Overview:
Turkmenistan
- Turkmenistan was formerly known as Turkmenia
- It is the 52nd largest country in the world by land size
- The name of the capital city, Ashgabat, means “city of love”
- The Karakum Desert covers approximately 70% of the country
Uzbekistan
- Uzbekistan is one of two double landlocked countries in the world
- It has two national parks and nine nature reserves
- The city of Bukhara is more than 2,000 years old and is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia
- It is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of cotton
- Green tea is the national hot beverage
Tajikistan
- Mountains cover over 90% of Tajikistan
- The country experienced a five year civil war between 1992 and 1997
- The name of the capital city, Dushanbe, means “Monday” in Tajik
- The highest mountain in Tajikistan is named after Ismoili Somoni, who was a popular ruler at the beginning of the 10th century (there are also many monuments of Ismoili Somoni throughout Dushanbe)
Kyrgyzstan
- Kyrgyzstan is one of the world’s least crowded countries. There are just 29.5 residents for each square kilometre of land
- The mountainous Tian Shan region covers 80% of the country. It has even been described as the “Switzerland of Central Asia”
- Horse meat and horse milk are very popular
- Gold accounts for the majority of Kyrgyzstan’s exports. Another significant export is dried legumes!
Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world by land size
- The majority of the population is under the age of 30
- It is one of the only countries to ever denuclearize (Kazakhstan handed over all its nuclear weapons to Russia by 1995)
- It is home to the Baikonur Cosmodome, the world’s first and largest space launch facility. It is leased by the Russians until 2050
- The New Year is called Nauryz and is celebrated in March
- The name of the major city and the former capital, Almaty, means a “place full of apples”
Armed with a stack of new knowledge about the 5-Stans, you are now ready to ace any quiz night questions related to this captivating, yet mysterious, region. Head to our 5-Stans small group tour page to find out even more about these epic countries.
uncover more about the 5-stans here!
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