The countries of Central Asia and their brief characteristics

Central Asia refers to a region that covers quite a vast territory of the continent of Eurasia. It has no outlet to the ocean, and it includes many states, some partially, some completely. The countries of Central Asia are very different in their culture, history, languages and national composition. This region stands out only as a geographical unit (in contrast to the Ancient East, which was a cultural region), therefore each of its territory will be considered separately.

Which powers are part of the geographic area

So, first, let's consider all the countries and capitals of Central Asia, so that a complete picture of what lands are included in its composition. At once we will note that some sources allocate 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 Central Asian countries include these five powers, plus Western China (Beijing), Mongolia (Ulan Bator), Kashmir, Punjab, northeastern Iran (Tehran), North India (Delhi) and North Pakistan (Islamabad), Afghanistan (Kabul). Also included here are the Asian regions of Russia, which are located south of the taiga zone.

History and features of the region

For the first time, Central Asian countries as a separate geographic region were singled out by the geographer and historian Alexander Humboldt at the end of the 19th century. As he stated, the historical signs of these lands were three factors. Firstly, this is the ethnic composition of the population, namely the Turks, Mongols and Tibetans, who for centuries have not lost their characteristics and are not assimilated with other races. Secondly, this is a nomadic way of life, which was inherent in almost every one of these peoples (except for Tibetans). Over the centuries, they waged wars, expanded the borders of their powers, but, despite this, preserved the identity and uniqueness of their nation and traditions. Thirdly, it was through the Central Asian countries that the famous Silk Road took place, which was the basis of trade relations between East and West.

Central Asia or part of the CIS

To date, the five former Soviet republics represent the region of Central Asia, which from time immemorial had its own culture, religion and features of being. The only exception was always Kazakhstan, since absolutely different people always lived in these territories. Initially, when the Soviet Union was created, it was even decided to make this state part of Russia, but later it became a 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 in 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 confess their God's Word. For example, in Alma-Ata the Central Mosque and the Ascension Orthodox Cathedral are located nearby.

Other countries of Central Asia

The total area of the region is 3,994,300 square kilometers, and most cities, even the largest ones, are not very densely populated. Of the capitals and other important megacities of these countries, the Russians began to leave the mass after the collapse of the Union, which entailed a demographic decline. The most widespread race of the region is the Uzbeks. They live not only in Uzbekistan, but also are national minorities of all the other four states. In addition, Uzbekistan itself against the background of Central Asia can be distinguished 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 they come to study from all over the world. Also on the territory of the state there are museum-cities - Samarkand, Khiva, Bukhara and Kokand. There are a lot of Muslim ancient palaces, mosques, squares and observation platforms.

Asia, which 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 characterized by similar racial signs and certain customs. By itself, East Asia includes such developed powers as China, Mongolia (a controversial issue - it is in the Central part of the region and in the East), South Korea, Taiwan, the DPRK and Japan. This geographical area differs primarily in religion - here all Buddhists.

Conclusion

At the very end, it can be said that the countries of Central-East Asia are a synthesis of cultures that have been mixed for centuries. Here live representatives of a huge racial family - Mongoloid, which includes many subgroups. Also note the trifle, but the fact is - local people are very fond of rice. They grow it and consume it almost every day. Nevertheless, this geographic region has not become finally unified. Each country has its own language, its own characteristics and racial differences. Each religion has its own distinct direction, each art form is also unique and unique. On the territory of Central and East Asia, the most interesting kinds of martial arts were born , which spread throughout the world and became a symbol of these countries.