align="center" |
Countries of the world Countries in
Central Asia
|-
| align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" |
Afghanistan .html">Kazakhstan
_Kyrgyzstan .html" title="Meaning of Kyrgyzstan.html" title="Meaning of Kyrgyzstan">Kyrgyzstan ">Russia
_Tajikistan Mongolia .html" title="Meaning of Tajikistan.html" title="Meaning of Tajikistan">Tajikistan
Mongolia ">
Turkmenistan |
Uzbekistan
|}
Category:Central Asian countries
{{commonscat|Central Asia}}
Category:Asia
ja:Category:ä¸å¤®ã‚¢ã‚¸ã‚¢
pt:categoria:Ã?sia Central
ru:КатегориÑ?:ЦентральнаÑ? Ð?зиÑ?
vi:Thể loại:Trung �
zh:Category:ä¸äºš
see
Central Asia
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