ABSTRACT
Eurasia, broadly speaking, is a combination of Europe and Asia. A number of similar terms are also used. Central Asia is usually understood in Russian parlance to mean the territories of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzia. Usually Kazakhstan is also added. Lattimore (1951) refers to Inner Asia covering a broader territory between China and Russia. Soucek (2000) discusses the history of Inner Asia. A similar concept is Central Eurasia as in the Central Eurasian Studies Society. Central Eurasia then includes Central Asia plus Mongolia and Western China (Xinjiang and Tibet). In terms of language, religion, culture, history, and geography, these areas are at the transition zones of Russia and China, (Brunn, Toops, and Gilbreath 2012). Xinjiang, which means “New Frontier” in Chinese, is a part of this great transition zone in Eurasia.
