Central Asia is a region that covers a fairly vast territory of the continent of Eurasia. It has no access to the ocean, and it includes many states, some partially, some completely. The countries of Central Asia are very diverse in their culture, history, languages, and ethnic composition. This region is distinguished only as a geographical unit (in contrast to the Ancient East, which was a cultural region), so we will consider each of its territories separately.
Which powers are part of a geographic area
So, to begin with, we will consider all the countries and capitals of Central Asia, so that a complete picture of what lands are included in it is formed. We note right away that some sources distinguish Central Asia and Central, while others at this time believe that this is one and the same. Central Asia consists of such powers as Uzbekistan (Tashkent), Kazakhstan (Astana), Turkmenistan (Ashgabat), Tajikistan (Dushanbe) and Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek). It turns out that the region was formed by five former Soviet republics. In turn, the countries of Central Asia include these five powers, plus western China (Beijing), Mongolia (Ulan Bator), Kashmir, Punjab, northeastern Iran (Tehran), northern India (Delhi) and northern Pakistan (Islamabad), Afghanistan (Kabul). Also included are the Asian regions of Russia, which are located south of the taiga zone.
History and features of the region
For the first time, the countries of Central Asia as a separate geographical region were identified by the geographer and historian Alexander Humboldt at the end of the 19th century. As he stated, three factors were the historical signs of these lands. Firstly, it is the ethnic composition of the population, namely, the Turks, Mongols and Tibetans, who for centuries have not lost their characteristics and have not assimilated with other races. Secondly, this is a nomadic way of life that was inherent in almost every of these peoples (with the exception of Tibetans). For centuries, they fought wars, expanded the boundaries of their powers, but, despite this, retained the originality and uniqueness of their nation and traditions. Thirdly, it was through the countries of Central Asia that the famous Silk Road passed, which was the basis of trade relations between East and West.
Central Asia or part of the CIS
To date, five former Soviet republics represent the region of Central Asia, which from time immemorial had its own culture, religion and features of life. The only exception was always Kazakhstan, since completely different people always coexisted in these territories. Initially, when the Soviet Union was created, it was even decided to make this state a part of Russia, but later it became part of the Islamic republics. Today, Kazakhstan and the countries of Central Asia are a significant part of the region, which is full of minerals, rich history and at the same time many religions of the world coexist in it. This is one of the few places where there is no official belief, and everyone can freely practice their Word of God. For example, in Alma-Ata, the Central Mosque and the Ascension Orthodox Cathedral are located nearby.
Other Central Asian countries
The total area of the region is 3,994,300 square kilometers, and most cities, even the largest ones, are not very densely populated. Russians began to leave in large numbers from the capitals and other important megacities of these countries after the Union collapsed, which led to a demographic decline. The most common race in the region are Uzbeks. They live not only in Uzbekistan, but also are national minorities of all other four states. In addition, Uzbekistan itself can be distinguished from the whole Central Asia by the presence of a huge number of cultural and architectural monuments. A lot of madrassas and Islamic colleges are concentrated in the country, where people come to study from all over the world. Also on the territory of the state are museum cities - Samarkand, Khiva, Bukhara and Kokand. There are a lot of Muslim ancient palaces, mosques, squares and viewing platforms.
Asia that extends to the very East
It is simply impossible to separate the Central Asian region from the Far East for cultural and historical reasons. These powers were formed, one might say, in unity, they both waged wars with each other and concluded various treaties. Today, the countries of East and Central Asia maintain friendly relations, and are also characterized by similar racial characteristics and some customs. East Asia itself includes such developed powers as China, Mongolia (a controversial issue - it is in the central part of the region and in East), South Korea, Taiwan, North Korea and Japan. This geographical area is distinguished primarily by religion - here all Buddhists.
Conclusion
At the very end, we can say that the countries of Central-East Asia are a synthesis of cultures that has been mixed for centuries. Representatives of a huge racial family live here - the Mongoloid, which includes many subgroups. We’ll also note a trifle, but it’s a fact - local people really like rice. They grow it and consume it almost every day. However, this geographical region did not become completely united. Each country has its own language, its own characteristics and racial differences. Each religion has its own distinctive direction, each type of art is also unique. On the territory of Central and East Asia, the most interesting martial arts were born , which spread throughout the world and became a symbol of these countries.