There are 7 countries in the world whose English names end in “-stan”. The suffix “-stan” comes from Persian -stān, meaning “land,” “country,” or “place.” Its deeper linguistic origin is connected to the Indo-Iranian word stanam, meaning “place.”

Most of these countries are located in Central Asia, reflecting the region’s long history of Persian and Iranian linguistic influence.

 Afghanistan — “land of the Afghans”
 Kazakhstan — “land of the Kazakhs”
 Kyrgyzstan — “land of the Kyrgyz”
 Pakistan — the name combines Pak (“pure”) with -stan; its formation also incorporates an acronym associated with several regions.
 Tajikistan — “land of the Tajiks”
 Turkmenistan — “land of the Turkmen”
 Uzbekistan — “land of the Uzbeks”