This is ancient Central Asia … and it’s BURSTING with modern opportunities
From earliest times Central Asia has been the scene of invasions, struggles for empire, inter-tribal warfare and international commerce. Home for Turkic tribes, the vast region was once part of the Persian Empire.
It has been conquered by Macedonians, Arabs, Genghis Khan and his Mongols and, from the 1800s, Russians. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Muslim republics emerged from the rubble.
They have an Islamic identity, though it is not always strong and is frequently mixed with traditional folk religion.
These new nations wrestle with daunting challenges as they make up for decades lost to oppression, exploitation or war.