Central Asia is a subregion of the Asian continent comprising five countries: Kazakhstan (the majority of its territory), Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Bounded by the Caspian Sea to the southwest, Russia to the northwest, China and Mongolia to the east, and Afghanistan and Iran to the south, the region is home to around 76 million people.
The ancient Silk Road trade routes crossed Central Asia, establishing it as a vital crossroads for the movement of people, goods and ideas between Europe and the Far East. Historically inhabited by Iranian-speaking peoples including Bactrians, Sogdians and Scythians, the region became the homeland for Turkic groups—Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Turkmens, Uzbeks and others—following centuries of migration. From the mid-19th century the region was incorporated into the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union, which brought large-scale Slavic settlement. The Stalin era saw the forced deportation of Koreans and other groups. Central Asia remains geopolitically significant because of its position between Russia and China, and recent years have seen renewed efforts at regional economic integration, including the Almaty–Bishkek Economic Corridor.
