- Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and most of Kazakhstan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the “-stans” as all have names ending with the Persian suffix “-stan” (meaning ’land’) in both respective native languages and most other languages. The region is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the southwest, European Russia to the northwest, China and Mongolia to the east, Afghanistan and Iran to the south, and Siberia to the north. Together, the five Central Asian countries have a total population of around 76 million.
- Tatoosh Wilderness (wilderness.net)
One of five Wilderness areas near Mount Rainier National Park, the Tatoosh Wilderness Area shares a portion of the park’s southern boundary. Tatoosh Ridge, a long, formidably rugged ridge, runs north-south out of the park to cross the Wilderness near the middle…