Countries ending in istan

If you have ever mistaken Kazakhstan for Kyrgyzstan or tripped over the pronunciation of Turkmenistan, you aren't alone. With names that sound like a playground tongue twister, countries ending in istan, it's no surprise that the cluster of countries in Central and South Asia is often referred to as the "Seven Stans" or 'Stan Countries'. But where does this shared suffix come from and why can you find it around all around the world?

Carmela is a journalist from London. Last Updated on May 29, From luscious green mountains, through to snow-capped peaks and turquoise lakes, this region is blessed with the stunning natural scenery. Its cities are an interesting mix of Soviet-era architecture, bustling Asian markets, and ancient customs. Kazakhstan is arguably the jewel of Central Asia.

Countries ending in istan

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev doesn't like the name Kazakhstan. At the same time, foreigners take an interest in Mongolia, the population of which makes up only two million, but its name does not end in '-stan,'" he told onlookers while visiting a school in Atyrau, according to his official website. This isn't Nazarbayev's first foray into nomenclature. The president, a septuagenarian autocrat who has led Kazakhstan since the Soviet Union's dissolution in , has built up quite a cult of personality after years of one-party rule. In , he moved the nation's capital from Almaty, the country's largest city, to Akmola, a small town deep in the Kazakh steppe, and renamed it Astana—literally "capital" in Kazakh. The generic name is suspected to be a placeholder for Nursultan, his own name, but Nazarbayev has graciously delayed naming the city after him until he dies. Renaming an entire country is an even bolder move by Nazarbayev, but it isn't uncommon worldwide. Rhodesia was originally named for the British man who colonized it, but became Zimbabwe when white-minority rule ended in the s. The military junta in Burma renamed the country Myanmar in after seizing power, although many opposition groups, foreign governments, and media outlets do not recognize the name change. And Nazarbayev does have a point about his country's name. The suffix comes from the Persian root istan , or "land"—hence the "land of the Uzbeks," "land of the Kazakhs," and so forth. Pakistan bucks the trend somewhat: Its name means "land of the pure. This isn't a Central Asian quirk.

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It shares a suffix with Afghanistan , Tajikistan , and Turkmenistan. But, what does it mean? In most of these titles, the first part of the name refers to an ethnic group that lives in the nation: the Afghans or Afghanis , the Kyrgyz , etc. There are countless regions within other countries whose names or toponyms end in —stan , such as Tatarstan , a republic in central Russia. Incidentally, the name Stanley, or Stan for short, has nothing to do with — stan. The suffix -stan is not just found in the names of established places.

It shares a suffix with Afghanistan , Tajikistan , and Turkmenistan. But, what does it mean? In most of these titles, the first part of the name refers to an ethnic group that lives in the nation: the Afghans or Afghanis , the Kyrgyz , etc. There are countless regions within other countries whose names or toponyms end in —stan , such as Tatarstan , a republic in central Russia. Incidentally, the name Stanley, or Stan for short, has nothing to do with — stan. The suffix -stan is not just found in the names of established places. It has a rich history of being part of proposed names, fictional names, and forgotten names. Dravidistan was the name for a proposed Indian country that would encompass Tamil Nadu and other southern states. In the comic strip, Berzerkistan is a fictional republic run by a genocidal maniac.

Countries ending in istan

The suffix appears in the names of many regions throughout West , Central and South Asia , and parts of the Caucasus and Russia. The derived suffix -standar or ostandar was used for administrative titles of -stan governors in Iran when the country was led by the Sasanian dynasty. The suffix -stan is analogous to the suffix -land , present in many country and location names. Originally an independent noun, this morpheme evolved into a suffix by virtue of appearing frequently as the last part in nominal compounds. It is of Indo-Iranian and ultimately Indo-European origin. Some of these nations were also known with the Latinate suffix -ia during their time as Soviet republics : Turkmenistan was frequently Turkmenia , Kyrgyzstan often Kirghizia , and even Uzbekistan was very rarely Uzbekia. Ethiopia and Eritrea.

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Archived from the original on 3 October The country lies in the center of the ancient Silk Road trade route that ran from China to the Mediterranean and its cities are packed with history and archeology. Pakistan was named less than a century ago. Retrieved 16 April The following table lists the subnational entities of different countries that end with -stan. And Nazarbayev does have a point about his country's name. Article Talk. Quick Links. Bashkortostan , Dagestan , Tatarstan. It has a rich history of being part of proposed names, fictional names, and forgotten names. Renaming an entire country is an even bolder move by Nazarbayev, but it isn't uncommon worldwide. You'll also find Hindi-Urdu and Pashto, which are the respective official languages of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Hidden categories: CS1 Czech-language sources cs Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Use dmy dates from April Articles containing Persian-language text Articles containing Sanskrit-language text Pages with Sanskrit IPA Articles containing Ancient Greek to -language text Pages with non-English text lacking appropriate markup and no ISO hint Pages with non-English text lacking appropriate markup from January Articles containing Turkish-language text Articles containing Armenian-language text Articles containing Azerbaijani-language text Articles containing Turkmen-language text Articles containing Tatar-language text Articles containing Bashkir-language text Articles containing Hindi-language text Articles containing Urdu-language text Articles containing Uyghur-language text Articles containing Kazakh-language text. The generic name is suspected to be a placeholder for Nursultan, his own name, but Nazarbayev has graciously delayed naming the city after him until he dies.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev doesn't like the name Kazakhstan. At the same time, foreigners take an interest in Mongolia, the population of which makes up only two million, but its name does not end in '-stan,'" he told onlookers while visiting a school in Atyrau, according to his official website. This isn't Nazarbayev's first foray into nomenclature.

Districts of Azerbaijan. With names that sound like a playground tongue twister, it's no surprise that the cluster of countries in Central and South Asia is often referred to as the "Seven Stans" or 'Stan Countries'. For younger generations, the word 'stan' won't elicit thoughts of Asian nations or places but an obsessive celebrity fan. Archived from the original on 3 October Archived from the original on 16 October Countries whose name in English has the suffix -stan. Even John Kerry, the U. So, Kazakhstan means 'land of the Kazakhs, Tajikistan is 'land of the Tajiks', and so on. And perhaps most damning for foreign investors, Kazakhstan tied for th place with Laos and Uganda on Transparency International's most recent Corruption Perception Index. The Spectator Archive. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the s, the country fell into the hands of President Niyazov who kept the country tightly under wraps. For other uses, see Stan disambiguation.