The Five ‘Stans’: Central Asia’s Independent Republics

Central Asia comprises five sovereign nations, all former Soviet republics:

1. Kazakhstan – Largest (2.7M km²), resource-rich, capital Astana.
2. Kyrgyzstan – Mountainous, nomadic heritage, capital Bishkek.
3. Tajikistan – Poorest, Persian-speaking, Pamir Mountains, capital Dushanbe.
4. Turkmenistan – Gas-rich, closed polity, capital Ashgabat.
5. Uzbekistan – Most populous (35M), Silk Road cities (Samarkand, Bukhara), capital Tashkent.

All are majority-Muslim (Sunni), Turkic-speaking (except Tajik), and members of CIS, SCO, OIC. “Stan” = “land of” in Persian.