Of the five geo-regions of Asia, Central Asia is the one that most people are least familiar with. One reason is that the region has been closed to the outside world for so long -- first by the Ottomans and then by the Soviets. But Central Asia is, for the most part, now open to tourists.
Are the positive images of the region to be had? Definitely! Central Asia is the Silk Road. And while it is a land of climatic extremes, it is also filled with natural wonders.
Central Asia includes: Mongolia and Northwest China*, Afghanistan, and the former Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
The Caucasus, as well, are also usually grouped with Central Asia. This includes the nations of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and portions of Russia. The course of the Ural River is probably the best line inside Russia to define the Europe-Central Asia boundary north of the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea port of Ashtrankhan sits at a crossroads between Europe and Central Asia. The ethnic republics of Russia's Northern Caucasus region are probably best thought of as Central Asia: Daghestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Ossetia, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the Republic of Adyghea, and Karachayevo-Cherkessia. Most people have never heard of these places. Technically, they are part of Russia. But each has a culture that is either unique to the Northern Caucasus or tied to the Middle East in some way.
The major cities: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Tashkent and Samarkand, Uzbekestan; Kabul, Afghansistan; Baku, Azerbaijan; Ashtrakhan, Russia; and Ulaan Baator, Mongolia.
Some of the attractions:
- Mongolia - a great place to fish.
- Kashgar - You are closer to either Moscow or New Delhi than to Beijing. And many of the people look like they could be Turkish. But Kashgar is in China. Its history, though, is very Central Asian.
- Afghanistan - not quite yet, but maybe one day soon...
- Lake Baikal - One of the least noticed natural wonderlands in the tourist world today is Lake Baikal and the surrounding region on the border between Mongolia and Siberian Russia.
- Lake Sevan in Armenia - the world largest alpine lake.
Some history: Much of the region was conquered by Cyrus the Great in 6th Century BC, and then later by Alexander the Great between 333 and 323BC. Parts of the region, however, were not exposed to recorded history until the rise of Genghis Khan in the 14th Century AD.
*China is actually divided across four of the five geo-regions of Asia. Northwest China's Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia provinces are best thought of as part of Central Asia.