What is Central Asia?

Idea of Central Asia – is very indistinct. This term has gained mass distribution in the middle of the 19th century, at the time of Alexander Humboldt (1769 – 1859), the geographical figure and the traveler after emergence of the composition of the same name. He defined this territory from the Himalaya northern slopes to Southern Altay. A little later many famous geographers from the different countries of the world described this territory from Altai to Tibet and from Mongolia in the East to Pamir in the West. Subsequently there was a large number of other reasoning concerning the territory, which occupied by Central Asia. There is no unambiguous and recognized as all formulation of the thesis Central Asia to this day.

The Soviet understanding of the region of Central Asia a little differed than Western, considered as the Aral Sea, and barred basins of Balkhash. However, in foreign sources on geography this area called by Central Asia. At present, it stretches from the Caspian Sea in the West to Central China in the East and from the South of Russia to Pakistan in the South.

Today in many information sources, the region of Central Asia covers such countries as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, the district of Asian Russia and Mongolia.

Central Asia it is fine mountain and steppe panoramas, various vegetation and fauna, reserves and natural territories which are under protection, the most beautiful nature sanctuaries of Tien Shan of Altai, the Tarbagatay, Saur, Saryarka, Pamir, Aktau and Karatau, the Mugodzhar Hills and Mangystau. The visitor of our website can also find useful and interesting information about history of mountaineering and are acquainted with other interesting sketches about Central Asia.