Wednesday 29 April 2020

126 - All the -stans in the World

Ever wondered exactly how many -stans are there in the world? I am mean the names of countries or regions with the suffix "stan". Stans in Persian means place or land. So Uzbekistan means land of Uzbeks, similarly, Afghanistan means the land of Afghans. Its equivalent in English is land, as in England or Scotland. 

It is difficult to provide a definite number of "stans" in the world. Because the names of some regions have changed and now are part of history. Some are historical regions and are no longer in use or relevant. Then it also depends on the language you speak. If you are a Turkish speaking person, then you can add more than ten more stans to this list. Most of these are not independent sovereign countries but are the administrative units of different countries. Almost all of them are in Asia and in the northern hemisphere. Eight of these stans are independent countries. The list is given below.

No.
Country
Population
%
Area Km2
%
Density
1
Pakistan
212,745,000
66.57
881,913
15.93
226.6
2
Uzbekistan
33,250,000
10.40
447,400
8.08
67.5
3
Afghanistan
31,575,000
9.88
652,230
11.78
43.5
4
Kazakhstan
18,312,000
5.73
2,724,900
49.21
6.3
5
Tajikistan
9,050,000
2.83
143,100
2.58
55.9
6
Kyrgyzstan
6,020,000
1.88
199,900
3.61
27.8
7
Turkmenistan
5,660,000
1.77
488,100
8.81
10.5
8
Hayastan (Armenia)
2,951,745
0.92
29,743 
0.54
99.25
Total
319,563,745

5,537,543

57.71


World
Stans
%
Population
7,594,000,000
319,563,745
4.21
Area
148,940,000
5,537,543
3.72
A map of all the stans in the world. 

As we have noted above Pakistan is the most populous of all the countries with the suffix, -stan. It has nine sub -stans, details of which is given below:


Pakistan
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
Balochistan
Province
12,344,408
347,190
2
Waziristan North
District of KP Province
543,254
4,707
3
Waziristan South
District of KP Province
674,065
6,500
4
Kohistan
District of KP Province
784,711
7,492
5
Baltistan
Administrtative Unit
510,392
39,370
6
Kohistan-e-Namak
Mountains Range


7
Cholistan
Desert in Punjab


8
Dardistan
Historic Region


9
Baloristan
Historic name of northern regions of Pakistan
Total

14,856,830
405,259

The above map shows the location of stans in Pakistan. 

Uzbekistan is the second biggest country in this category and it has one large and one small administrative unit with this suffix and three towns. 


Uzbekistan
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
Division
1,817,500
161,358
2
Gulistan
District
77,000
350
3
Shakhristan
Town


4
Bakhoristan
Town


5
Buston
Town


Total

1,894,500
161,708





Being the home of the Persian language, no wonder Iran has the largest number of stans with many provinces, historical regions, districts and towns. 


Iran
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
Baluchestan va Sistan
Province
2,775,014
180,726
2
Golestan
Province
1,868,819
20,195 
3
Kordestan
Province
1,603,011
29,137
4
Lorestan
Province
1,760,649
28,294
5
Khuzestan
Province
4,710,509
64,055
6
Mazandran
Historic Tabaristan
3,283,582
23,701
7
Azadistan
Historic Region (A short-lived state in 1920)
Total

16,001,584
325,913

No.
Region
Description
Province
1
Takestan
District
Qazvin
2
Chamestan
Distrcit
Mazandaran
3
Bajestan
Distrcit
Razavi Khorasan
4
Ardestan
Distrcit
Isfahan
5
Sarvestan
Distrcit
Fars
6
Larestan
Distrcit
Fars
7
Dashstestan
Distrcit
Bushehr
8
Tangestan
Distrcit
Bushehr
9
Mehrestan
Distrcit
Baluchestan
10
Khajastan
District
QOM
11
Burestan
Town

12
Takestan
Town

13
Golestan
Town

14
Shahrestan
Town


Before 1991, most of the above mentioned  -stans were part of USSR. After the dissolution of Soviet Union these states became independent. But still the successor state Russia has three administrative areas, which has the suffix of -stans.  



Afghanistan also has regions with the suffix of stan. One of them is a province and the second Zabulistan is a historic region, roughly encompassing the provinces of Zabul and Ghazni. 


Afghanistan
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
Nuristan
Province
147,967
9,225
2
Zabulistan
(Ghazni + Zabul)
Historic Region
1,532,957
40,258
3

4
Takhar
Historically Takharistan


5
Gulistan
Farah Province


6
Arghistan
Kandahar Province


7
Arjistan
Ghazni Province


8
Malistan
Ghazni Province


9
Shahristan
Dayakundi Province


10
Kohistan
Kapisa


11
Raghistan
Badakhshan


12
Rigestan
Desert







Russia
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
Dagestan
Republic
3,779,265
68,000
2
Tatarstan
Republic
2,576,531
50,300
3
Bashkortostan
Republic
4,104,336
143,600
Total
10,460,132
261,900


Iraq has a large Kurdish population, inhabiting north-eastern regions of Iraq. After the uprising in 1991 Kurds were able to establish a semi-independent state for the first time in the recent history of Kurds. Since then it has survived in various degrees of authority and borders. Kurds claim many areas outside their control but they still have to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government. 


Iraq
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
Kurdistan
Autonomous
Region
5,122,747
41,220




Azerbaijan
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
Gobustan
District
41,100
1,370



China's Xinjiang autonomous region was eastern part of Turkestan, a vast area inhabited by Turks in central Asia. It is often referred to as Chinese Turkestan or East Turkestan. But China does not recognize any such name. 


China
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
East Turkestan
Historic Region
24,870,000
1,664,897



Now the last four -stans in the list. Hindustan is the historic name of India and still is widely used in and outside India, especially among Urdu, Persian and Turkish speaking peoples. Its one administrative unit is also called Rajasthan. Now the suffix than does not fully rhyme with stan but has the same meaning. And Hindi being a language of Indo-Aryan group of languages, as Persian is, there should be little doubt that -than has the same origin.

Two more -stans in India, were just an idea and proposed at the time of independence in 1947. One of them was Usmanistan, proposed for an independent state of Hyderabad. Hyderabad actually tried to maintain an independent status but failed. Similarly, some Sikhs thought of creating an independent country for Sikhs, on the lines of Pakistan for the Muslim. But the idea did not get any widespread support. However, in 1980s some groups of the Sikhs launched a bloody insurgency which was suppressed with considerable difficulty and bloodshed. By 1990s the movement lost its momentum and support. 


India
No.
Region
Description
Population
Area Km2
1
Rajasthan
State
68,548,437
342,239 km
2
Hindustan
Historic


3
Khalistan
A proposed region centered on Indian Punjab
4
Usmanistan
A proposed region based on Hyderabad state

South African government under the policy of Apartheid, designated some territories for the black peoples, to keep them segregated from the rest of the country. These territories, called homelands, were also referred to as Bantustan. 

The map given above, shows the homelands of black peoples, referred to as Bantustan. 
(Map from Wikipedia)

In Armenia and Turkey I found  5 more stans:


Armenia / Turkey
No.
Name
Description
Country
1
Mrgastan
Town
Armenia
2
Burastan
Town
Armenia
3
Aygestan
Town
Armenia
4
Dzorastan
Town
Armenia
5
Elbistan
Town
Turkey


In this post, I have listed 8 countries and 58 administrative or historic areas and almost a dozen more cities and towns in the map given below at the end. But if you count the names of the countries as pronounced in some languages you can discover a dozen more stans: (I have taken the list from Wikipedia)

No.
English Name
Persian Name
Turkish Name
Armenian Name
01
Armenia
Armanestân
Ermenistan
Hayastan
02
Bulgaria
Bulgharestân
Bulgaristan

03
Croatia
Hırvatistan

04
England
Engelestân

05
Georgia
Gorjestân
Gürcistan
Vrastan
06
Greece
Yunanistan
Hunastan
07
Hungary
Majarestan
Macaristan
08
India
Hindustan
Hindistan
Hndkastan
09
Mongolia
Mogholestan
Moğolistan
10
Poland
Lahestân
Lehastan
11
Saudi Arabia
Arabestân-e Sa'udi
Saudi Arabistan
12
Serbia
Serbestân
Sırbistan

So I managed to find almost 90 stans. More imaginary stans can still be discovered or contrived but that will take us to the borders of Absurdistan (yes that's too is a stan). So let us consider it to suffice for our study. Anyway, you are welcome to inform me about a stan you can find on a map and not just in your imagination.

Tariq Amir

April 29, 2020.
Doha - Qatar.