Central Asia GuideCentral Asia is most notable for being home to the 'stans': Rugged countries with limited arable land, historically coveted for their position between Europe and East Asia, rather than for their resources. HotelsFind hotels in Kabul and more. KabulKabul has been the capital of Afghanistan since about 1776. The city has been badly damaged during the various 1979–2001 wars, particularly its western parts. UzbekistanUzbekistan has borders with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. KazakhstanKazakhstan is by far the largest of the Central Asian states of the former Soviet Union. AfghanistanAfghanistan is a landlocked and mountainous country in the heart of Asia, bordered by Pakistan to the south and east, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north. KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan (Кыргызстан, formally the Kyrgyz Republic is a Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions. TurkmenistanTurkmenistan is a country in Central Asia with a population of about 5 million, and an area around half a million km2, or almost the size of Spain. TajikistanTajikistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia that borders Afghanistan to the south, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and Uzbekistan to the west and northwest.