The Relationship Between the Definitions of “Middle Asia” and “Central Asia” (theoretical and practical aspects)

Abstract

The article studies the content and formation of the definitions “Central Asia” and “Central Asia”.The author notes that these concepts cover different regions, although at times in the scientific literature they were considered as identical terms.The author considers the main stages of the formation of these definitions.The author comes to the conclusion that in the modern period the term “Central Asia” is mainly used for the region starting from the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea in the west and extending to the central regions of China, and in the north from the southern regions of Siberia of Russia to the northern regions of India and Pakistan, including Afghanistan and the north-eastern regions of Iran.