
Central Asia 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 continent. == 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. The most limited definition was the official one of the Soviet Union that defined ''Srednyaya Azia'' 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. Soon after independence, the leaders of the five former Soviet Union 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, the Punjab, northern India and Pakistan, northeast Iran, Afghanistan, central Russia south of the Taiga, and the five former Soviet Republics. An alternative method is to define the region based on ethnicity, and in particular, areas populated by Eastern Turkmen peoples. These areas include Xinjiang, the Turkic/Muslim regions of southern Siberia, the five republics, and Afghan Turkestan. Sometimes Mongols and/or Tibetans are also included. == Geography == [[Image:Central Asia Physical.jpg|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 (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 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), at Buurug Deliin Els, Mongolia, 50°18' north. *The Northern Hemisphere southernmost permafrost, at Erdenetsogt sum, Mongolia, 46°17' north. *The world's shortest distance between 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|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) 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 marked by several millennia of dominance by the horse peoples of the steppe, who were some of the most militarily potent peoples in the world. Portions of central Asia, known to historians as Transoxania, were considered part of Persia in antiquity. In the sixteenth century the dominance of the nomads was ended as firearms allowed settled peoples to dominate the region. Most notably, Russia expanded through the region and captured the bulk of it by the end of the nineteenth century. With the collapse of the Soviet Union five countries gained their independence. == 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. *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=== Oil geostrategy, Pipelines, Caspian Sea ===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. 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 in Central Asia. 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== ===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 and is also practiced in Mongolia, 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|thumb|right|300px|Yama, Lord of Death, Tibet, Field Museum, Chicago.]] 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 which is over 1000 years old. It is principally practiced in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan by ''akyns'', lyrical improvisationists. They will engage in Freestyle battle, the ''aitysh'' or the ''alym sabak''. The tradition arose out of early bardic Oral history. They are usually accompanied by a String instrument—in Kyrgyzstan, a three-stringed ''komuz'' and in Kazakstan a similar two-stringed instrument. Some also learn to sing the ''Manas (epic)'', 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 *Kazakh language *Kyrgyz language *Tatar language *Uzbek language *Uighur language |- |style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|Iranian languages *Persian language *Dari (of Afghanistan) *Pushtu language *Tajik language |- |style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|Other major languages *Mongolian language *Tibetan language |- |style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|lingua franca *Russian language *Chinese language |} ===Languages=== The languages of the majority of the inhabitants of the former Soviet Central Asian Republics come from the Turkic languages. Turkmen language, closely related to Turkish language (they are both members of the Oghuz Turks group of Turkic), is mainly spoken in Turkmenistan and into Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. Kazakh language, Kyrgyz language and Tatar language are related languages of the Kipchaks group of Turkic languages, and are spoken throughout Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and into Afghanistan, Xinjiang and Qinghai. Uzbek language and Uighur language are spoken in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang. Russian language, 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 has an equally dominant presence in Nei Monggol, Qinghai and Xinjiang. The Turkic languages belong to the much larger Altaic languages language family, which includes Mongolian language. Mongolian is spoken throughout the region of Mongolia and into Qinghai and Xinjiang. Iranian languages were once spoken throughout much of Central Asia, but the once prominent Sogdian language, Bactrian language and Scythian language languages are now extinct. However, various dialects of Persian language are still spoken in the region, including Dari (of Afghanistan) and Tajik language. Pushtu language 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. == External links == * [http://www.jamestown.org/edm/ Eurasia Daily Monitor] — political, strategic, and economic news from Central Asia. * [http://eurasianet.org/ EurasiaNet] — information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in Central Asia. * [http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~casww/index.html/ Central Eurasian Studies World Wide] *[http://www.getcited.org/mbrx/PT/2/MBR/10819625 Publications on the history of Central Asia Prior to 1917] * [http://www.ucentralasia.org/ University of Central Asia] Central Asia
{| align="center" class="toccolours" cellspacing="0" |- bgcolor="#ccccff" ! align="center" | Countries of the world in Central Asia |- | align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" | People's Republic of China | Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Mongolia | Russia | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Uzbekistan |}
== Mongolia == Dear everyone (real or sock-puppetry) involved in the inclusion-of-Mongolia skirmish, Putting Mongolia in Central Asia seems plausible. Putting it in East Asia seems plausible as well. So why not put it in both? -- User:Kowey 17:35, 11 Apr 2004 (UTC) :Good call. --User:Cantus 21:44, 11 Apr 2004 (UTC) I am readding Mongolia to the page, as no one on this Talk page seems to object to it. --User:Lowellian 00:04, May 4, 2004 (UTC) It looks like it is in central Asia to me. --User:Maveric149 01:27, 4 May 2004 (UTC) ::Mav, give me the name of an encyclopedia, almanac, or any other sourcebook that does not stick with the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia in its organizational templates? User:172 01:56, 4 May 2004 (UTC) ---- User:Lowellian says: Just one encyclopedia? I'll give you several instead: *From ''Encyclopedia Americana''. Danbury, CT: Grolier, 1997: **vol. 19, page 356: "MONGOLIA is a geographical region of east central Asia..." **vol. 19, page 358: "The Mongolian People's Republic (MPR), formerly Outer Mongolia, is an independent country located in east central Asia..." *From ''The New Encyclopaedia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1994: **vol. 8, page 255: "Mongolia, Khalkha Mongolian MONGOL ULS, also called OUTER MONGOLIA, landlocked country that is located between Russia to the north and China to the south, in north-central Asia." *From Munro, David. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the World''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995: **page 412: "Mongolia official name The State of Mongolia a large and sparsely populated country of eastern Asia." *From ''Webster's New Geographical Dictionary''. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1988: **page 781: "Mongolia 1 Region, E cen. Asia..." **page 781: "'''Mongolian People's Republic or frequently Mongolia also Outer Mongolia'''. Republic, E cen. Asia..." *From ''Countries and Their Cultures''. New York: Macmillan Reference-Gale, 2001: **page 1498: "Mongolia is a large landlocked country in Central Asia..." *From Room, Adrian. ''Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings.'' Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1997: **page 240: "Mongolia. Republic, east central Asia." *From Cohen, Saul B., ed. ''The Columbia Gazeteer of the World''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998: **page 2023: "Mongolia, republic (604,000 sq mi/1,566,500 sq km; 1989 pop. 2,043,000), NE central Asia..." *From Levinson, David, and Karen Christensen, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Modern Asia''. New York: Thomson-Gale, 2002: **vol. 4, page 164: "Mongolia refers to the region in east central Asia..." People seem to be confusing Central Asia with the Central Asian Republics; they are not the same thing! Central Asia is a wider geographic area than the Soviet designation of the Central Asian Republics. Nor is Central Asia equivalent to the Central Asian States, which is an economic union. The fact is that terms like Central Asia and East Asia are vague. Different sources will give different definitions of the regions. The ''Encyclopedia Americana'' (full citation given above) says it well on vol. 2, page 440: :"In addition to terms applied to all of Asia are names designating greater or lesser portions of the continent. [There is some discussion of the vagueness of the terms Far East, Far West, Near East, and Middle East.] Other expressions, such as the Levant (the lands of the eastern Mediterranean), Further India (Southeast Asia), and Central Asia (Tibet, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, and portions of Mongolia and southern Soviet Asia) also appear in scholarly and popular literature and speech. They have little geographical precision...Inner Asia (sometimes called Central Asia) is a somewhat imprecise region comprising the western and northern borderlands of China—roughly Tibet, Turkestan, Mongolia, Manchuria, and the southeast corner of Siberia..." Wikipedia would be Wikipedia:Neutral point of view if it were to refuse to acknowledge as part of a region a country that is considered by some sources to be part of that region. Mongolia should be included in ''both'' Template:Central Asia and Template:East Asia. --User:Lowellian 01:19, May 5, 2004 (UTC) ---- ==Map of Central Asia== Map of Central Asia courtesy of World Book 2002: --User:Cantus 03:18, 5 May 2004 (UTC) ---- =="Stupid war"== This edit war is stupid. People should have better things to do than screw up what amounts to a minor Wikipedia page by means of a revert war. Grow up already! (and eat your vitamins, and brush your teeth, and clean the room) User:Rickyrab 20:01, 5 May 2004 (UTC) ---- ==Support for Mongolia== I request User:Cantus to summarize his arguments (and evidence) here (which he seems finally to start), and I shall support him. -- User:Kaihsu 20:07, 2004 May 5 (UTC) : Actually, User:Mav has already done it above. I will revert to a reasonable version that includes Mongolia. :: I think it was User:Lowellian that provided the bulk of the evidence above. I have protected the page to a version that includes no footnotes, and includes Mongolia but not China. Everybody, take a break for 20 minutes. I suggest that if any admin has been directly involved in this edit war, they should not use their powers to revert. A sysop may wish to unprotect at 23:00 UTC. -- User:Kaihsu 20:15, 2004 May 5 (UTC) These mediawiki things are perfectly useless unless they are mutually exclusive. Unless we want to put and on the Mongolia page, which would be deeply unwieldy, we need to decide for it to be one or the other. User:John Kenney 20:19, 5 May 2004 (UTC)
: No, they do not have to be mutually exclusive -- that is not how life is. Take Russia, for example. -- User:Kaihsu 20:19, 2004 May 5 (UTC)
Russia only has a and on the Mongolia page? It's not like that would take up more space than the tables at the bottom of such pages as Russia or Belgium. --User:Lowellian 01:12, May 6, 2004 (UTC)
Kaihsu, you cannot use page protections to enforce your favored versions. You had no more right to do so than I did, so I'm lifting the protection. User:172 20:37, 5 May 2004 (UTC)
: All right. But please review the large bulk of evidence above. I would appreciate that you withdraw your allegation on multiple pages at Wikipedia:Requests for review of admin actions, though. -- User:Kaihsu 20:43, 2004 May 5 (UTC)
== Old disputes == http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_rowntree_dag_2demo/0%2C5159%2C340264-%2C00.html a site with map of Central Asia see MediaWiki Talk:Central Asia. --User:Lowellian 03:40, May 5, 2004 (UTC) Cantus, can you explain to me what you think is wrong with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Central_Asia&oldid=3454410 22:44, May 4, 2004 version] instead of just reverting it? It includes all the regions you seem to want included; the major difference is that it makes a mention of Central Asian Republics, which is an official term used during the Soviet period and since retained for their usefulness in grouping those five countries. --User:Lowellian 04:29, May 5, 2004 (UTC) :It's not as easy to understand if the countries are not listed at the beginning and each bulleted. --User:Cantus 05:12, 5 May 2004 (UTC) This is a particularly futile edit war, there are clearly at least two accepted usages of the word, both of which need to be described. I agree that the May 4th edit is as good as any. User:Mark Richards 22:12, 12 May 2004 (UTC) : See also User talk:Wik#Central_Asia ---- Copied from Mark Richards' Talk: Do you have a specific, substantive, original criticism of the version that I have restored? If so, I will answer it. But you're just complicating things if you're merely acting as a mediator in an edit war between Cantus and Wik. 172 20:35, 17 May 2004 (UTC) You probably won't hear anything different from me. This is not a 'geographical' issue. The issue is encyclopedic organizational principles, particularly (heirarchy, precision). The term 'Central Asia' typically refers to the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. That's why other encyclopedias place the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia under this category, but not Mongolia. 172 20:49, 17 May 2004 (UTC) :Well, opinion is clearly divided on this, even from other mainstream sources. There is no 'precision', since this is essentially a political, not a geographic issue. We simply have to document the fact that the term has several different meanings, and live with that - there is no 'right answer'. User:Mark Richards 20:56, 17 May 2004 (UTC) ::For crying out loud. No, this just means that Wikipedia should stay consistent. Let's stick with the mostly widely used use of the term in reference to the former Soviet republics, alright. User:172 21:05, 17 May 2004 (UTC) Well, it seems like reflecting varied usuage would be more appropriate. User:Mark Richards 21:15, 17 May 2004 (UTC) ---- This Article needs to mention Tuva in the second paragraph. User:Sunja 11:06, 28 May 2004 (UTC) :Tell me more! Be bold and add it, except of course you can't because the page is protected to do a stupid edit war! Please leave more information here, and someone will add it to the page. Also, can we move forward on getting this unprotected? Thanks, User:Mark Richards 16:14, 28 May 2004 (UTC) Dear friends of Central Asia, Thank you for the short article. Remarks: 1. history: "part of the Communist-led Soviet Union." Sorry, but that is not encyclopaedic writing. To much cold war rhethoric, serious! I don't know, where do you come from, but it is not the inter-subjective level I expect from such a source. "ranging from democratic to highly authoritarian" Sorry again, but could you tell me which of the five CA gouvernments is based on democratic values and regulations. Honestly, none, even so beloved Kyrgyzstan is moving strictly to a highly authoritarian system. Of course, in compare with Turkmenistan, they are "democratic". But again, not on an objective (inter-subjective) level. "Most Central Asian nations are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization." And how about CIS, EEC, OSCE, UN, Intergouvernmental Commission TRACECA etc... Did you get my point. Why do you explicitly determine one particular organisation without explaining it. Or you leave it out or you mention the others as well. 2. geography: "A majority of the people earn a living by herding livestock." Any figures? Sounds pretty much... 3. Demographics "More than 80 million people live in Central Asia," In the five CA states? Hardly. Following some profound sources (e.g. World Bank) you have a population of around 55 million. If you ment more than the 5 states, please say so. Otherwise it is confusing, especially with regard to the discussion forum. Thank you, Gerald Huebner (Berlin) ==Reverting without comments== Hi there - I'm a little piqued that as soon as the protection was removed, this was reverted, without comment. That is the kind of behaviour that prompted the protection in the first place, and evidence that it is still needed. Could you either undo the revert, or justify it on the talk page? Thanks, User:Mark Richards 21:12, 4 Jun 2004 (UTC) :I did not see any justification for this, so I put it back. A revert to an entirely different version is not a minor edit, btw ;) User:Mark Richards 20:16, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) ==Reverts== Map of Central Asia courtesy of World Book 2002: Mark Richards, could you please explain here why are you reverting to another version? I read your messages above and they do not explain your revertions. Thanks. --User:Cantus 22:28, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) Thanks - it seems clear that there are many competing definitions of the term - this version does not express that - can you explain why this one definition should be the only one presented? User:Mark Richards 22:50, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) :We need to show the mulitiple definitions, perhaps a couple of different maps would help? User:Intrigue 22:59, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) Integrated the other def from old version and structured. User:Intrigue 23:57, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) == Tibet == This article currently lists Tibet twice as sometimes included in Central Asia. As far as I know, Tibet has never been lumped in with Central Asia, and had always been associated with the Subcontinent's states (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan). As far as I can tell, in common usage, Central Asia refers to the five former Soviet republics (Central Asian Republics), and can sometimes include Afghanistan, Xinjiang, and even more rarely parts of Pakistan, Qinghai, and bits of southern Russia like Tyva. Also, I've never seen Mongolia or the Caucasus included in any definition of Central Asia. I can understand lumping the Caucasus in on an ethnic basis simply because of the Turkik peoples there, but Mongolia seems entirely separate, both ethnically and geographically. —User:Thames 16:21, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) *Well both the Tibet and Mongolia articles explicitly place them in Central Asia, and the Caucasus article places it there by some definitions. I can speak best of Mongolia, which I think is firmly part of Central Asia culturally, speaking one of the Altaic languages and historically sharing, even exemplifying, the traditional steppe nomadic way of life. In fact most of Genghis Khan's armies were actually Turkic, and, according to a recent genetic study, an astonishing 8% of Central Asian men are direct male line descendants of the Great Khan. The modern borders are of course not drawn by ethnicity, especially not historical ethnicity. The Mongol ethnic group borders Kazhaks to the west and Uighurs to the south in Sinkiang, roughly. And Tibet is to the south of Sinkiang, and historically Tibetan-style Lamaism was spread from there all the way north to Mongolia. Linguistically, Tibet is closest to East Asia. Of course, all of these definitions are rather arbitrary anyway, but I suggest the article could work best with an inclusive approach.--User:Pharos 21:51, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) :*Fair enough. Perhaps we should make a distinction between "solidly" Central Asian areas (the former soviet central asian states, afghanistan, xinjiang), and the peripherally central asian states (the caucasus, mongolia, tibet, qinghai, pakistan, tyva). That way we can be inclusive but not misleading. —User:Thames 23:46, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) == Maps == I found a website with a wealth of [http://www.angelfire.com/sd/tajikistanupdate/historicalmaps.htm historical maps of Central Asia]. This will be an invaluable resource in writing up the history section. —User:Thames 18:18, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) I am concerned that the map I made of Central Asia may not be entirely accurate, especially concerning: *What parts of pakistan are actually considered part of Central Asia. My map divides Pakistan along the Indus river, but since we assert that Central Asia is landlocked, that division is contradictory. *The actual borders of Central Asia within China. Does Inner Mongolia count? And should we draw the boundaries (like I did) to roughyl conform to Chinese adminstrative units, or should we draw them to conform with geographical features (whatever they may be), or should they conform to historical boundaries (Greater Tibet, both inner & Outer Mongolia, East Turkestan) *The parts of Russia that I labeled part of central asia are simply the border republics, but the definition really ought to be ethnically/geographically represented, rather than simply based on Russian administrative divisions. Same more or less goes for the North, South, and Iranian Caucausus. Meanwhile, there are no good maps of central asia in google image searches, which is disappointing. Most simply focus on the former SSRs, rather than a geographic or ethnic delineation. :—User:Thames 18:27, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) I found three maps of ethnic divisions in Central Asia which may be helpful: [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/pakistan_ethnic_80.jpg pakistan], [http://www.brook.edu/fp/projects/terrorism/images/Major%20Ethnic%20Groups%20in%20Central%20Asia%20(1993)_MAP.jpg central asia 1], [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/ssoviet_ethnic_86.jpg central asia 2]. —User:Thames 18:35, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) :If the map is going to be updated it should also be noted that the UNESCO history of Central Asia includes the Punjab and other parts of Northern India in the region. - User:SimonP 18:44, Mar 3, 2005 (UTC) ::They also include Iran. I'm not sure how far we can stretch Central Asia in this article. If it were up to me, we wouldn't be including Mongolia, Tibet, the Caucasus, Iran, or Pakistan. The five former SSRs, Afghanistan, Xinjiang and bits of southern Russia seem to create the best cohesive area. I think for the purposes of history that Iran, the Subcontinent, and perhaps Tibet could easily be excluded, and probably ought to be. —User:Thames 20:32, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) Here are a few (inadequate) physical maps of Central Asia: [http://www.berzinarchives.com/e-books/historic_interaction_buddhist_islamic/map01.gif] [http://www.silkroadadventures.net/images/map.jpg] [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/MONITOR/ISSUE6-4/singh.7.jpg] [http://www.jpl.se/~dalen/aralsea/geography1.gif] [http://www.atlapedia.com/online/resources/World_phy_grat.jpg] [http://www.geo-klett.com/physical/3169.html] [http://www.geo-klett.com/physical/3110.php]. They are important, however, in showing the geographic division of Mongolia/Xinjiang/Tibet from the Former SSRs. Also, the a mountain ranges of Afghanistan and Pakistan are quite visibly separating them from the rest of central asia. —User:Thames 18:42, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) [http://www.travel-images.com/az-pipelinemap.jpg Best map of central asian oil & gas pipelines] —User:Thames 20:22, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) I found [http://www.yale.edu/ceo/Projects/CAP/Koppen-2.jpg this] (totally sweet) map of the world's climates. We could reproduce the Central Asia section on our own and put the map in the Geography#Climate section. Moreover it very accurately depicts the (sort of) geographic lines that define Central Asia: *The mountain ranges that constitute Greater Tibet, run through Afghanistan, up around Iran, into Northern Iran (Iranian Azerbaijan), and become the Caucasus mountains. *The steppe that runs from the North Caucasus, over the Caspian, through Kazakhstan, into Mongolia. This is hands-down the best map (i've found so far) for illustrating what Central Asia actually is. I will try to redo the political map (for the top of the article) to better match this climate map. *I must give kudos on the fine new political map that half-miraculously manages to illustrate Central Asia as something of a coherent region.--User:Pharos 07:58, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC) :*Thanks. It's tough trying to correctly illustrate it. The way I see it, there are five subdivisions of Central Asia: the Caucasus, former SSRs (including Afghanistan), Xinjiang, Greater Tibet, and Inner+Outer Mongolia. The new map outlines the whole, but doesn't really distinguish any of the subregions. Nor do we have anything illustrating the sub-subregions, like Transoxania or the Ferghana Valley or others that I mention below. The new map is a good overall map though. Better than my previous one, which was just terrible. == Subregions of Central Asia == I'm not sure where we can insert this information, but it might be useful to divide Central Asia into subregions. We already have articles dealing with: *Turkestan (further subdivided into East and West Turkestan) *Transcaucasia / Caucasus (together they look like candidates for a merge) *Parts of the Indus Valley Civilization also: *Fergana Valley *Transoxania == Separate articles? == It seems fitting to condense and link the history and geopolitics sections into History of Central Asia and Geopolitics of Central Asia. user:CirceusUser:199.202.104.100 :I agree, and will probably end up doing just that for the Geostrategy section, perhaps today, perhaps Sunday night after I get back from a trip. —User:Thames 16:09, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC) Its a good sign that we've reached a stage where this has become necessary, but one can say, for instance, that the history section is still very far from anything like complete. Still, it's getting rather long. :)--User:Pharos 18:35, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC) :We also very much need a History of Central Asia article. We already have History of the Middle East, History of East Asia, History of South Asia, and History of Southeast Asia so Central Asia should complete the set. - User:SimonP 18:47, Mar 4, 2005 (UTC) ==Caucasus== Does anyone have a good source that places the Caucasus in Central Asia? I've encoutered a wide array of definitions for Central Asia, but none that include the Caucasus. - User:SimonP 02:10, Mar 6, 2005 (UTC) :If you mean the mtn. range, they are typically considered as the southeastern limit of Europe. In that case, unless we're doing South Central (or Eurasia), that might not work for you. Sorry. :Ref. the [http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article?tocId=9360061&query=Caucasus&ct= Brit] (uh oh screaming Wikipedia:Wikipedians... ;') :User:Bwefler 06:45 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::I think the place of Caucasia in this article is debateable. Politically, ethnically and geographically, it is a different place. I for one, feel that the addition of Caucasian languages and Armenian language into the section on languages would unballance the article and make it loose cohesion. User:Garzo 12:47, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::Sorry, "South Central" in error(?), since it's north of southwest Asia... (not really the center...) :User:Bwefler 17:35, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) :::Agreed, I think the map should be changed to exclude the Caucasus from Central Asia. Nowhere in the article do we discuss Caucasia. - User:SimonP 17:42, Mar 6, 2005 (UTC) == Pakistan & Instability == Describing Pakistan as unstable is currently quite an apt and understated way of putting it. You could say, in place of unstable, that it is a country faced with a decades old violent border dispute (kashmir), ethnic separatism (balochistan), transnational terrorist presence (south waziristan), a leader who assumed power in a military coup and who refuses to relinquish his military post, and who enjoys so little public support that he is forced to travel with U.S. army guards to protect against the multiple and recurring assassination attempts, an unenforceable northern border with Afghanistan that allows for the smuggling of people, drugs, and weapons through the country, and a security force that is only partly in allegiance with the government and responsible for setting up and supporting one of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in Afghansitan. That certainly qualifies as unstable, and is not an NPOV assertion. User:Thames—User:Thames 14:34, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
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Central Asia
Central Asia 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 continent. == 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. The most limited definition was the official one of the Soviet Union that defined ''Srednyaya Azia'' 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. Soon after independence, the leaders of the five former Soviet Union 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, the Punjab, northern India and Pakistan, northeast Iran, Afghanistan, central Russia south of the Taiga, and the five former Soviet Republics. An alternative method is to define the region based on ethnicity, and in particular, areas populated by Eastern Turkmen peoples. These areas include Xinjiang, the Turkic/Muslim regions of southern Siberia, the five republics, and Afghan Turkestan. Sometimes Mongols and/or Tibetans are also included. == Geography == [[Image:Central Asia Physical.jpg|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 (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 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), at Buurug Deliin Els, Mongolia, 50°18' north. *The Northern Hemisphere southernmost permafrost, at Erdenetsogt sum, Mongolia, 46°17' north. *The world's shortest distance between 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|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) 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 marked by several millennia of dominance by the horse peoples of the steppe, who were some of the most militarily potent peoples in the world. Portions of central Asia, known to historians as Transoxania, were considered part of Persia in antiquity. In the sixteenth century the dominance of the nomads was ended as firearms allowed settled peoples to dominate the region. Most notably, Russia expanded through the region and captured the bulk of it by the end of the nineteenth century. With the collapse of the Soviet Union five countries gained their independence. == 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. *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=== Oil geostrategy, Pipelines, Caspian Sea ===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. 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 in Central Asia. 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== ===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 and is also practiced in Mongolia, 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|thumb|right|300px|Yama, Lord of Death, Tibet, Field Museum, Chicago.]] 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 which is over 1000 years old. It is principally practiced in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan by ''akyns'', lyrical improvisationists. They will engage in Freestyle battle, the ''aitysh'' or the ''alym sabak''. The tradition arose out of early bardic Oral history. They are usually accompanied by a String instrument—in Kyrgyzstan, a three-stringed ''komuz'' and in Kazakstan a similar two-stringed instrument. Some also learn to sing the ''Manas (epic)'', 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 *Kazakh language *Kyrgyz language *Tatar language *Uzbek language *Uighur language |- |style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|Iranian languages *Persian language *Dari (of Afghanistan) *Pushtu language *Tajik language |- |style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|Other major languages *Mongolian language *Tibetan language |- |style="padding: 0 0 0 10px;"|lingua franca *Russian language *Chinese language |} ===Languages=== The languages of the majority of the inhabitants of the former Soviet Central Asian Republics come from the Turkic languages. Turkmen language, closely related to Turkish language (they are both members of the Oghuz Turks group of Turkic), is mainly spoken in Turkmenistan and into Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. Kazakh language, Kyrgyz language and Tatar language are related languages of the Kipchaks group of Turkic languages, and are spoken throughout Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and into Afghanistan, Xinjiang and Qinghai. Uzbek language and Uighur language are spoken in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang. Russian language, 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 has an equally dominant presence in Nei Monggol, Qinghai and Xinjiang. The Turkic languages belong to the much larger Altaic languages language family, which includes Mongolian language. Mongolian is spoken throughout the region of Mongolia and into Qinghai and Xinjiang. Iranian languages were once spoken throughout much of Central Asia, but the once prominent Sogdian language, Bactrian language and Scythian language languages are now extinct. However, various dialects of Persian language are still spoken in the region, including Dari (of Afghanistan) and Tajik language. Pushtu language 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. == External links == * [http://www.jamestown.org/edm/ Eurasia Daily Monitor] — political, strategic, and economic news from Central Asia. * [http://eurasianet.org/ EurasiaNet] — information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in Central Asia. * [http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~casww/index.html/ Central Eurasian Studies World Wide] *[http://www.getcited.org/mbrx/PT/2/MBR/10819625 Publications on the history of Central Asia Prior to 1917] * [http://www.ucentralasia.org/ University of Central Asia] Central Asia
Central Asia
{| align="center" class="toccolours" cellspacing="0" |- bgcolor="#ccccff" ! align="center" | Countries of the world in Central Asia |- | align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" | People's Republic of China | Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Mongolia | Russia | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Uzbekistan |}
Central Asia
== Mongolia == Dear everyone (real or sock-puppetry) involved in the inclusion-of-Mongolia skirmish, Putting Mongolia in Central Asia seems plausible. Putting it in East Asia seems plausible as well. So why not put it in both? -- User:Kowey 17:35, 11 Apr 2004 (UTC) :Good call. --User:Cantus 21:44, 11 Apr 2004 (UTC) I am readding Mongolia to the page, as no one on this Talk page seems to object to it. --User:Lowellian 00:04, May 4, 2004 (UTC) It looks like it is in central Asia to me. --User:Maveric149 01:27, 4 May 2004 (UTC) ::Mav, give me the name of an encyclopedia, almanac, or any other sourcebook that does not stick with the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia in its organizational templates? User:172 01:56, 4 May 2004 (UTC) ---- User:Lowellian says: Just one encyclopedia? I'll give you several instead: *From ''Encyclopedia Americana''. Danbury, CT: Grolier, 1997: **vol. 19, page 356: "MONGOLIA is a geographical region of east central Asia..." **vol. 19, page 358: "The Mongolian People's Republic (MPR), formerly Outer Mongolia, is an independent country located in east central Asia..." *From ''The New Encyclopaedia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1994: **vol. 8, page 255: "Mongolia, Khalkha Mongolian MONGOL ULS, also called OUTER MONGOLIA, landlocked country that is located between Russia to the north and China to the south, in north-central Asia." *From Munro, David. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the World''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995: **page 412: "Mongolia official name The State of Mongolia a large and sparsely populated country of eastern Asia." *From ''Webster's New Geographical Dictionary''. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1988: **page 781: "Mongolia 1 Region, E cen. Asia..." **page 781: "'''Mongolian People's Republic or frequently Mongolia also Outer Mongolia'''. Republic, E cen. Asia..." *From ''Countries and Their Cultures''. New York: Macmillan Reference-Gale, 2001: **page 1498: "Mongolia is a large landlocked country in Central Asia..." *From Room, Adrian. ''Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings.'' Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1997: **page 240: "Mongolia. Republic, east central Asia." *From Cohen, Saul B., ed. ''The Columbia Gazeteer of the World''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998: **page 2023: "Mongolia, republic (604,000 sq mi/1,566,500 sq km; 1989 pop. 2,043,000), NE central Asia..." *From Levinson, David, and Karen Christensen, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Modern Asia''. New York: Thomson-Gale, 2002: **vol. 4, page 164: "Mongolia refers to the region in east central Asia..." People seem to be confusing Central Asia with the Central Asian Republics; they are not the same thing! Central Asia is a wider geographic area than the Soviet designation of the Central Asian Republics. Nor is Central Asia equivalent to the Central Asian States, which is an economic union. The fact is that terms like Central Asia and East Asia are vague. Different sources will give different definitions of the regions. The ''Encyclopedia Americana'' (full citation given above) says it well on vol. 2, page 440: :"In addition to terms applied to all of Asia are names designating greater or lesser portions of the continent. [There is some discussion of the vagueness of the terms Far East, Far West, Near East, and Middle East.] Other expressions, such as the Levant (the lands of the eastern Mediterranean), Further India (Southeast Asia), and Central Asia (Tibet, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, and portions of Mongolia and southern Soviet Asia) also appear in scholarly and popular literature and speech. They have little geographical precision...Inner Asia (sometimes called Central Asia) is a somewhat imprecise region comprising the western and northern borderlands of China—roughly Tibet, Turkestan, Mongolia, Manchuria, and the southeast corner of Siberia..." Wikipedia would be Wikipedia:Neutral point of view if it were to refuse to acknowledge as part of a region a country that is considered by some sources to be part of that region. Mongolia should be included in ''both'' Template:Central Asia and Template:East Asia. --User:Lowellian 01:19, May 5, 2004 (UTC) ---- ==Map of Central Asia== Map of Central Asia courtesy of World Book 2002: --User:Cantus 03:18, 5 May 2004 (UTC) ---- =="Stupid war"== This edit war is stupid. People should have better things to do than screw up what amounts to a minor Wikipedia page by means of a revert war. Grow up already! (and eat your vitamins, and brush your teeth, and clean the room) User:Rickyrab 20:01, 5 May 2004 (UTC) ---- ==Support for Mongolia== I request User:Cantus to summarize his arguments (and evidence) here (which he seems finally to start), and I shall support him. -- User:Kaihsu 20:07, 2004 May 5 (UTC) : Actually, User:Mav has already done it above. I will revert to a reasonable version that includes Mongolia. :: I think it was User:Lowellian that provided the bulk of the evidence above. I have protected the page to a version that includes no footnotes, and includes Mongolia but not China. Everybody, take a break for 20 minutes. I suggest that if any admin has been directly involved in this edit war, they should not use their powers to revert. A sysop may wish to unprotect at 23:00 UTC. -- User:Kaihsu 20:15, 2004 May 5 (UTC) These mediawiki things are perfectly useless unless they are mutually exclusive. Unless we want to put
Central Asia
== Old disputes == http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_rowntree_dag_2demo/0%2C5159%2C340264-%2C00.html a site with map of Central Asia see MediaWiki Talk:Central Asia. --User:Lowellian 03:40, May 5, 2004 (UTC) Cantus, can you explain to me what you think is wrong with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Central_Asia&oldid=3454410 22:44, May 4, 2004 version] instead of just reverting it? It includes all the regions you seem to want included; the major difference is that it makes a mention of Central Asian Republics, which is an official term used during the Soviet period and since retained for their usefulness in grouping those five countries. --User:Lowellian 04:29, May 5, 2004 (UTC) :It's not as easy to understand if the countries are not listed at the beginning and each bulleted. --User:Cantus 05:12, 5 May 2004 (UTC) This is a particularly futile edit war, there are clearly at least two accepted usages of the word, both of which need to be described. I agree that the May 4th edit is as good as any. User:Mark Richards 22:12, 12 May 2004 (UTC) : See also User talk:Wik#Central_Asia ---- Copied from Mark Richards' Talk: Do you have a specific, substantive, original criticism of the version that I have restored? If so, I will answer it. But you're just complicating things if you're merely acting as a mediator in an edit war between Cantus and Wik. 172 20:35, 17 May 2004 (UTC) You probably won't hear anything different from me. This is not a 'geographical' issue. The issue is encyclopedic organizational principles, particularly (heirarchy, precision). The term 'Central Asia' typically refers to the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. That's why other encyclopedias place the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia under this category, but not Mongolia. 172 20:49, 17 May 2004 (UTC) :Well, opinion is clearly divided on this, even from other mainstream sources. There is no 'precision', since this is essentially a political, not a geographic issue. We simply have to document the fact that the term has several different meanings, and live with that - there is no 'right answer'. User:Mark Richards 20:56, 17 May 2004 (UTC) ::For crying out loud. No, this just means that Wikipedia should stay consistent. Let's stick with the mostly widely used use of the term in reference to the former Soviet republics, alright. User:172 21:05, 17 May 2004 (UTC) Well, it seems like reflecting varied usuage would be more appropriate. User:Mark Richards 21:15, 17 May 2004 (UTC) ---- This Article needs to mention Tuva in the second paragraph. User:Sunja 11:06, 28 May 2004 (UTC) :Tell me more! Be bold and add it, except of course you can't because the page is protected to do a stupid edit war! Please leave more information here, and someone will add it to the page. Also, can we move forward on getting this unprotected? Thanks, User:Mark Richards 16:14, 28 May 2004 (UTC) Dear friends of Central Asia, Thank you for the short article. Remarks: 1. history: "part of the Communist-led Soviet Union." Sorry, but that is not encyclopaedic writing. To much cold war rhethoric, serious! I don't know, where do you come from, but it is not the inter-subjective level I expect from such a source. "ranging from democratic to highly authoritarian" Sorry again, but could you tell me which of the five CA gouvernments is based on democratic values and regulations. Honestly, none, even so beloved Kyrgyzstan is moving strictly to a highly authoritarian system. Of course, in compare with Turkmenistan, they are "democratic". But again, not on an objective (inter-subjective) level. "Most Central Asian nations are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization." And how about CIS, EEC, OSCE, UN, Intergouvernmental Commission TRACECA etc... Did you get my point. Why do you explicitly determine one particular organisation without explaining it. Or you leave it out or you mention the others as well. 2. geography: "A majority of the people earn a living by herding livestock." Any figures? Sounds pretty much... 3. Demographics "More than 80 million people live in Central Asia," In the five CA states? Hardly. Following some profound sources (e.g. World Bank) you have a population of around 55 million. If you ment more than the 5 states, please say so. Otherwise it is confusing, especially with regard to the discussion forum. Thank you, Gerald Huebner (Berlin) ==Reverting without comments== Hi there - I'm a little piqued that as soon as the protection was removed, this was reverted, without comment. That is the kind of behaviour that prompted the protection in the first place, and evidence that it is still needed. Could you either undo the revert, or justify it on the talk page? Thanks, User:Mark Richards 21:12, 4 Jun 2004 (UTC) :I did not see any justification for this, so I put it back. A revert to an entirely different version is not a minor edit, btw ;) User:Mark Richards 20:16, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) ==Reverts== Map of Central Asia courtesy of World Book 2002: Mark Richards, could you please explain here why are you reverting to another version? I read your messages above and they do not explain your revertions. Thanks. --User:Cantus 22:28, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) Thanks - it seems clear that there are many competing definitions of the term - this version does not express that - can you explain why this one definition should be the only one presented? User:Mark Richards 22:50, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) :We need to show the mulitiple definitions, perhaps a couple of different maps would help? User:Intrigue 22:59, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) Integrated the other def from old version and structured. User:Intrigue 23:57, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC) == Tibet == This article currently lists Tibet twice as sometimes included in Central Asia. As far as I know, Tibet has never been lumped in with Central Asia, and had always been associated with the Subcontinent's states (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan). As far as I can tell, in common usage, Central Asia refers to the five former Soviet republics (Central Asian Republics), and can sometimes include Afghanistan, Xinjiang, and even more rarely parts of Pakistan, Qinghai, and bits of southern Russia like Tyva. Also, I've never seen Mongolia or the Caucasus included in any definition of Central Asia. I can understand lumping the Caucasus in on an ethnic basis simply because of the Turkik peoples there, but Mongolia seems entirely separate, both ethnically and geographically. —User:Thames 16:21, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) *Well both the Tibet and Mongolia articles explicitly place them in Central Asia, and the Caucasus article places it there by some definitions. I can speak best of Mongolia, which I think is firmly part of Central Asia culturally, speaking one of the Altaic languages and historically sharing, even exemplifying, the traditional steppe nomadic way of life. In fact most of Genghis Khan's armies were actually Turkic, and, according to a recent genetic study, an astonishing 8% of Central Asian men are direct male line descendants of the Great Khan. The modern borders are of course not drawn by ethnicity, especially not historical ethnicity. The Mongol ethnic group borders Kazhaks to the west and Uighurs to the south in Sinkiang, roughly. And Tibet is to the south of Sinkiang, and historically Tibetan-style Lamaism was spread from there all the way north to Mongolia. Linguistically, Tibet is closest to East Asia. Of course, all of these definitions are rather arbitrary anyway, but I suggest the article could work best with an inclusive approach.--User:Pharos 21:51, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) :*Fair enough. Perhaps we should make a distinction between "solidly" Central Asian areas (the former soviet central asian states, afghanistan, xinjiang), and the peripherally central asian states (the caucasus, mongolia, tibet, qinghai, pakistan, tyva). That way we can be inclusive but not misleading. —User:Thames 23:46, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) == Maps == I found a website with a wealth of [http://www.angelfire.com/sd/tajikistanupdate/historicalmaps.htm historical maps of Central Asia]. This will be an invaluable resource in writing up the history section. —User:Thames 18:18, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) I am concerned that the map I made of Central Asia may not be entirely accurate, especially concerning: *What parts of pakistan are actually considered part of Central Asia. My map divides Pakistan along the Indus river, but since we assert that Central Asia is landlocked, that division is contradictory. *The actual borders of Central Asia within China. Does Inner Mongolia count? And should we draw the boundaries (like I did) to roughyl conform to Chinese adminstrative units, or should we draw them to conform with geographical features (whatever they may be), or should they conform to historical boundaries (Greater Tibet, both inner & Outer Mongolia, East Turkestan) *The parts of Russia that I labeled part of central asia are simply the border republics, but the definition really ought to be ethnically/geographically represented, rather than simply based on Russian administrative divisions. Same more or less goes for the North, South, and Iranian Caucausus. Meanwhile, there are no good maps of central asia in google image searches, which is disappointing. Most simply focus on the former SSRs, rather than a geographic or ethnic delineation. :—User:Thames 18:27, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) I found three maps of ethnic divisions in Central Asia which may be helpful: [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/pakistan_ethnic_80.jpg pakistan], [http://www.brook.edu/fp/projects/terrorism/images/Major%20Ethnic%20Groups%20in%20Central%20Asia%20(1993)_MAP.jpg central asia 1], [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/ssoviet_ethnic_86.jpg central asia 2]. —User:Thames 18:35, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) :If the map is going to be updated it should also be noted that the UNESCO history of Central Asia includes the Punjab and other parts of Northern India in the region. - User:SimonP 18:44, Mar 3, 2005 (UTC) ::They also include Iran. I'm not sure how far we can stretch Central Asia in this article. If it were up to me, we wouldn't be including Mongolia, Tibet, the Caucasus, Iran, or Pakistan. The five former SSRs, Afghanistan, Xinjiang and bits of southern Russia seem to create the best cohesive area. I think for the purposes of history that Iran, the Subcontinent, and perhaps Tibet could easily be excluded, and probably ought to be. —User:Thames 20:32, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) Here are a few (inadequate) physical maps of Central Asia: [http://www.berzinarchives.com/e-books/historic_interaction_buddhist_islamic/map01.gif] [http://www.silkroadadventures.net/images/map.jpg] [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/MONITOR/ISSUE6-4/singh.7.jpg] [http://www.jpl.se/~dalen/aralsea/geography1.gif] [http://www.atlapedia.com/online/resources/World_phy_grat.jpg] [http://www.geo-klett.com/physical/3169.html] [http://www.geo-klett.com/physical/3110.php]. They are important, however, in showing the geographic division of Mongolia/Xinjiang/Tibet from the Former SSRs. Also, the a mountain ranges of Afghanistan and Pakistan are quite visibly separating them from the rest of central asia. —User:Thames 18:42, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) [http://www.travel-images.com/az-pipelinemap.jpg Best map of central asian oil & gas pipelines] —User:Thames 20:22, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC) I found [http://www.yale.edu/ceo/Projects/CAP/Koppen-2.jpg this] (totally sweet) map of the world's climates. We could reproduce the Central Asia section on our own and put the map in the Geography#Climate section. Moreover it very accurately depicts the (sort of) geographic lines that define Central Asia: *The mountain ranges that constitute Greater Tibet, run through Afghanistan, up around Iran, into Northern Iran (Iranian Azerbaijan), and become the Caucasus mountains. *The steppe that runs from the North Caucasus, over the Caspian, through Kazakhstan, into Mongolia. This is hands-down the best map (i've found so far) for illustrating what Central Asia actually is. I will try to redo the political map (for the top of the article) to better match this climate map. *I must give kudos on the fine new political map that half-miraculously manages to illustrate Central Asia as something of a coherent region.--User:Pharos 07:58, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC) :*Thanks. It's tough trying to correctly illustrate it. The way I see it, there are five subdivisions of Central Asia: the Caucasus, former SSRs (including Afghanistan), Xinjiang, Greater Tibet, and Inner+Outer Mongolia. The new map outlines the whole, but doesn't really distinguish any of the subregions. Nor do we have anything illustrating the sub-subregions, like Transoxania or the Ferghana Valley or others that I mention below. The new map is a good overall map though. Better than my previous one, which was just terrible. == Subregions of Central Asia == I'm not sure where we can insert this information, but it might be useful to divide Central Asia into subregions. We already have articles dealing with: *Turkestan (further subdivided into East and West Turkestan) *Transcaucasia / Caucasus (together they look like candidates for a merge) *Parts of the Indus Valley Civilization also: *Fergana Valley *Transoxania == Separate articles? == It seems fitting to condense and link the history and geopolitics sections into History of Central Asia and Geopolitics of Central Asia. user:CirceusUser:199.202.104.100 :I agree, and will probably end up doing just that for the Geostrategy section, perhaps today, perhaps Sunday night after I get back from a trip. —User:Thames 16:09, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC) Its a good sign that we've reached a stage where this has become necessary, but one can say, for instance, that the history section is still very far from anything like complete. Still, it's getting rather long. :)--User:Pharos 18:35, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC) :We also very much need a History of Central Asia article. We already have History of the Middle East, History of East Asia, History of South Asia, and History of Southeast Asia so Central Asia should complete the set. - User:SimonP 18:47, Mar 4, 2005 (UTC) ==Caucasus== Does anyone have a good source that places the Caucasus in Central Asia? I've encoutered a wide array of definitions for Central Asia, but none that include the Caucasus. - User:SimonP 02:10, Mar 6, 2005 (UTC) :If you mean the mtn. range, they are typically considered as the southeastern limit of Europe. In that case, unless we're doing South Central (or Eurasia), that might not work for you. Sorry. :Ref. the [http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article?tocId=9360061&query=Caucasus&ct= Brit] (uh oh screaming Wikipedia:Wikipedians... ;') :User:Bwefler 06:45 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::I think the place of Caucasia in this article is debateable. Politically, ethnically and geographically, it is a different place. I for one, feel that the addition of Caucasian languages and Armenian language into the section on languages would unballance the article and make it loose cohesion. User:Garzo 12:47, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::Sorry, "South Central" in error(?), since it's north of southwest Asia... (not really the center...) :User:Bwefler 17:35, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) :::Agreed, I think the map should be changed to exclude the Caucasus from Central Asia. Nowhere in the article do we discuss Caucasia. - User:SimonP 17:42, Mar 6, 2005 (UTC) == Pakistan & Instability == Describing Pakistan as unstable is currently quite an apt and understated way of putting it. You could say, in place of unstable, that it is a country faced with a decades old violent border dispute (kashmir), ethnic separatism (balochistan), transnational terrorist presence (south waziristan), a leader who assumed power in a military coup and who refuses to relinquish his military post, and who enjoys so little public support that he is forced to travel with U.S. army guards to protect against the multiple and recurring assassination attempts, an unenforceable northern border with Afghanistan that allows for the smuggling of people, drugs, and weapons through the country, and a security force that is only partly in allegiance with the government and responsible for setting up and supporting one of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in Afghansitan. That certainly qualifies as unstable, and is not an NPOV assertion. User:Thames—User:Thames 14:34, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Central Asia
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