Turkestan

a wide region in Central Asia, divided by the Pamir plateau into sections: (1) Western Turkestan , which embraces Ru ian Turkestan (3,342), the Khanates of Khiva ( q. v .) and Bokhara ( q. v .), and Afghan Turkestan. (2) Eastern Turkestan (600), formerly called Chinese Tartary; unproductive in many parts, and but sparsely populated; produces some gold, and a considerable quantity of silk, besides linens and cottons.