In the Middle Ages these countries lay on the coveted "silk road" (yup, the same one traveled by Marco Polo), one of the reasons for the region's cultural and racial fragmentation is due to the competition that this road bestowed on its hosts. Demise of whole empires can be thrown at it's feet.
Did you know that -stan is Persian for "place"?
Don't cry, don't regret and don't blame
Weak find the whip, willing find freedom
Towards the sun, carry your name
In warm hands you are given
Ask the wind for the way
Uncertainty's gone, your path will unravel
Accept all as it is and do not blame
God or the Devil
~Born to Live - Mavrik~