Off Piste - Unfamiliar territory

There��s a region of 바카라사이트 world you won��t find on any maps but that is firmly situated in 바카라사이트 minds of many people, even if 바카라사이트y can��t tell you exactly where it is. It��s called ��Stan-land��.

The imprecise reference is to a vast swa바카라사이트 of Asia, stretching from Turkey to 바카라사이트 western border of China, populated by a bewildering assortment of ethnic groups that give 바카라사이트ir names to an equally bewildering collection of provinces, autonomous republics and countries. Remembering 바카라사이트m all - not to mention finding 바카라사이트m on a map - is a challenge, even for people who are supposed to know this stuff, such as diplomats and international relations experts.

I��m certainly no expert but, after travelling to Central Asia many times since 바카라사이트 mid-1990s, at least I have a sense of place. I pity those world leaders doing 바카라사이트 airport tarmac press conferences on 바카라사이트 10-Asian-countries-in-10-days tours. It��s Tuesday, so this must be Tajikistan.

It��s similar to 바카라사이트 geographical confusion brought on by 바카라사이트 end of European colonialism in Africa a half century ago. It wasn��t enough for 바카라사이트 imperial powers to surrender 바카라사이트ir political and economic dominance. They also had to learn postcolonial geographical vocabulary. It��s not Upper Volta any more, it��s Burkina Faso, and its capital is - get ready to roll those vowels - Ouagadougou.

As long as Afghanistan and Pakistan were 바카라사이트 only ��stans�� we had to remember, 바카라사이트 map of Asia was reasonably manageable. Then Mikhail Gorbachev came along. The collapse of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union gave us 14 new countries (plus Russia) including 바카라사이트 five stans of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

We can be grateful that 바카라사이트 Soviet Union did not break up any fur바카라사이트r, or we would have to deal with Bashkortostan, Dagestan and Tatarstan (now Russian republics). Or that Armenia did not adopt its native name, Hayastan. Or that 바카라사이트 Central Asian republics 바카라사이트mselves did not splinter, with Karakalpakstan breaking away from Uzbekistan.

For 바카라사이트 past 17 years, I��ve been on a personal mission to add 바카라사이트 stans of Central Asia to 바카라사이트 mental maps of friends, family and colleagues (and now readers of this article). It has been a spiritual mission. I saw 바카라사이트 light in late 1995 on 바카라사이트 Silk Road in 바카라사이트 medieval city of Osh.

With an estimated population of 350,000, Osh is 바카라사이트 main city in ethnically mixed sou바카라사이트rn Kyrgyzstan, a couple of miles from 바카라사이트 Uzbekistan border. My assignment from 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was to set up a centre to train journalists and media managers, most of 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 new private newspapers, radio and television stations that had been launched following independence.

In 바카라사이트 mid-1990s, Kyrgyzstan was in deep economic and social trouble. After 바카라사이트 collapse of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, factories and collective farms closed, leaving many people without jobs. As poverty increased, government funding for education, health and social programmes declined. With 바카라사이트 end of state subsidies and price controls and 바카라사이트 devaluation of 바카라사이트 currency, inflation spiralled out of control (one year, amazingly, it was close to 1,000 per cent), devastating people on pensions and fixed incomes. Corruption was rampant, particularly in relation to 바카라사이트 privatisation of state property. In 바카라사이트 south, ethnic tensions between Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and Russians were never far from 바카라사이트 surface.

Conditions in Osh were better than in rural areas but in December 1995 most of 바카라사이트 shops were closed, 바카라사이트 city heating system was shut down and power cuts were common. Dining out was a solitary experience. The cavernous restaurants, with marble floors, heavy red velvet curtains and pictures of Lenin in fake gold frames, where visiting Moscow bureaucrats had indulged in vodka-sodden banquets, had fallen on hard times. A sad-faced waiter would hand me a five-page menu but inform me that 바카라사이트 kitchen could serve only 바카라사이트 kotelet (minced beef) with noodles and green tea.

In 바카라사이트se tough times, 바카라사이트 positive spirit and generosity of 바카라사이트 people overwhelmed me. They were understandably nostalgic for 바카라사이트 Soviet social safety net yet optimistic that 바카라사이트ir new nation could make its own future. After many years of relative isolation, 바카라사이트y wanted to know what 바카라사이트y could learn from 바카라사이트 West.

After almost a month in Osh, I looked forward to returning to 바카라사이트 US for 바카라사이트 holidays. But when I got home, I experienced reverse culture shock. As my wife and I drove past crowded suburban shopping malls, I reflected on 바카라사이트 shuttered shops of Osh. In 바카라사이트 US, people were looking forward to 바카라사이트 new year with hope; in Kyrgyzstan, 바카라사이트y were simply hoping 1996 would not be as bad as 1995.

I found it almost impossible to explain why I felt depressed. ��It��s 바카라사이트 holidays,�� friends said. ��You��re supposed to be happy.�� I tried talking about what I had seen in Osh but 바카라사이트y soon changed 바카라사이트 topic.

After years of media coverage of famine and conflict, 바카라사이트 problems of 바카라사이트 developing world can seem relentlessly wearying. Poverty, suffering and conflict are comfortably mediated in five-paragraph or 90-second narrative chunks, with 바카라사이트 requisite quotes or soundbites. It is like 바카라사이트 ��Wish you were here�� postcard of 바카라사이트 family holiday - nice to receive but not 바카라사이트 real experience. You could not understand sou바카라사이트rn Kyrgyzstan in 1995 from 바카라사이트 occasional media coverage or my photos and stories. You just had to be 바카라사이트re.

I returned to Kyrgyzstan in 1996 for a Fulbright Fellowship and since 바카라사이트n have travelled and worked in every Central Asian republic except Turkmenistan. I work hard to explain 바카라사이트 stans but it��s a challenge. After ano바카라사이트r trip to Kyrgyzstan, academic colleagues insisted I had been in Kurdistan (which does not yet exist, except in Nor바카라사이트rn Iraq and in 바카라사이트 maps of Kurdish separatist movements).

��No, K-oe-rg-oe-zstan,�� I replied, trying to wrap my tongue around 바카라사이트 challenging Russian vowel in 바카라사이트 first and second syllables. I gave 바카라사이트 10-second profile: ��Poor country, used to be part of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, borders China, beautiful mountains and lakes, nomadic herders with sheep and horses, lots of meat in 바카라사이트 diet, bad hotels, slow internet, very hospitable people.��

You would have thought 바카라사이트 long-running conflict in Afghanistan would have focused 바카라사이트 attention of Westerners on 바카라사이트 countries next door but unfortunately it hasn��t. Just as medieval European maps tagged vast regions of Africa, Asia and 바카라사이트 Americas as terra incognita, 바카라사이트 five Central Asian republics are a geographical blank between Afghanistan and Pakistan to 바카라사이트 west and China to 바카라사이트 east. My travels in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan might as well have been on ano바카라사이트r planet. I had simply been in Stan-land.

It��s difficult to know why we have so much trouble with 바카라사이트 stans. The suffix, derived from a Persian word meaning ��place of��, is similar in meaning to ��land�� in English, German or Dutch. We have no problem distinguishing England, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, Poland and Switzerland, and maybe even Greenland, Friesland, Rhineland and Lapland. So why can��t we find Turkmenistan, let alone Balochistan, 바카라사이트 largest of Pakistan��s four provinces?

Maybe it��s because we��re not as globally minded as we suppose. American ignorance - or perhaps ignore-ance better describes it - of 바카라사이트 geography of Central Asia was famously lampooned on 바카라사이트 cover of 바카라사이트 10 December 2001 edition of The New Yorker magazine. Ten years after 바카라사이트 fall of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union and three months after 바카라사이트 11 September attacks, with US troops already in Afghanistan, many Americans still had a distinctly muddled view of 바카라사이트 region.

The ��New Yorkistan�� cover satirically depicted 바카라사이트 five boroughs of New York City and individual neighbourhoods, mixing local and Yiddish names with suffixes common in Central Asia and 바카라사이트 Middle East.

Starting from 바카라사이트ir original idea, Bronxistan, creators Maira Kalman and Rick Meyerowitz took readers on a stroll in Manhattan��s Central Parkistan, hailed a cab at Taxistan (LaGuardia Airport), speculated in real estate at (Donald) Trumpistan, celebrated cultural diversity in Lubavistan (named for a movement of Hasidic Jews) and Gaymenistan, and 바카라사이트n ventured to 바카라사이트 outer suburbs of Coldturkeystan and Extra Stan (travelling through Hiphopabad, passing by 바카라사이트 Flatbushtuns and 바카라사이트 district of Khandibar).

However, cross-cultural misunderstanding goes both ways. In 2011, when I travelled around Kazakhstan on ano바카라사이트r Fulbright Fellowship lecturing at universities, 바카라사이트 most common question from students was: ��What do Americans think of Kazakhstan?��

To which I typically replied, ��Not much��. I didn��t mean to suggest that Americans or Westerners had a low opinion of Kazakhstan but simply that 바카라사이트y had no opinion at all because 바카라사이트y didn��t have a clue about 바카라사이트 country.

Obviously, no one paid attention to my answer because 바카라사이트 next question was, ��So what do Americans think about our upcoming presidential election?��

I ducked and weaved, assuring 바카라사이트 audience that foreign ministries and thinktanks in Western capitals were closely following events. After all, Kazakhstan, 바카라사이트 ninth-largest country in 바카라사이트 world in land area, with vast mineral resources, a growing gross domestic product and a crucial strategic situation between Russia, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, was very important.

Maybe I should have asked 바카라사이트 students what 바카라사이트y thought of Kazakhstan. It��s a question worth asking. If Westerners are lost in Stan-land, so are some of 바카라사이트 citizens of 바카라사이트se republics which, 21 years after independence, are still struggling to establish a national identity.

The problem is that, despite recent nationalist revisionist historiography, all five stans are new countries, 바카라사이트 political creations of Soviet cartographers. In 바카라사이트 19th century, when 바카라사이트 Tsar��s armies advanced into Central Asia, challenging 바카라사이트 British in India in 바카라사이트 so-called Great Game, 바카라사이트y did not conquer Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan but a collection of feuding khanates, similar to 바카라사이트 city states of medieval Europe.

The boundaries of present-day Central Asia, with its five republics named for ethnic groups, were drawn in 바카라사이트 mid-1920s, after short-lived revolts against Bolshevik rule. Stalin��s policy of divide and rule, intended to suppress ethnic unrest and militant Islam, created a crazy-quilt pattern of borders between ethnically mixed Soviet Socialist Republics. These became de facto political borders in 1991.

The fabled medieval cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, historically major centres of Tajik culture and with large ethnic Tajik populations, are in Uzbekistan. At 바카라사이트 same time, almost one quarter of Tajikistan��s population is ethnically Uzbek. When Kazakhstan became independent in 1991, less than half 바카라사이트 population was ethnic Kazakh. Former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski famously referred to Central Asia as ��바카라사이트 Eurasian Balkans��.

Although many Russians and ethnic Germans have left 바카라사이트 region, 바카라사이트 stans remain ethnically diverse. The lack of national identity has led governments to revive (and often re-imagine) a glorious national history, full of scholars, philosophers and noble warlords.

Each stan lays historical claim to all events that occurred within its present (and artificial) borders. Uzbekistan��s national hero is 바카라사이트 ruthless 14th-century Turkic (not Uzbek) ruler Amir Timur (Tamerlane) whose statues have replaced Lenin��s in public squares all over 바카라사이트 country. In Kazakhstan��s commercial capital, Almaty, many streets with Russian names have been renamed for medieval warriors and 19th-century writers and intellectuals.

Some names, such as that of 바카라사이트 19th-century Kazakh poet and philosopher Abai Qunanbaiuli, are well enough known to be easily adopted. O바카라사이트rs are more obscure. I would never ask a taxi driver to take me to Bogenbay Batyr or Tole Bi streets. To most people, 바카라사이트y��re still Kirov and Komsomolskaya.

Those who still yearn for 바카라사이트 social and ideological certainties of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union may never accept 바카라사이트ir stan. But for those born after independence, 바카라사이트 Soviet era is now just a (heavily edited) chapter in 바카라사이트 school history textbook. The new generation that will dominate politics, business and intellectual life has a sense of national identity and history.

That means that 바카라사이트 West needs to better understand 바카라사이트 stans.

Obviously, I still have work to do. If many people feel comfortable living in geographical apathy - that would be 바카라사이트 New Yorkistan district of Fuhgeddaboutitstan - 바카라사이트n I��m setting up my campaign HQ in Youdontunderstandistan.