Editing Central Asia (section)

== Historical regions ==
{{Location map+ | Kazakhstan
| AlternativeMap = Relief Map of Kazakhstan.png
| width = 300
| caption = Historical regions of Central Asia<br />
on a map of Kazakhstan
| places =
{{Location map~|Kazakhstan|lat=42.00|long=60.00|label=Khwarezm|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Kazakhstan|lat=40.30|long=73.37|label=Ferghana|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Kazakhstan|lat=44.00|long=76.95|label=Zhetysu|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Kazakhstan|lat=45.00|long=85.00|label=Dzun-<br />garia|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Kazakhstan|lat=40.30|long=84.00|label=Tarim_Basin|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
}}
{{Location map+ | Uzbekistan
| AlternativeMap = Relief Map of Uzbekistan.png
| width = 300
| float=right
| caption = Historical Regions of Central Asia<br />on a map of Uzbekistan
| places =
{{Location map~|Uzbekistan|lat=42.00|long=60.00|label=Khwarezm|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Uzbekistan|lat=40.00|long=72.00|label=Ferghana|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Uzbekistan|lat=39.50|long=65.00|label=Transoxiana|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Uzbekistan|lat=39.00|long=65.00|label=(Sogdia)|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Uzbekistan|lat=43.00|long=72.00|label=Zhetysu|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Uzbekistan|lat=37.50|long=70.00|label=Bactria|position=bottom|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Uzbekistan|lat=37.00|long=61.90|label=Margiana|position=top|mark=Clear pog.svg}}
}}

{{Location map+ | Uzbekistan
| AlternativeMap = Relief Map of Uzbekistan.png
| width = 300
| caption = Historic cities of Central Asia<br />Kokand is one of the many towns that rose and fell in the Ferghana Valley
| places =
{{Location map~ | Uzbekistan|lat=39.70|long=66.98|label=Samarkand|position=top|mark=Dot-yellow.svg}}
{{Location map~ | Uzbekistan|lat=39.77|long=64.33|label=Bukhara|position=left|mark=Dot-yellow.svg}}
{{Location map~ | Uzbekistan|lat=41.38|long=60.22|label=Khiva|position=top}}
{{Location map~ | Uzbekistan|lat=40.53|long=70.93|label=Kokand|position=right}}
{{Location map~ | Uzbekistan|lat=41.27|long=69.22|label=Tashkent|position=top|mark=Dot-yellow.svg}}
{{Location map~ | Uzbekistan|lat=37.66|long=62.19|label=Merv}}
{{Location map~ | Uzbekistan|lat=36.8|long=66.87|label=Balkh}}
}}

Central Asia is bounded on the north by the forests of Siberia. The northern half of Central Asia (Kazakhstan) is the middle part of the [[Eurasian steppe]]. Westward the Kazakh steppe merges into the Russian-Ukrainian steppe and eastward into the steppes and deserts of Dzungaria and Mongolia. Southward the land becomes increasingly dry and the nomadic population increasingly thin. The south supports areas of dense population and cities wherever irrigation is possible. The main irrigated areas are along the eastern mountains, along the [[Oxus]] and [[Jaxartes]] Rivers and along the north flank of the [[Kopet Dagh]] near the Persian border. East of the Kopet Dagh is the important oasis of [[Merv]] and then a few places in Afghanistan like [[Herat]] and [[Balkh]]. Two projections of the [[Tian Shan]] create three "bays" along the eastern mountains. The largest, in the north, is eastern Kazakhstan, traditionally called [[Jetysu]] or Semirechye which contains [[Lake Balkhash]]. In the center is the small but densely-populated [[Ferghana valley]]. In the south is [[Bactria]], later called Tocharistan, which is bounded on the south by the [[Hindu Kush]] mountains of Afghanistan. The [[Syr Darya]] (Jaxartes) rises in the Ferghana valley and the [[Amu Darya]] (Oxus) rises in Bactria. Both flow northwest into the [[Aral Sea]]. Where the Oxus meets the Aral Sea it forms a large delta called [[Khwarazm]] and later the [[Khanate of Khiva]]. North of the Oxus is the less-famous but equally important [[Zarafshan River]] which waters the great trading cities of [[Bokhara]] and [[Samarkand]]. The other great commercial city was [[Tashkent]] northwest of the mouth of the Ferghana valley. The land immediately north of the Oxus was called [[Transoxiana]] and also [[Sogdia]], especially when referring to the Sogdian merchants who dominated the silk road trade.

To the east, Dzungaria and the Tarim Basin were united into the Manchu-Chinese province of [[Xinjiang]] (Sinkiang; Hsin-kiang) about 1759. Caravans from China usually went along the north or south side of the Tarim basin and joined at [[Kashgar]] before crossing the mountains northwest to Ferghana or southwest to Bactria. A minor branch of the silk road went north of the Tian Shan through Dzungaria and Zhetysu before turning southwest near Tashkent. Nomadic migrations usually moved from Mongolia through Dzungaria before turning southwest to conquer the settled lands or continuing west toward Europe.

The [[Kyzyl Kum]] Desert or semi-desert is between the Oxus and Jaxartes, and the [[Karakum Desert]] is between the Oxus and [[Kopet Dagh]] in Turkmenistan. [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] meant approximately northeast Persia and northern Afghanistan. [[Margiana]] was the region around Merv. The [[Ustyurt Plateau]] is between the Aral and Caspian Seas.

To the southwest, across the Kopet Dagh, lies Persia. From here Persian and Islamic civilisation penetrated Central Asia and dominated its high culture until the Russian conquest. In the southeast is the route to India. In early times Buddhism spread north and throughout much of history warrior kings and tribes would move southeast to establish their rule in northern India. Most nomadic conquerors entered from the northeast. After 1800 western civilisation in its Russian and Soviet form penetrated from the northwest.

;Names of historical regions
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Ariana]]
* [[Bactria]]
* [[Dahae|Dahistan]]
* [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]]
* [[Khwarazm]]
* [[Margiana]]
* [[Parthia]]
* [[Sogdia]]
* [[Tokharistan]]
* [[Transoxiana]]
* [[Turan]]
* [[Turkestan]]
{{Div col end}}
{{-}}