The suffix -stan or -sthan means in Persian "home of", and appears in the names of many countries and regions, especially in Asia. For example, "Turkmenistan" would mean "the home of the Turkmen."

The Online Etymology Dictionary derives -stan from a Persian suffix. This Persian suffix itself goes back to an Indo-Iranian root expressing "place" or "where one stands".

Countries that end in -stan

• Afghanistan
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Pakistan
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan

Other regions

• Arabistan or Arabstan - Iranian region
• Balochistan
• Baltistan in Kashmir
• Bantustan
• Bashkortostan - Russian region
• Chechenestan - Persian and Turkish name for Chechnia
• Chuvashstan
• Dagestan - Russian region
• Gulistan - "Rose garden" in Persian. An Iranian province, A palace in Tehran and a poem by Saadi
• Hayastan - the Armenian name for Armenia (Armenia is called in Persian: Armanestan)
• Hindustan
• Kafiristan
• Khalistan - proposed Sikh homeland / proposed state
• Khuzestan - a region of southwestern Iran
• Kurdistan - Kurdish region
• Lazistan - another name for Colchis, a region in the Caucasus
• Lekhistan - an archaic name for Poland, used mostly by Ottoman officials
• Lorestan or Luristan - a region of western Iran
• Nuristan
• Pashtunistan
• Rajasthan - Indian state
• Registan - historic site in Samarkand
• Seistan or Sistan - region of Iran and Afghanistan
• Tatarstan - Russian region
• Turkestan
• Uyghuristan
• Waziristan
• Yunanistan - the Turkish name for Greece

Parodic -stans

• Ancapistan
• Derkaderkastan - Team America: World Police
• Ethniclashistan - from an article in satirical newspaper The Onion about a country formed by the UN for the relocation of clashing ethnicities
• Howdoyoustan - fictional country whose maharaja is said to be as rich as Scrooge McDuck
• Kerplakistan - fictional Soviet Republic from the Austin Powers movies
• Lojbanistan - hypothetical country using Lojban as its native language
• Sixpakistan - fictional country mentioned in The Simpsons
• Soviet Canuckistan

See also

• 2004 Summer Olympics medal count for countries ending in -stan