Editing Turkestan (section)

==Overview==
Known as [[Turan]] to the [[Persians]], western Turkestan has also been known historically as [[Sogdia]], "Ma wara'u'n-nahr" (by its Arab conquerors), and [[Transoxiana]] by western travelers. The latter two names refer to its position beyond the River [[Oxus]] when approached from the south, emphasizing Turkestan's long-standing relationship with [[Iran]], the [[Persian Empire]]s, and the [[Umayyad]] and [[Abbasid]] [[Caliphate]]s.

[[Oghuz Turks]] (also known as [[Turkmens]]), [[Kyrgyzs]], [[Uzbeks]], [[Kazakhs]], [[Khazars]], [[Uyghurs]], and [[Hazaras]] are some of the Turkic inhabitants of the region who, as history progressed, have spread further into [[Eurasia]] forming such Turkic nations as [[Turkey]], and subnational regions like [[Tatarstan]] in [[Russia]] and [[Crimea]] in [[Ukraine]]. [[Tājik people|Tajiks]] and [[Russian people|Russians]] form sizable non-Turkic minorities.

It is subdivided into [[Afghan Turkestan]] and historical [[Russian Turkestan]] (the latter of which extended in the south to [[Qajar Iran|Persia]], in the west to the [[Aral Sea|Aral]] and [[Caspian Sea|Caspian]] Seas and in the northeast to [[Lake Balkhash]] and [[Lake Zaysan]]) in the west, and [[Chinese Turkestan]] or [[East Turkestan]] in the east.