中亞（中亞細亞）即亞洲中部地區。
廣義上，該區域由伊朗的阿族人（阿塞拜疆族）居住區和俄羅斯的突厥人（穆斯林）聚居區、東西伯利亞、蒙古東部、阿富汗北部，中國新疆和西藏合圍的廣大縱深地區組成。
狹義上的中亞，根據中國大陸及臺灣中學教科書的定義，衹包括中亞五國，即哈薩剋斯坦、烏茲別剋斯坦、塔吉剋斯坦、吉爾吉斯斯坦和土庫曼斯坦。蘇聯官方的定義衹包括烏茲別剋蘇维埃社會主義共和國、塔吉剋蘇维埃社會主義共和國、吉爾吉斯蘇维埃社會主義共和國、土庫曼蘇维埃社會主義共和國，蘇聯官方通稱中亞及哈薩剋。 另外一種定義是：除了中亞五國以外，還包括俄羅斯南部。
更廣義的中亞，根據聯合國教育科學文化組織的定義，除了上述的地區以外，還包括阿富汗、中國新疆地區、蒙古國、巴基斯坦和伊朗。
Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent.
Various definitions of its exact composition exist and no one definition is universally accepted. Despite this uncertainty in defining borders, it does have some important overall characteristics. For one, Central Asia has historically been closely tied to its nomadic peoples and the Silk Road. As a result, it has acted as a crossroads for the movement of people, goods, and ideas between Europe, West Asia, South Asia, and East Asia.
In modern context, Central Asia consists of the five former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Other areas are often included such as Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, north-eastern Iran, north-western India, and western parts of the People's Republic of China such as Xinjiang. South-western and middle China such as Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai, Gansu and Inner Mongolia, and southern parts of Siberia may also be included in Central Asia.
During pre-Islamic and early Islamic times, Central Asia was a predominantely Iranian region that included sedentary Sogdians, Chorasmians and semi-nomadic Scythians, Alans. The ancient sedentary population played an important role in the history of Central Asia. Tajiks, Pashtuns, Pamiris and other Iranian groups are still present in the region. After expansion by Turkic peoples, central Asia became also the homeland for many Turkic peoples, including the Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Uyghurs, and Central Asia is sometimes referred to as Turkestan. |
土庫曼斯坦