Central Asia category?

[Kamal900]

Egyptians have more affinity to North Africans

Edit: Genetically (a lot of SSA and close to no ANE), culturally they're probably not I guess

No, Egyptians cluster with the middle east than to other NA's:
http://www.theapricity.com/forum/sho...North-Africans

[Myanthropologies]

Most Middle Easterners I've met consider Afghans Middle Eastern, and a fair amount of Central Asians see Afghans as familiar as well (like Tajiks and Turkmens), but South Asians don't really consider Afghans South Asia. However, a lot of Pashtuns live in pakistan which is definitely south asia.

[Mingle]

Somewhere between South and Central Asia, even Iran is considered a South Central Asian country sometimes and not Middle Eastern. IMO there should be a term for the regions below and above the Zagros mountains, as the cultures and languages change once you cross it.

Its hard for Afghanistan to be considered a proper Central Asian country because Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Xinjiang, and Mongolia share much more similarities with each other than with Afghanistan or even Tajikistan.

These are the regions I would divide the western portion of Asia into:

1. Greater Iran: Kurdistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Western Pakistan
2. Southwest Asia: Arabia, Levant, Iraq
3. Black Sea Region: Turkey, Caucasus

[Myanthropologies]

Its hard for Afghanistan to be considered a proper Central Asian country because Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Xinjiang, and Mongolia share much more similarities with each other than with Afghanistan or even Tajikistan.

These are the regions I would divide the western portion of Asia into:

1. Greater Iran: Kurdistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Western Pakistan
2. Southwest Asia: Arabia, Levant, Iraq
3. Black Sea Region: Turkey, Caucasus

I think the Black Sea region shouldn't include all of the Caucasus with Turkey. Greater Iran definitely has Azerbaijan and Armenia, even parts of Georgia. However, Azerbaijan has ties to Turks too.

[Mingle]

Most Middle Easterners I've met consider Afghans Middle Eastern, and a fair amount of Central Asians see Afghans as familiar as well (like Tajiks and Turkmens), but South Asians don't really consider Afghans South Asia. However, a lot of Pashtuns live in pakistan which is definitely south asia.

Almost all South Asians try to claim Afghanistan even though Afghanistan isn't South Asian, don't play dumb. I've also met some that claim Iran and Tibet as South Asia.

Western Pakistan is only politically part of South Asia on maps that think political borders define culture.

[Myanthropologies]

Almost all South Asians try to claim Afghanistan even though Afghanistan isn't South Asian, don't play dumb. I've also met some that claim Iran and Tibet as South Asia.

Western Pakistan is only politically part of South Asia on maps that think political borders define culture.

Well I'm not saying they're south asian, but afghans do have some cultural links with South Asia. We're ultimately Eastern Iranians though.

[Myanthropologies]

What I mean is, Pakistan is definitely a major role player in Afghanistan's geopolitics, but we definitely don't belong in the same category as them. Pakistan could belong to both South Asian and West Asian geopolitics since it plays a huge role in both.

[Mingle]

I think the Black Sea region shouldn't include all of the Caucasus with Turkey. Greater Iran definitely has Azerbaijan and Armenia, even parts of Georgia. However, Azerbaijan has ties to Turks too.

The Republic of Azerbaijan (Northern Azerbaijan) is not Iranic. They just share the same name because the Russians conquered Arran and changed Arran's name to Azerbaijan to try to claim the real Azerbaijan in Iran. North Azeri food and clothing is more similar to Georgia and the Ciscaucasia than to Iran. North Azeris also have the lezginka which is a dance that Georgians and Ciscaucasians do. The pre-Turkic language of North Azeris is Caucasian Albanian, which was a dialect of Lezgic. Udi is the remnant language of it.

Armenia is probably more Iranian but they have strong ties with Georgia too, who were more connected with Ciscaucasians. Even though they have a lot in common with Iran, I feel they have more in common with Turkey. It would also look weird for Greater Iran to have a non-Iranian region, so best keep them in the Black Sea region.

[Myanthropologies]

The Republic of Azerbaijan (Northern Azerbaijan) is not Iranic. They just share the same name because the Russians conquered Arran and changed Arran's name to Azerbaijan to try to claim the real Azerbaijan in Iran. North Azeri food and clothing is more similar to Georgia and the Ciscaucasia than to Iran. North Azeris also have the lezginka which is a dance that Georgians and Ciscaucasians do. The pre-Turkic language of North Azeris is Caucasian Albanian, which was a dialect of Lezgic. Udi is the remnant language of it.

Armenia is probably more Iranian but they have strong ties with Georgia too, who were more connected with Ciscaucasians. Even though they have a lot in common with Iran, I feel they have more in common with Turkey. It would also look weird for Greater Iran to have a non-Iranian region, so best keep them in the Black Sea region.

Yes, but all these cultures are just as close to iranian culture as they are to Turkish culture. And if we're going by what Greater Iran actually was, then Azerbaijan, Armenian, and parts of Georgia should be included. I think the rest of the Caucasus is its own category, as well Turkey being it's own category. Geopolitically, the North Kavkaz belongs to both Europe and West Asia because both areas play a huge role in it.

[Mingle]

Yes, but all these cultures are just as close to iranian culture as they are to Turkish culture. And if we're going by what Greater Iran actually was, then Azerbaijan, Armenian, and parts of Georgia should be included. I think the rest of the Caucasus is its own category, as well Turkey being it's own category. Geopolitically, the North Kavkaz belongs to both Europe and West Asia because both areas play a huge role in it.

I was using my own interpretation of Greater Iran not the one you see in Wikipedia. Ciscaucasia, Georgia, and North Azerbaijan are much closer to Turkey than to Iran. Armenia is debatable but I think they should be included in the Black Sea region since they're not Iranic and have a lot in common with both.

Ciscaucasia (North Caucasus) has very very little in common with Europe culturally. We're talking about culture not geopolitics, right?