中亚（中亚细亚）即亚洲中部地区。
广义上，该区域由伊朗的阿族人（阿塞拜疆族）居住区和俄罗斯的突厥人（穆斯林）聚居区、东西伯利亚、蒙古东部、阿富汗北部，中国新疆和西藏合围的广大纵深地区组成。
狭义上的中亚，根据中国大陆及台湾中学教科书的定义，只包括中亚五国，即哈萨克斯坦、乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、吉尔吉斯斯坦和土库曼斯坦。苏联官方的定义只包括乌兹别克苏维埃社会主义共和国、塔吉克苏维埃社会主义共和国、吉尔吉斯苏维埃社会主义共和国、土库曼苏维埃社会主义共和国，苏联官方通称中亚及哈萨克。 另外一种定义是：除了中亚五国以外，还包括俄罗斯南部。
更广义的中亚，根据联合国教育科学文化组织的定义，除了上述的地区以外，还包括阿富汗、中国新疆地区、蒙古国、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. |
土库曼斯坦