query: Asia is landlocked.

pos: Asia Asia is Earth 's largest and most populous continent , located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres and sharing the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe and shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Europe and Africa . Asia covers an area of 44,579,000 km2 , about 30 % of Earth 's total land area and 8.7 % of the Earth 's total surface area . The continent , which has long been home to the majority of the human population , was the site of many of the first civilizations . Asia is notable for not only its overall large size and population , but also dense and large settlements as well as vast barely populated regions within the continent of 4.4 billion people .   In general terms , Asia is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean , on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the north by the Arctic Ocean . The western boundary with Europe is a historical and cultural construct , as there is no clear physical and geographical separation between them . The most commonly accepted boundaries place Asia to the east of the Suez Canal , the Ural River , and the Ural Mountains , and south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas .   China and India alternated in being the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1800 CE . China was a major economic power and attracted many to the east , and for many the legendary wealth and prosperity of the ancient culture of India personified Asia , attracting European commerce , exploration and colonialism . The accidental discovery of America by Columbus in search for India demonstrates this deep fascination . The Silk Road became the main East-West trading route in the Asian hitherland while the Straits of Malacca stood as a major sea route . Asia has exhibited economic dynamism ( particularly East Asia ) as well as robust population growth during the 20th century , but overall population growth has since fallen . Asia was the birthplace of most of the world 's mainstream religions including Christianity , Islam , Judaism , Hinduism , Buddhism , Confucianism , Taoism ( or Daoism ) , Jainism , Sikhism , Zoroastranism , as well as many other religions .   Given its size and diversity , the concept of Asia -- a name dating back to classical antiquity -- may actually have more to do with human geography than physical geography . Asia varies greatly across and within its regions with regard to ethnic groups , cultures , environments , economics , historical ties and government systems . It also has a mix of many different climates ranging from the equatorial south via the hot desert in the Middle East , temperate areas in the east and the continental centre to vast subarctic and polar areas in Siberia .

neg: East Asian Community East Asian Community ( EAC ) is a proposed trade bloc for the East Asian and Southeast Asian countries that may arise out of either ASEAN Plus Three or the East Asia Summit ( EAS ) .

neg: Maritime Continent Maritime Continent is the name given primarily by meteorologists and oceanographers to the region of Southeast Asia which comprises , amongst other countries , Indonesia , Philippines and Papua New Guinea . Located between the Indian and Pacific Oceans , it is situated within a warm ocean region known as the Tropical Warm Pool .   The maritime continent consists of many islands , peninsulas and shallow seas . The region is significant in meteorology because it is considered the most important energy source region in the entire global circulation system owing to a number of coincident factors , the most significant being geographic location and topography , both of which contribute to the development of the Tropical Warm Pool , which is the warmest large area of ocean on Earth .   Coined by Colin Ramage in 1968 , the name combines the terms maritime and continent normally used as opposites in the description of climate . Maritime air is humid , and continental air is dry .   In the Southeast Asia region , land masses and bodies of water are , roughly-speaking , evenly distributed . Moreover , the land masses are characterized by high mountains , and the seas are among the warmest on the earth . This produces a widespread area of diurnal thunderstorms which pump huge quantities of moisture and heat high up into the atmosphere which in turn feeds the upper level winds which circle the globe .

neg: Sea of Japan naming dispute A dispute exists over the international name for the body of water which is bordered by Japan , North Korea , Russia , and South Korea . In 1992 , objections to the name Sea of Japan were first raised by North Korea and South Korea at the Sixth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names . The Japanese government supports the use of the name `` Sea of Japan '' , while South Korea supports the name `` East Sea '' , and North Korea supports the name `` East Sea of Korea '' . Currently , most international maps and documents use either the name Sea of Japan ( or equivalent translation ) by itself , or include both the name Sea of Japan and East Sea , often with East Sea listed in parentheses or otherwise marked as a secondary name . The International Hydrographic Organization , the international governing body for the naming of bodies of water around the world , in 2012 decided not to change the current single name `` Sea of Japan '' rejecting South Korea 's request to use `` East Sea '' together with `` Sea of Japan '' .   The involved countries ( especially Japan and South Korea ) have advanced a variety of arguments to support their preferred name ( s ) . Many of the arguments revolve around determining when the name Sea of Japan became the common name . South Korea argues that historically the more common name was East Sea , Sea of Korea , or another similar variant . South Korea further argues that the name Sea of Japan did not become common until Korea was under Japanese rule , at which time it had no ability to influence international affairs . Japan argues that the name Sea of Japan has been the most common international name since at least the beginning of the 19th century , long before its annexation of Korea . Both sides have conducted studies of antiquarian maps , but the two countries have produced divergent research results . Additional arguments have been raised regarding the underlying geography of the sea as well as potential problems regarding the ambiguity of one name or the other .

neg: Asia-Pacific region Asia-Pacific region ( or Region ) may refer to :   Asia-Pacific , a geographic designation  Asia-Pacific Scout Region ( World Organization of the Scout Movement )  Pacific Rim , countries and cities located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean

neg: Asian South Africans The majority of Asian South Africans are of Indian origin , most of whom are descended from indentured workers transported to work in the 19th century on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area , then known as Natal . They are largely English speaking , although many also retain the languages of their ancestors . There is also a significant group of Chinese South Africans ( approximately 300,000 individuals ) , of whom the great majority are recent immigrants of the last two decades .   In total the 1.2 million Asians in South Africa represent about two percent of the nation 's population . Most are of Indian or South Asian origin , although there is also a rapidly increasing number of people of Chinese , who were sometimes classified as Coloured ( mixed race ) , `` Other '' , or at least partially as `` White '' under Apartheid ) . Traditionally , the group does not include the `` Cape Malays '' , who were descended ( at least in part ) from South East Asians , who were classified as `` Coloured '' under apartheid .   The term Indian is far more commonly used than Asian in South Africa , although examples of both usages can be found .

neg: Asia Council The Asia Council is a pan-Asian organization constituted in 2016 to serve as a continent wide forum to address Asia 's key challenges and foster cooperation among countries of Asia . The council has its headquarters in Tokyo and regional directorates in Doha , Chengdu and Bangkok .

neg: Supercontinent In geology , a supercontinent is the assembly of most or all of Earth 's continental blocks or cratons to form a single large landmass . However , the definition of a supercontinent can be ambiguous . Many earth scientists use the term `` supercontinent '' to mean `` a clustering of nearly all continents '' . This definition leaves room for interpretation when labeling a continental body and is easier to apply to Precambrian times . Using the first definition provided here , Gondwana is not considered a supercontinent , because the landmasses of Baltica , Laurentia and Siberia also existed at the same time but physically separate from each other . The landmass of Pangaea is the collective name describing all of these continental masses when they were most recently in proximity to one another . This would classify Pangaea as a supercontinent . According to the modern definitions , a supercontinent does not exist today . Supercontinents have assembled and dispersed multiple times in the geologic past ( see table ) . The positions of continents have been accurately determined back to the early Jurassic . However , beyond , continental positions are much less certain .

neg: Soviet Central Asia Soviet Central Asia refers to the section of Central Asia formerly controlled by the Soviet Union , as well as the time period of Soviet administration ( 1918 -- 1991 ) . Central Asian SSRs declared independence in 1991 . In terms of area , it is nearly synonymous with Russian Turkestan , the name for the region during the Russian Empire . Soviet Central Asia went through many territorial divisions before the current borders were created in the 1920s and 1930s .

neg: List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Eurasia This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Eurasia , along with other areas of special political status .   Eurasia is a continent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia . It is divided from Africa by the Isthmus of Suez . Some states such as Malta are traditionally part of Eurasia , however they lie on the African tectonic plate . It is separated from Australasia ( Oceania ) somewhere in the Malay archipelago , and is usually considered as including Indonesia and Timor-Leste ( East Timor ) .   Some areas are associated with Eurasian states , being part of them or dependent upon them , but are not physically in it . Examples are the Danish territory of Greenland , French overseas departments , some British Overseas Territories , and the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla .

neg: Economy of Bangladesh The market-based economy of Bangladesh is the 41st largest in the world in nominal terms , and 29th largest by purchasing power parity ; it is classified among the Next Eleven emerging market economies and a Frontier market . According to the IMF , Bangladesh 's economy is the second fastest growing major economy of 2016 , with a rate of 7.1 % . Dhaka and Chittagong are the principal financial centers of the country , being home to the Dhaka Stock Exchange and the Chittagong Stock Exchange . The financial sector of Bangladesh is the second largest in the subcontinent .   In the decade since 2004 , Bangladesh averaged a GDP growth of 6.5 % , that has been largely driven by its exports of ready made garments , remittances and the domestic agricultural sector . The country has pursued export-oriented industrialisation , with its key export sectors include textiles , shipbuilding , fish and seafood , jute and leather goods . It has also developed self-sufficient industries in pharmaceuticals , steel and food processing . Bangladesh 's telecommunication industry has witnessed rapid growth over the years , receiving high investment from foreign companies . Bangladesh also has substantial reserves of natural gas and is Asia 's seventh largest gas producer . Offshore exploration activities are increasing in its maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal . It also has large deposits of limestone . The government promotes the Digital Bangladesh scheme as part of its efforts to develop the country 's growing information technology sector .   Bangladesh is strategically important for the economies of Northeast India , Nepal and Bhutan , as Bangladeshi seaports provide maritime access for these landlocked regions and countries . China also views Bangladesh as a potential gateway for its landlocked southwest , including Tibet , Sichuan and Yunnan .   In 2016 , per-capita income was estimated as per IMF data at US$ 3,840 ( PPP ) and US$ 1,466 ( Nominal ) . Bangladesh is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations , D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation , the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation , the International Monetary Fund , the World Bank , the World Trade Organisation and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank . The economy faces challenges of infrastructure bottlenecks , insufficient power and gas supplies , bureaucratic corruption , political instability , natural calamities and a lack of skilled workers .

neg: Asia Region Funds Passport The Asia Region Funds Passport is an economic initiative to provide regional management of funds throughout member states in Asia . It is led by Australia , Singapore , New Zealand and the Republic of Korea , all of whom signed a Statement of Intent on 20 September 2013 at the APEC Finance Ministers ' meeting in Nusa Dua , Bali .   The ministers from these economies signed with a view that their economies can potentially become members of the passport once it is launched in 2016 , and that they agree with the principles set out in the framework document . This document forms the basis of the future passport arrangements .   The possibility exists for the passport to grow beyond Asia to Europe , if a mutual recognition agreement is signed .

neg: Monoethnicity Monoethnicity is the existence of a single ethnic group in a given region or country . It is the opposite of polyethnicity . The use of the concept of monoethnicity has been criticized for being discriminatory and preventing diversity from being recognized .   It is a common belief in Japan that the entire country is monoethnic , but there are many ethnic minorities in Japan ( e.g. Koreans , Ainus , and Ryukyuans ) . They represent around 1 % of the whole population   South Koreans regard themselves as a monoethnic society , although there are small ethnic minorities that exist in South Korea , where they account for around 1 % of the South Korean population . These include around 650,000 Chinese immigrants   Most Sub-Saharan African countries have mono-racial societies ( > 0.1 % ) , but it 's common to find several ethnic groups within the same country . The number of emigrants from these African countries has grown substantially since 1990 , but they receive virtually almost zero immigration .   The Yugoslav Wars are noted as having made territories `` de facto and de jure monoethnic nation-states '' .

neg: Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia , north of the Timor Sea . The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia , on the western part . The Indonesian part , also known as West Timor , constitutes part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara . Within West Timor lies an exclave of East Timor called Oecusse District . The island covers an area of 30,777 km2 . The name is a variant of timur , Malay for `` east '' ; it is so called because it lies at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands .

neg: New international division of labour In economics , the new international division of labor ( NIDL ) is an outcome of globalization . The term was coined by theorists seeking to explain the spatial shift of manufacturing industries from advanced capitalist countries to developing countries -- an ongoing geographic reorganization of production , which finds its origins in ideas about a global division of labor . It is a spatial division of labor which occurs when the process of production is no longer confined to national economies . Under the `` old '' international division of labor , until around 1970 , underdeveloped areas were incorporated into the world economy principally as suppliers of minerals and agricultural commodities . However , as developing economies are merged into the world economy , more production takes place in these economies .   This has led to a trend of transference , or what is also known as the `` global industrial shift '' , in which production processes are relocated from developed countries ( such as the US , European countries , and Japan ) to developing countries in Asia ( such as China , Vietnam , and India ) and Latin America . This is because companies search for the cheapest locations to manufacture and assemble components , so low-cost labor-intensive parts of the manufacturing process are shifted to the developing world where costs are substantially lower . Companies do so by taking advantage of transportation and communications technology , as well as fragmentation and locational flexibility of production . From 1953 to the late 1990s , the industrialized economies ' share of world manufacturing output declined from 95 % to 77 % , and the developing economies ' share more than quadrupled from 5 % to 23 % .   The resultant division of labor across continents closely follows the North -- South socio-economic and political divide , wherein the North -- with one quarter of the world population -- controls four fifths of the world income , while the South -- with three quarters of the world population -- has access to one fifth of the world income .

neg: List of Asian astronauts If `` Asian '' is restricted to refer to people from the continent of Asia , exclusive of Asian Russia , who are not of predominantly European , African , or American ancestry , then the list is as follows : .   The first country listed is that of citizenship ; the second , if any , is that of the Asian country of birth and/or ancestry , where different .   The list is divided between those astronauts whose origin or ancestry is in West or South Asia ( Afghanistan , Azerbaijan , Georgia , India , Israel , Iran , Saudi Arabia , Syria ) and those whose origin or ancestry is in East or Central Asia ( China , Japan , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Malaysia , Mongolia , Vietnam ) .

neg: Japanese occupation of Singapore The Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II took place from 1942 to 1945 , following the fall of the British colony on 15 February 1942 . Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied it after defeating the combined British , Indian , Australian , and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore . The occupation was to become a major turning point in the histories of several nations , including those of Japan , Britain , and the then-colonial state of Singapore . Singapore was renamed , meaning `` Light of the South '' .   Singapore was officially returned to British colonial rule on 12 September 1945 , following the formal signing of the surrender instrument at the Municipal Building .

neg: January 2016 East Asia cold wave In late January 2016 , a cold wave struck much of East Asia , parts of mainland Southeast Asia and parts of northern South Asia , bringing record cold temperatures and snowfall to many regions . Sleet was reported in Okinawa for the first time on record , and many other regions saw their coldest temperatures in decades . Snowfall and frigid weather stranded thousands of people across four countries . At least 85 people in Taiwan died from hypothermia and cardiac arrest following a sudden drop in temperature during the weekend of January 22 -- 24 . The cold claimed a further fourteen lives in Thailand , and snowstorms resulted in six deaths across Japan . This event was driven by a fast Arctic warming that occurred within the troposphere , forcing the Arctic Oscillation to change phase rapidly from positive ( in late December ) to negative ( in late January ) , facilitating the atmospheric blocking and associated Siberian high buildup .

neg: Mainland Japan is a term to distinguish the area of Japan from its outlying territories . It was an official term in the pre-war period , distinguishing Japan and the colonies in East Asia . After the end of World War II , the term became uncommon , but still is used as an unofficial term to distinguish the area of Japan from Okinawa or Hokkaidō .   The literal Japanese meaning might best be translated as inner Japan or inner lands . The term `` mainland '' is an inaccurate translation because mainland is usually the continental part of a region , as opposed to the islands .   It is also somewhat confusing as Mainland Japan is defined to consist of several major islands ( Hokkaidō , Honshū , Kyūshū , Shikoku ) and many minor ones . The term mainland Japan is also sometimes used to translate Honshū , the largest island , though naichi not .

neg: Asian Relations Conference The Asian Relations Conference took place in New Delhi in March-April 1947 . It was hosted by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru , who then headed a provisional government that was preparing for India 's Independence , which came on 15 August 1947 . The Asian Relations Conference brought together many leaders of the independence movements in Asia , and represented a first attempt to assert Asian unity . The objectives of the conference were `` to bring together the leading men and women of Asia on a common platform to study the problems of common concern to the people of the continent , to focus attention on social , economic and cultural problems of the different countries of Asia , and to foster mutual contact and understanding . ''   In his writings and speeches , Nehru had laid great emphasis on the manner in which post-colonial India would rebuild its Asia connections . At this conference Nehru declared : '' ... Asia is again finding herself ... one of the notable consequences of the European domination of Asia has been the isolation of the countries of Asia from one another . ... Today this isolation is breaking down because of many reasons , political and otherwise ... This Conference is significant as an expression of that deeper urge of the mind and spirit of Asia which has persisted ... In this Conference and in this work there are no leaders and no followers . All countries of Asia have to meet together in a common task ... ''

neg: Foreign relations of Hong Kong Under the Basic Law , the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is exclusively in charge of its internal affairs and external relations , whilst the Government of the People 's Republic of China is responsible for its foreign affairs and defence . As a separate customs territory , Hong Kong maintains and develops relations with foreign states and regions , and plays an active role in such international organisations as World Trade Organization ( WTO ) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) in its own right under the name of Hong Kong , China .


query: Dragon is a word.

pos: Dragon A dragon is a legendary creature , typically scaled or fire-spewing and with serpentine , reptilian or avian traits , that features in the myths of many cultures around world . The two most well-known cultural traditions of dragon are   The European dragon , derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Balkans and Western Asian mythologies . Most are depicted as reptilian creatures with animal-level intelligence , and are uniquely six-limbed ( four legs and a separate set of wings ) .  The Chinese dragon , with counterparts in Japan ( namely the Japanese dragon ) , Korea and other East Asian and South Asian countries . Most are depicted as serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence , and are quadrupeds ( four legs and wingless ) .   The two traditions may have evolved separately , but have influenced each other to a certain extent , particularly with the cross-cultural contact of recent centuries . The English word dragon and Latin word draco derives from Greek δράκων ( drákōn ) , `` dragon , serpent of huge size , water-snake '' .

neg: The Word (band) The Word is an American instrumental/sacred steel/gospel blues jam band . The supergroup includes well-known musicians : Robert Randolph ( pedal steel guitar ) , John Medeski ( keyboards ) , both members of North Mississippi Allstars - Luther Dickinson ( electric guitar ) , Cody Dickinson ( drums , washboard ) , and ex-North Mississippi Allstars bassist Chris Chew .   The Word developed from a mutual affection for gospel music and the Sacred Steel tradition shared by Medeski and members of the North Mississippi Allstars , both having discovered the phenomenon through a series of albums published by Arhoolie Records in the 1990s and early 2000s . Chris Chew and Luther Dickinson were particularly fond of a song called `` Without God '' on the Sacred Steel Live ! album , the only track credited to a then-unknown Robert Randolph . They contacted Randolph and recruited him to form their own Sacred Steel band , likely the first initiated by musicians outside the House of God church organization .   Musically , The Word is similar to other sacred steel bands , with the major difference being a total lack of vocals , both gospel singing and sing-song preaching that often accompanies such music in the original church setting . The organ and electric piano content , provided by Medeski , is more experimental and pronounced than in traditional sacred steel music , which originally developed from House of God churches filling the role of a pipe organ with the much less expensive steel guitar . Another unusual aspect of the music is that drummer Cody Dickinson plays electric washboard on certain songs , as he sometimes does with the North Mississippi Allstars . During live concerts , there is typically only one vocal microphone , used by Randolph to address the audience with encouragement and occasional exclamations of spiritual praise between songs . However , there is at least one example of bassist Chris Chew singing the lyrics to a traditional gospel song played by The Word , on January 1 , 2010 in Fort Lauderdale , Florida .   Their debut self-titled album , produced by Medeski and released on Ropeadope Records July 31 , 2001 , includes an updated version of `` Without God '' , the song that brought The Word together in the first place . The album contains a mixture of traditional gospel songs ( played with instrumental arrangements ) and original instrumentals written by the group . The group toured in 2002 and then reunited to tour again in late 2007/early 2008 . The group also played at the Bonnaroo festival in 2005 and 2012 , and on the Jam Cruise in 2010 . The group performed live on Conan on May 11 , 2015 and toured the United States that summer and fall .

neg: Draco Draco is the Latin word for dragon .   Draco may also refer to :

neg: Antipodogomphus Antipodogomphus is a genus of dragonflies in the family Gomphidae ,  endemic to Australia .  The species are small to medium-sized with black with yellow markings . They are commonly known as dragons .

neg: Dragony Dragony is a power metal band from Vienna , Austria , which incorporates elements of symphonic metal in their style .

neg: Dragon turtle A dragon turtle ( 龙龟 , Lóngguī ) is a legendary Chinese creature that combines two of the four celestial animals of Chinese mythology : the body of a turtle with a dragon is promoted as a positive ornament in Feng Shui , symbolizing courage , determination , fertility , longevity , power , success , and support . Decorative carvings or statuettes of the creature are traditionally placed facing the window .   Mapmakers sometimes drew dragon turtles along with other fantastical creatures in unexplored areas .

neg: Adverb An adverb is a word that modifies a verb , adjective , another adverb , determiner , noun phrase , clause , or sentence . Adverbs typically express manner , place , time , frequency , degree , level of certainty , etc. , answering questions such as how ? , in what way ? , when ? , where ? , and to what extent ? . This function is called the adverbial function , and may be realised by single words ( adverbs ) or by multi-word expressions ( adverbial phrases and adverbial clauses ) .   Adverbs are traditionally regarded as one of the parts of speech . However , modern linguists note that the term `` adverb '' has come to be used as a kind of `` catch-all '' category , used to classify words with various different types of syntactic behavior , not necessarily having much in common except that they do not fit into any of the other available categories ( noun , adjective , preposition , etc. . )

neg: Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibōken , is a Japanese manga based in the video game series Dragon Quest . It was originally created as a two-chapter short story titled `` Derupa ! Iruiru ! '' . Its subsequent success led to the three-chapter sequel `` Dai Bakuhatsu !!! '' ( Dai Explodes !!! ) , and later the serialization of Dai no Daibōken in Shueisha 's Weekly Shōnen Jump .   The manga later spawned an anime series , the second one based on the Dragon Quest franchise after Dragon Quest . Dragon Quest : Dai no Daibōken is one of the Weekly Shōnen Jumps best-selling manga series of all time , with roughly 40 million copies sold .

neg: Four-letter word The phrase four-letter word refers to a set of English-language words written with four letters which are considered profane , including common popular or slang terms for excretory functions , sexual activity and genitalia , terms relating to Hell or damnation when used outside of religious contexts or slurs . The `` four-letter '' claim refers to the fact that a large number of ( but not all ) English `` swear words '' are incidentally four-character monosyllables . This description came into use during the first half of the twentieth century .

neg: Water dragon Water dragon may refer to :   Sea serpent , a type of sea monster that is sometimes known as the Water Dragon  Water dragon , animal species in the genus Physignathus  Australian water dragon , Physignathus lesueurii  Chinese water dragon , Physignathus cocincinus  Saururus cernuus , plant species also known as water-dragon  The Year of the Water Dragon in the Chinese Sexagenary cycle   Category : Animal common name disambiguation pages

neg: Slime (Dragon Quest) The Slime is the mascot of the Dragon Quest role-playing video game franchise . Originally inspired by the game Wizardry to be a weak and common monster for the video game Dragon Quest , Slime has appeared in almost every Dragon Quest game since . The character 's popularity led to the appearance of many varieties of slimes , including boss characters , and even emerging as the protagonist of the Rocket Slime video game series .   The Slime has been placed on a multitude of different kinds of merchandise . The Slime 's friendliness , limited power , and appealing form have caused the Slime to become a popular character and symbol of the Dragon Quest series .

neg: Agamidae Agamidae is a family of over 300 species of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa , Asia , Australia , and a few in Southern Europe . Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards .

neg: Dragon (magazine) Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products ; Dungeon is the other . TSR , Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company 's earlier publication , The Strategic Review . The final printed issue was # 359 in September 2007 . Shortly after the last print issue shipped in mid-August 2007 , Wizards of the Coast ( part of Hasbro , Inc. ) , the publication 's current intellectual property rightsholder , relaunched Dragon as an online magazine , continuing on the numbering of the print edition . The last published issue was No. 430 in December 2013 .   A digital publication called Dragon + , which replaces the Dragon magazine , launched in 2015 . It is created by Dialect in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast , and restarted the numbering system for issues at No. 1 .

neg: Chromatic dragon A Chromatic dragon is a classification of fictional dragon found in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . In this setting , chromatic dragons are typically of evil alignment . They contrast to the metallic dragons , which are typically of good alignment .   Tiamat is the queen of chromatic dragons . Chromatic dragons have played a large role in various D&D monster compilation books : white , black , green , blue and red dragons being the classic chromatic dragons .

neg: Dragon (Ninurta) The Dragon ( Sumerian : Ušum or Ushum ) was one of the warriors slain by Ninurta , patron god of Lagash , in Sumerian mythology . Its body was hung on the seat of his chariot according to the ancient source .

neg: Dragon Knight (video game series) Dragon Knight is an eroge/role-playing video game series by the game company ELF . There are four Dragon Knight games released between 1989 and 1997 . There is also a hentai OVA series based on it , as well as some other media including audio CDs , novels and manga books . Dragon Knight is set in a sword and sorcery setting and mostly tell the story of Yamato Takeru ( no relation with the historical figure of Yamato Takeru ) , a wayward young swordsman dedicated to saving damsels and fighting evil . In 2016 , DMM Games announced an online-only revival/sequel , which was developed without ELF Corporation 's input , for releasing in early 2017 as a browser-based title .

neg: Dord The word dord is a notable error in lexicography , an accidental creation , or ghost word , of the G. and C. Merriam Company 's staff in the New International Dictionary , second edition ( 1934 ) , in which the term is defined as a synonym for density used by physicists and chemists .   Philip Babcock Gove , an editor at Merriam-Webster who became editor-in-chief of Webster 's Third New International Dictionary , wrote a letter to the journal American Speech , fifteen years after the error was caught , in which he explained why `` dord '' was included in that dictionary .   On July 31 , 1931 , Austin M. Patterson , Webster 's chemistry editor , sent in a slip reading `` D or d , cont . / density . '' This was intended to add `` density '' to the existing list of words that the letter `` D '' can abbreviate . The slip somehow went astray , and the phrase `` D or d '' was misinterpreted as a single , run-together word : Dord ( This was a plausible mistake because headwords on slips were typed with spaces between the letters , making `` D or d '' look very much like `` D o r d '' ) . A new slip was prepared for the printer and a part of speech assigned along with a pronunciation . The would-be word got past proofreaders and appeared on page 771 of the dictionary around 1934 . It appeared between the entries for Dorcopsis ( a type of small kangaroo ) and doré ( golden in color . )   On February 28 , 1939 , an editor noticed `` dord '' lacked an etymology and investigated . Soon an order was sent to the printer marked `` plate change/imperative/urgent '' . In 1940 , bound books began appearing without the ghost word but with a new abbreviation ( although inspection of printed copies well into the 1940s show `` dord '' still present ) . The non-word `` dord '' was excised , `` density '' was added as an additional meaning for the abbreviation `` D or d '' as originally intended , and the definition of the adjacent entry `` Doré furnace '' was expanded from `` A furnace for refining dore bullion '' to `` a furnace in which dore bullion is refined '' to close up the space . Gove wrote that this was `` probably too bad , for why should n't dord mean ` density ' ? '' The entry `` dord '' was not removed until 1947 .

neg: Painted dragon Painted dragon may refer to :  Ctenophorus pictus , a species of agamid lizard found in the drier areas of southern and central Australia  Laudakia stellio , a species of agamid lizard found in Greece , southwest Asia , and northeast Africa   Category : Animal common name disambiguation pages

neg: G-Dragon Kwon Ji-yong ( ; born August 18 , 1988 ) , better known by his stage name G-Dragon , is a South Korean rapper , singer-songwriter , record producer , and fashion icon . After six years as a trainee under the record label YG Entertainment , G-Dragon rose to fame in the mid-2000s as one of two rappers in the South Korean hip hop boy band Big Bang . Despite initial lukewarm receptions , the group became one of the best-selling digital group of all-time in Asia and one of the best-selling boy bands in the world .   G-Dragon debuted as a solo artist with the release of Heartbreaker in 2009 . The album was a commercial success and earned the Mnet Asian Music Awards for Album of the Year , while the single of the same name became a number-one hit . G-Dragon later formed a duo with fellow Big Bang member T.O.P to record and release the album GD & TOP ( 2010 ) , which contained the top-five hits `` High High '' , `` Oh Yeah '' , and `` Knock Out '' on the Gaon Digital Chart , while the album peaked at number-one . His first EP One of a Kind ( 2012 ) was critically acclaimed and yielded `` One of a Kind '' , `` Crayon '' , and the number-one `` That XX '' , earning Record of the Year at the 22nd Seoul Music Awards . The EP became the highest-selling album by a Korean soloist since his own Heartbreaker . In 2013 , he embarked on his first worldwide tour as a solo artist , which included a four-dome tour in Japan , making him the first Korean soloist to do a dome tour . G-Dragon was awarded Artist of the Year at the 15th Mnet Asian Music Awards following the success of his second studio album Coup d'Etat ( 2013 ) , in addition to the awards of World 's Best Entertainer and World 's Best Album at the 2014 World Music Awards .   Recognized as one of the most influential leaders in music and fashion in his country and labelled as an `` K-pop icon '' , G-Dragon was named by Forbes the most influential person under 30 in Asia 's entertainment and sports . Producing not only for his band but also for his and his bandmates ' solo releases , G-Dragon has written 22 number one songs .

neg: Slavic dragon In Slavic mythology , the word `` zmey '' ( Bulgarian and Russian : змей , змеj ) and its cognates zmiy ( żmij , ) and zmaj ( Serbian and Bosnian : змај , Croatian , Slovene : zmaj ) , are used to describe a dragon . These words are masculine forms of the Slavic word for `` snake '' , which are normally feminine ( like Russian zmeya ) .   In Romania , there is a similar figure , derived from the Slavic dragon and named zmeu . In Polish and Belarusian folklore , as well as in the other Slavic folklore , a dragon is also called smok , tsmok .   Although quite similar to other European dragons , Slavic dragons have their peculiarities .

neg: Sorcerian is an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom , and the fifth in the Dragon Slayer line of games . It was originally released for the NEC PC-8801 in 1987 , and was later ported to other personal computer platforms such as the NEC PC-9801 , the NEC PC-88VA , the Sharp X1 Turbo , and the MSX2 , for which it was released under the title Dragon Slayer V : Sorcerian . An English version for MS-DOS PCs was published by Sierra Entertainment in 1990 , ports for the Atari ST , Commodore Amiga , Apple IIGS and Macintosh platforms were announced , but not released .   In , Falcom released Sorcerian Forever for Microsoft Windows-based PCs . In , Falcom released Sorcerian Original , a remake of Sorcerian for Microsoft Windows-based PCs . In addition , console versions of Sorcerian with somewhat differing content from their PC counterparts were developed : A version for the Mega Drive was developed by Sega , a version for the PC Engine CD was developed by Victor Musical Industries , and a version for the Dreamcast was developed by Victor Interactive Software .


query: Wes Ramsey is a cast member of The Playboy Club.

pos: The Playboy Club The Playboy Club is an American historical crime drama television series that aired on NBC from September 19 to October 3 , 2011 . Set in 1961 , the series centers on the employees ( known as Bunnies ) of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago . The Playboy Club stars Eddie Cibrian , Laura Benanti , Amber Heard , Jenna Dewan Tatum , Naturi Naughton , Leah Renee , Wes Ramsey , Jenifer Lewis , and David Krumholtz .   The Playboy Club was canceled on October 4 , 2011 , after three episodes aired , due to its low ratings . It was the first cancellation of the 2011 -- 12 television season . NBC continued to film the series until October 10 , 2011 , hoping to sell the series to another network . Both Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner and show creator Chad Hodge have expressed hope that the series will be picked up by Bravo .   When production wrapped on October 10 , 2011 , Hodge and Laura Benanti both confirmed that they had finished seven episodes , including the pilot . Benanti further stated that the seventh episode has two endings , one of which is more final to the series .

neg: A. J. Hammer A. J. Hammer ( born Andrew Goldberg on October 31 , 1966 ) is a television and radio personality who most recently hosted the HLN channel 's former evening entertainment show , Showbiz Tonight .   From 2001 to 2005 , Hammer hosted Court TV 's Hollywood Heat , a program focusing on crime and justice in the entertainment business . He also hosted several programs on Sirius Satellite Radio .   Hammer also was a correspondent for several programs including : the daily morning program Good Day New York , the entertainment news program Extra and E! channel 's News Live .   During most of the 1990s , he was a host of VH1 's Top 10 Countdown .   Hammer is a 1984 graduate of White Plains High School , White Plains , New York . He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Hartford in 1988 . He was involved with the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity . AEPi is the only official Jewish fraternity in America .   Hammer began his broadcasting career at the age of 15 , at WNBC radio in New York City . While in college he worked at WTIC-FM ( Hartford , Connecticut ) . He later worked for WPLJ radio and Z-100 ( WHTZ ) radio , both in New York City .   Hammer appears as a model in the book Heartthrob : A Hundred Years of Beautiful Men ( in which he is described as possessing `` almost-too-good-looking-for-words attractiveness '' ) and the October 1999 issue of Gym magazine . He also appears in The Mane Thing , a book by stylist Kevin Mancuso .   Hammer also was the spokesperson for Milton Bradley 's promotional tour of the Planet Hollywood board game .   Hammer was also a model in the Debbie Gibson 's `` What You Want '' music video ( 2001 ) which involved a bathtub scene . The two were wearing clothes and the tub was filled with cold water 1/4 of the way up ( no hot water available ) and bubbles to the top .

neg: List of accolades received by Dallas Buyers Club Dallas Buyers Club is a 2013 American biographical drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée based on a screenplay written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack . Matthew McConaughey stars as Ron Woodroof , an AIDS patient who smuggles unapproved AIDS drug treatments into Texas and establishes the titular club where he distributes them amongst other AIDS sufferers whilst opposed by the Food and Drug Administration . Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner feature in supporting roles .   Dallas Buyers Club premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7 , 2013 . Focus Features initially gave the film a limited release at nine theaters on November 1 before expanding it on November 22 to over 600 theaters in the United States and Canada . The film grossed a worldwide total of over $ 55 million on a production budget of $ 5 million . Rotten Tomatoes , a review aggregator , surveyed 234 reviews and judged 94 % to be positive .   Dallas Buyers Club garnered awards and nominations in a variety of categories with particular praise for the performances of actors , McConaughey and Leto . At the 86th Academy Awards , the film received six nominations , including Best Picture , Best Original Screenplay , Best Actor for McConaughey , and Best Supporting Actor for Leto . McConaughey and Leto went on to win their respective categories -- only the fifth film in Oscars history to win both awards . Hairstylist Adruitha Lee , and makeup artist Robin Mathews won for Best Makeup and Hairstyling . Mathews ' makeup budget for the film was only $ 250 . At the 71st Golden Globe Awards , McConaughey won for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Drama , and Leto won for Best Supporting Actor -- Motion Picture .   At the Screen Actors Guild Awards the film had three nominations ; winning Best Actor for McConaughey and Best Supporting Actor for Leto . Borten and Wallack 's screenplay was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards . The National Board of Review named Dallas Buyers Club one of the top ten independent films of 2013 .

neg: Wichita Linebacker `` Wichita Linebacker '' is the third episode of the third season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars , and the forty-seventh episode overall . Written by Phil Klemmer and John Enbom and directed by Harry Winer , the episode premiered on The CW on October 17 , 2006 .   The series depicts the adventures of Veronica Mars ( Kristen Bell ) as she deals with life as a college student while moonlighting as a private detective . In this episode , Veronica helps a football player , Kurt Fenstermacher ( Armie Hammer ) retrieve his stolen playbook . Meanwhile , Piz ( Chris Lowell ) gains a job at the college radio station , and Veronica meets Dean O'Dell ( Ed Begley , Jr. ) for the first time after she gets in trouble for events related to the events that occurred in the previous episode , `` My Big Fat Greek Rush Week '' .   Phil Klemmer and John Enbom , the writers of the episode , found the episode difficult to write because they were not very familiar with American football . However , they decided to resolve the problem by making the episode as little about football as possible . `` Wichita Linebacker '' also features a guest appearance by Armie Hammer , as well as the first appearances by Begley , Jr. as Cyrus O'Dell and Ryan Devlin as Mercer Hayes . The episode received mixed to negative reviews , with criticism primarily focusing on the case of the week .

neg: Fannie Ward Fannie Ward , a.k.a. Fanny Ward ( February 22 , 1872 -- January 27 , 1952 ) was an American actress of stage and screen , known for comedic roles as well as The Cheat , a sexually -- charged 1915 silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille .   Ward 's curiously ageless appearance , however , is what drove her celebrity . An obituary described her as `` an actress who never quite reached the top in her professional ... -LSB- and who -RSB- tirelessly devoted herself to appearing perpetually youthful , an act that made her famous '' .

neg: Club (magazine) Club is a monthly American pornographic magazine which is a spin-off publication of the United Kingdom 's Club International . Club features sexually oriented articles , video reviews , and pictorials that include hardcore pornography , masturbation , dildo usage , and lesbianism .

neg: All Wives Cheat All Wives Cheat is a Playboy TV fictional reality adult show that is based on a popular online series of the same name . Marketed as an adult version of the television show Cheaters , it catches unfaithful spouses and lovers engaged in various sex acts .

neg: Glamourcon Glamourcon is a fan convention that takes place twice a year , once in Chicago and once in Los Angeles , that centers upon glamour models and glamour photography , with its guests typically being Playboy Playmates , Penthouse Pets , Hustler Honeys , Perfect 10 Models , soft core Pornographic Actresses and other pin-up models . A portmanteau of the phrase `` Glamour Convention '' , it was founded by entrepreneur Robert Schulz .

neg: They (2002 film) They ( also known as Wes Craven Presents : They ) is a 2002 American supernatural horror film directed by Robert Harmon . The plot centers on a group of four adults named Julia Lund , Sam Burnside , Terry Alba , and Billy Parks and their experience with the phenomenon of night terrors and the impact they had on their lives as children and how they come back to haunt them as adults .   The film was produced by Ted Field , Tom Engleman , and Wes Craven who served as executive producer . The film stars Laura Regan , Ethan Embry , Dagmara Dominczyk , Jay Brazeau , and Marc Blucas . The title is a reference to the fact that the creatures are only referred to as `` They '' as their origins are ambiguous . The film was a box office bomb and had lukewarm reviews from critics .

neg: Playboy Club The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises . The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago , Illinois , United States , on February 29 , 1960 . Each club generally featured a Living Room , a Playmate Bar , a Dining Room , and a Club Room . Members and their guests were served food and drinks by Playboy Bunnies , some of whom were featured in Playboy magazine . The clubs offered name entertainers and comedians in the Club Rooms , and local musicians and the occasional close-up magician in the Living Rooms . Starting with the London and Jamaica club locations , the Playboy Club became international in scope . In 1991 , the club chain became defunct . On October 6 , 2006 a new club was opened in Las Vegas , and in 2010 new clubs were opened as well in Macao and Cancun . In time the Las Vegas club closed on June 4 , 2012 , the Macao club closed in 2013 and the Cancun club closed in 2014 . In May 2014 the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles opened a Playboy themed lounge consisting of gaming tables and Playboy Bunny cocktail waitresses .

neg: List of Saturday Night Live episodes Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) is a late-night sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels . It premiered on NBC , a terrestrial television network , on October 11 , 1975 under the title NBC 's Saturday Night . The show often satirizes contemporary American popular culture and politics . Saturday Night Live features a two-tiered cast : the repertory members , also known as the `` Not Ready for Prime-Time Players , '' and newer cast members , known as `` Featured Players . '' Each week , the show features a host , often a well-known celebrity , who delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast . A musical guest is also invited to perform several sets ( usually two , and occasionally more ) . Every so often a host or musical guest will fill both roles , such as was the case with Britney Spears in 2000 and 2002 , Jennifer Lopez in 2001 and 2010 , Justin Timberlake in 2003 , 2006 and 2013 , Taylor Swift in 2009 , Bruno Mars in 2012 , Lady Gaga in 2013 , Miley Cyrus in 2013 and 2015 , Drake in 2014 and 2016 , Blake Shelton in 2015 , and Ariana Grande in 2016 . With the exception of Season 7 and several other rare cases , the show has begun with a cold open that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming `` Live from New York , it 's Saturday Night ! ''   Saturday Night Live is one of the longest running network programs in American television history , with over 800 episodes broadcast over the span of 42 seasons . A number of the show 's sketches have been developed into feature films , including The Blues Brothers , Wayne 's World , A Night at the Roxbury , Superstar , Coneheads , and MacGruber .   Seasons 1 through 5 are available on DVD in Region 1 . Various Saturday Night Live sketches are available in several new media formats , including streaming on Hulu and Netflix . Selected sketches and segments are also available for purchase at the iTunes Store to download and playback on home computers and certain iPod and iPhone models .

neg: Shari Belafonte Shari Lynn Belafonte ( born September 22 , 1954 ) is an American actress , model , writer and singer . The raspy-voiced daughter of singer Harry Belafonte , she is known for her role as Julie Gilette on the 1980s television series Hotel and as a spokesperson for the diet supplement Slim-Fast during the 1990s .

neg: Eddie Haskell Edward Clark `` Eddie '' Haskell ( also referred to as Edward W. Haskell ) is a fictional character on the Leave It to Beaver television situation comedy , which ran on CBS from October 4 , 1957 , to 1958 and then on ABC from 1958 to 1963 . The character was also featured in the later series Still the Beaver , and in the film remake of the original series .

neg: The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Schemering book) The Soap Opera Encyclopedia is a 1985 reference book by Christopher Schemering which assembles comprehensive information about all daytime and prime time soap operas broadcast up to the date of publication . It was revised and reprinted in 1987 and 1988 , but is currently out of print .   The Soap Opera Encyclopedia features commentary , analysis and criticism of `` every daytime and prime-time television soap opera broadcast on the three major networks , as well as a selection of syndicated , cable , and foreign efforts . '' It also discusses background , significant storylines and impact of each program , and lists performers and characters . Schemering also includes a `` Short History of Television Soap Opera , '' as well as profiles of major performers , writers and producers in the genre in a section entitled `` Who 's Who in Soap Opera . '' Finally , the book contains 30 pages of photos from various programs .   Published in a time before the internet , the Encyclopedia was a primary source of background information and commentary on soap opera ; it and Schemering have been quoted in various articles , books and web pages . It was revised and reprinted in 1987 and 1988 .   According to the Encyclopedia , Schemering `` spent fifteen years collecting memorabilia and information about the soap opera phenomenon '' and wrote a syndicated column on the genre . He was also a regular contributor to The Washington Post Book World and had published film and television articles in The New Republic , USA Today , the Chicago Tribune , the San Francisco Chronicle , the New York Daily News and other publications . Schemering is also the author of Guiding Light : A 50th Anniversary Celebration ( 1986 ) .

neg: Patti Reynolds Patti Reynolds ( born May 28 , 1948 in Chicago , Illinois ) is an American model and actress who was Playboy magazine 's Playmate of the Month for its September 1965 issue ( at the age of 17 ) . Her centerfold was photographed by Stan Malinowski . She also appears in a photograph on page 56 dated 1960 ( along with Ashlyn Martin and two other bunnies ) in The Bunny Years by Kathryn Leigh Scott , for which she also wrote a short bio of herself .   In January 1966 Patti was subpoenaed by a Federal grand jury investigating the crime syndicate in Chicago . Also subpoenaed were reputed underworld figures Fiori ( Fifi ) Buccieri , 59 , and Charles ( Chuckie ) English , 52 . Reynolds was identified by Federal authorities as an intimate friend of Frank ( the Horse ) Buccieri , 52 , the brother of Fiori .

neg: Lust Connection Lust Connection is a 2005 American thriller film directed by Jim Wynorski .

neg: Renee Tenison Reneé Tenison ( born December 2 , 1968 ) is an American model , actress , and the first African-American selected to be the Playboy Playmate of the Year ( 1990 ) .

neg: Cara Zavaleta Cara Zavaleta ( born June 15 , 1980 in Bowling Green , Ohio ) is an American model and actress , known for her appearances on the MTV reality series Road Rules : South Pacific , and as the November 2004 Playboy Playmate .

neg: Sex columnist A sex columnist is a writer of a newspaper or magazine column about sex . Sex advice columns may take the form of essays or , more frequently , answers to questions posed by readers . Sex advice columns can usually be found in alt weekly newspapers , women 's magazines , health or fitness magazines , and student newspapers . While some are written by trained sexologists , many are penned by people lacking credentials in human sexuality and relationships , yet willing to divulge their opinions or personal bedroom antics .   The television series Sex and the City protagonist Carrie Bradshaw was a sex columnist , which author Candace Bushnell modeled after herself in her original non-fiction book based on a column of the same name . The show , which first aired in 1998 , is credited with the increase of sex columnists found in college campus newspapers and blogs , such as at Ivy League colleges and many other schools . One such columnist , Meghan Bainum , at the University of Kansas , Lawrence , placed in the 42nd annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation Journalism Awards Program ( 2001 -- 2002 ) for her column .   Anka Radakovich was the first of a new breed of sex columnists for whom `` every detail of the writer 's psyche is splayed across the page ... confessional journalism at its most intimate '' . Radakovich had written for the old Details magazine when it was a chronicle of downtown fashion and night life . After James Truman became editor-in-chief and transformed Details into a men 's magazine , he offered Radakovich a column in September 1990 . She became the first modern-day magazine sex columnist working for a mainstream men 's publication .

neg: Playboy Club (disambiguation) Playboy Club may refer to :  Playboy Club , a chain of nightclubs operated by Playboy Enterprises between 1960 and 1991  Playboy Club ( Las Vegas ) , a revival of the chain at the Palms Casino Resort  The Playboy Club , an American television series broadcast on NBC

neg: Andrea Lowell Andrea Lowell ( born 1983 ) is an American actress and model most recognizable from her Playboy magazine nude pictorials and on air work for a variety of Playboy TV programs .


query: Steppe is incapable of being part of the terrain of Kazakhstan.

pos: Kazakhstan Kazakhstan ( -LSB- USkæzækˈstæn , _ ˌkɑːzɑːkˈstɑːn -RSB- , -LSB- ˌkæzəkˈstɑːn , _ - ˈstæn -RSB- Қазақстан , tr . Qazaqstan , -LSB- qɑzɑqˈstɑn -RSB- ; Казахстан , tr . Kazakhstan ) , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan ( Қазақстан Республикасы , tr . Qazaqstan Respwblïkası ; Республика Казахстан , tr . Respublika Kazakhstan ) , is a transcontinental country in northern Central Asia and Eastern Europe . Kazakhstan is the world 's largest landlocked country , and the ninth largest in the world , with an area of 2,724,900 km ² . Kazakhstan is the dominant nation of Central Asia economically , generating 60 % of the region 's GDP , primarily through its oil/gas industry . It also has vast mineral resources .   Kazakhstan is officially a democratic , secular , unitary , constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage . Kazakhstan shares borders with Russia , China , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , and Turkmenistan , and also adjoins a large part of the Caspian Sea . The terrain of Kazakhstan includes flatlands , steppe , taiga , rock canyons , hills , deltas , snow-capped mountains , and deserts . Kazakhstan has an estimated 18 million people , Given its large land area , its population density is among the lowest , at less than 6 people per square kilometre ( 15 people per sq. mi . ) . The capital is Astana , where it was moved in 1997 from Almaty , the country 's largest city .   The territory of Kazakhstan has historically been inhabited by nomadic tribes . This changed in the 13th century , when Genghis Khan occupied the country as part of the Mongolian Empire . Following internal struggles among the conquerors , power eventually reverted to the nomads . By the 16th century , the Kazakh emerged as a distinct group , divided into three jüz ( ancestor branches occupying specific territories ) . The Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century , and by the mid-19th century , they nominally ruled all of Kazakhstan as part of the Russian Empire . Following the 1917 Russian Revolution , and subsequent civil war , the territory of Kazakhstan was reorganised several times . In 1936 , it was made the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , part of the Soviet Union .   Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 . The current President , Nursultan Nazarbayev , has been leader of the country since then , and is characterised as authoritarian , with a government history of human rights abuses and suppression of political opposition . Kazakhstan has worked to develop its economy , especially its dominant hydrocarbon industry . Human Rights Watch says that `` Kazakhstan heavily restricts freedom of assembly , speech , and religion , '' and other human rights organisations regularly describe Kazakhstan 's human rights situation as poor .   Kazakhstan 's 131 ethnicities include Kazakhs ( 63 % of the population ) , Russians , Uzbeks , Ukrainians , Germans , Tatars , and Uyghurs . Islam is the religion of about 70 % of the population , with Christianity practised by 26 % ; Kazakhstan officially allows freedom of religion , but religious leaders who oppose the government are suppressed . The Kazakh language is the state language , and Russian has equal official status for all levels of administrative and institutional purposes .

neg: List of World Heritage Sites in Northern and Central Asia The UNESCO ( United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization ) has designated 19 World Heritage Sites in six countries ( also called `` state parties '' ) of Central and North Asia : Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan and the Asian part of Russia . The European part of Russia is included in Eastern Europe .   Russia is home to the most inscribed sites with 7 sites , one of which is a transborder property shared with Mongolia in Eastern Asia . The first site from the region was the Itchan Kala in Uzbekistan inscribed in 1990 . Each year , UNESCO 's World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list , or delist sites that no longer meet the criteria . Selection is based on ten criteria : six for cultural heritage ( i -- vi ) and four for natural heritage ( vii -- x ) . Some sites , designated `` mixed sites , '' represent both cultural and natural heritage . In Northern and Central Asia , there are 11 cultural , 8 natural , and no mixed sites . All of the Russian sites ( 7 ) are natural and with the exception of Sayarka , all of the sites in Central Asia are cultural .   The World Heritage Committee may also specify that a site is endangered , citing `` conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List . '' None of the sites in this region has ever been listed as endangered , but possible danger listing has been considered by UNESCO in a number of cases .

neg: Steppe (disambiguation) Steppe is an ecological zone consisting of plains generally lacking trees .   Steppe may also refer to :  Eurasian Steppe , the Eurasian steppe reaching from Mongolia to Hungary  Harry Steppe , a Jewish-American Vaudeville actor  The Jewish Steppe , a documentary about Soviet Jews  The Steppe , a smooth jazz song by the band The Jeff Lorber Fusion on the album Hacienda .

neg: Aktogay, East Kazakhstan Region Aktogay ( Ақтоғай , Aqtoğay , اقتوعاي -LSB- ɑqtu̯ʊʁɑj -RSB- ) is a town in Ayagoz District , East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan and major railway hub of Turkestan-Siberian Railway .   Aktogay is located in Balkhash-Alakol lowlands , close to Balkhash lake . The Ayagoz river 's mouth is located nearby Aktogay . The climate is continental . Summer is hot +40 ° , winter is cold -40 ° . The distance to district center Ayagoz is 100 km , to the region center Ust-Kamenogorsk is 420 km , to Astana , the capital of Kazakhstan is 1250 km .   The major copper deposit is discovered close to Aktogay town . This is the fourth reserves of copper in the world . Aktogay Mine and copper extraction plant was completed there and the copper cathodes production started in 2011 . The capital cost account $ 1.5-2 billion and the production capacity is 100.000 tones per annum .  The city is about 30 km from Lake Balkhash .

neg: Khanate of Kazan The Khanate of Kazan ( -LSB- Казан ханлыгы , Qazan xanlığı , قازان خانليغى -RSB- Russian : Казанское ханство , tr : Kazanskoye khanstvo ) was a medieval Bulgarian-Tatar Turkic state that occupied the territory of former Volga Bulgaria between 1438 and 1552 . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Tugh Temür , the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan . The khanate covered contemporary Tatarstan , Mari El , Chuvashia , Mordovia , and parts of Udmurtia and Bashkortostan ; its capital was the city of Kazan . It was one of the successor states of the Golden Horde , and it came to an end when it was conquered by the Tsardom of Russia .

neg: Geography of Iran Geographically , Iran is located in West Asia and borders the Caspian Sea , Persian Gulf , and Gulf of Oman . Its mountains have helped to shape both the political and the economic history of the country for several centuries . The mountains enclose several broad basins , on which major agricultural and urban settlements are located . Until the 20th century , when major highways and railroads were constructed through the mountains to connect the population centers , these basins tended to be relatively isolated from one another .   Typically , one major town dominated each basin , and there were complex economic relationships between the town and the hundreds of villages that surrounded it . In the higher elevations of the mountains rimming the basins , tribally organized groups practiced transhumance , moving with their herds of sheep and goats between traditionally established summer and winter pastures . There are no major river systems in the country , and historically transportation was by means of caravans that followed routes traversing gaps and passes in the mountains . The mountains also impeded easy access to the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea .   With an area of 1648000 km2 , Iran ranks eighteenth in size among the countries of the world . Iran shares its northern borders with three post-Soviet states : Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Turkmenistan . These borders extend for more than 2000 km , including nearly 650 km of water along the southern shore of the Caspian Sea . Iran 's western borders are with Turkey in the north and Iraq in the south , terminating at the Arvand Rud .   The Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman littorals form the entire 1770 km southern border . To the east lie Afghanistan on the north and Pakistan on the far south . Iran 's diagonal distance from Azerbaijan in the northwest to Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast is approximately 2333 km .

neg: Indus Valley Desert The Indus Valley Desert is an almost uninhabited desert ecoregion of northern Pakistan .

neg: Constitution of Kazakhstan The Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( Қазақстан Республикасының Конституциясы , Qazaqstan Respuwblïkasınıñ Konstïtuwcïyası ; Конституция Республики Казахстан , Konstitutsuya Respubliki Kazakhstan ) is the highest law of Kazakhstan , as stated in Article 4 . The Constitution was approved by referendum on 30 August 1995 .

neg: East European Plain The East European Plain ( also called the Russian Plain , predominantly by Russian scientists , or historically the Sarmatic Plain ) is a vast interior plain extending east of the North/Central European Plain , and comprising several plateaus stretching roughly from 25 degrees longitude eastward . It includes the westernmost Volhynian-Podolian Upland , than the Central Russian Upland , and on the eastern border , encompassing the Volga Upland . The plain includes also a series of major river basins such as the Dnepr Basin , the Oka-Don Lowland , and the Volga Basin . Along the southernmost point of the East European Plain are the Caucasus and Crimean mountain ranges . Together with the North European Plain covering much of north-eastern Poland , Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania , it constitutes the European Plain , the mountain-free part of the European landscape .   The East European Plain covers all or most of the Baltic states , Belarus , Ukraine , Moldova , Romania , and the European portion of Russia . The plain spans approximately 4000000 km2 and averages about 170 m in elevation . The highest point of the plain , located in the Valdai Hills is 346.9 m.

neg: Volga Upland The Volga Upland , also known as the Volga Uplands , Volga Plateau , Volga Hills , or Volga Plateau , ( Russian : Приволжская возвышенность - Privolzhskaya vozvyshennost ) is a vast region of East European Plain in European part of Russia that lies west of the Volga River and east of the Central Russian Upland . The uplands run for approximately 500 miles ( 804 km ) in a southwest-northeasterly direction from Volgograd to Kazan . The Tsimlyansk Reservoir lies at the southwestern end of the Volga Upland , with the Kuybyshev Reservoir at the northeastern end .   The landscape on the Volga Uplands is hilly , and several rivers has cut into it , such as the Khopyor , Medveditsa and the Sura . The Volga-Don Canal cuts through the lowlands between the Volga Uplands to the north and the adjacent Yergeni Hills to the south .   The uplands lie in the cool continental climate zone , characterised by large fluctuations in seasonal temperatures and generally little rainfall . Outside of the cities in the region , population density is generally between 28 and 129 inhabitants per square mile .   The Volga Uplands themselves is rather sparsely populated , but along its edges and in particular along the banks of the Volga there are several large cities , such as ( from north to south ) Kazan , Ulyanovsk , Saransk , Penza , Syzran , Saratov and Volgograd .

neg: Privolshky Les Nature Reserve Privolshky Les Nature Reserve ( also Privolshkaya Lesostep ) ( English : `` Volga Steppe Nature Reserve '' ) is a Russian ` zapovednik ' ( strict ecological reserve ) situated in the watershed midway between the Volga River and the Don River . The reserve is divided into 5 sectors , all in the western part of the Volga Uplands . Three of the sectors are steppe terrain , and two are forests . Rivers with upper reaches in the reserve flow into both the Don and the Volga . Administratively , the reserve is situated in the Kuznetsky District of Penza Oblast . The reserve was formally established in 1989 with the stated purpose of protecting representative habitat of the northern steppes , and the transition zone from steppe to forest . Some sections of the reserve , however , have been protected since 1919 . In all , the reserve sectors cover an area of 8373 ha , and has additional buffer zones out to 1 km from the reserve borders .

neg: Uyghurs in Kazakhstan Uyghurs in Kazakhstan form the country 's 7th-largest ethnic group , according to the 1999 census .

neg: Lebap Region Lebap Region ( Lebap welaýaty from the Persian لب آب Lab-i āb ) is one of the regions of Turkmenistan . It is in the northeast of the country , bordering Afghanistan , Uzbekistan along the Amu Darya . Its capital is Türkmenabat ( formerly named Çärjew ) . It has an area of 93,730 square kilometers , and a population of 1,334,500 people ( 2005 est. ) .   The name Lebap is Turkmenized form of the Persian Lab-i āb which means `` riverside '' and has long been used to designate the middle reaches of the Amu Darya river .   It contains the Repetek Nature Reserve and the Köýtendag Nature Reserve , which has Turkmenistan 's highest mountain , Aýrybaba ( 3137 meters ) .   Region is located alongside of Amuderya river , Gyzylgum desert is located east side of river and Garagum desert is located west side of river . Thanks to sunny whether and abundance of water resources state produced one of the highest quality cotton and wheat in the world .   Region is also rich for its natural resources such as natural gas and other mines . China-Turkmenistan gas-pipeline started from this region . Lebap Regions Bagtiyarlik natural gas field is main supplier of Chinese natural gas .

neg: Divisions of the Carpathians Divisions of the Carpathians are categorization of the Carpathian mountains system .   Below is a detailed overview of the major subdivisions and ranges of the Carpathian Mountains . The Carpathians are a `` subsystem '' of a bigger Alps-Himalaya System that stretches from the western Europe all the way to southern Asia , and are further divided into `` provinces '' and `` subprovinces '' . The last level of the division , i.e. the actual mountain ranges and basins , is usually classified as `` units '' . The main divisions are shown in the map on the right .   To generalize , there are three major provinces ( regions ) : Western Carpathians , Eastern Carpathians , and Southern Carpathians .

neg: Near East The Near East is a geographical term that roughly encompasses Western Asia . Despite having varying definitions within different academic circles , the term was originally applied to the maximum extent of the Ottoman Empire . The term has fallen into disuse in English and has been replaced by the terms Middle East and Western Asia .   According to the National Geographic Society , the terms Near East and Middle East denote the same territories and are `` generally accepted as comprising the countries of the Arabian Peninsula , Cyprus , Egypt , Iraq , Iran , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Palestinian territories , Syria , and Turkey '' . The Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) of the United Nations defines the region similarly , but also includes Afghanistan while excluding the countries of North Africa and the Palestinian territories .

neg: History of Bashkortostan The history of Bashkortostan or Bashkiria covers the region in and around the Southern Urals , historically inhabited by Bashkirs . The region has been known by several names , including al-Bashgird , Bashgirdia , Bascardia , Fiyafi Bashqyrt ( The Bashqyrt steppes ) , Pascatir and similar variants . As with previous names , the modern federal subject of Bashkortostan was named after the native Bashkir people .

neg: .kz . kz and . қаз ( abbreviation of Қазақстан , tr . Qazaqstan ) are the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD ) for Kazakhstan .   Registrations can be made directly at the second level ( with no requirement of Kazakhstan presence ) or at the third level beneath categories which have specific restrictions , and are generally limited to Kazakhstan-related entities .

neg: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic Uzbekistan ( -LSB- ʊzˈbɛkᵻˌstæn , _ - ˌstɑːn -RSB- , -LSB- ʊzˌbɛkᵻˈstɑːn , _ ʌz - , _ - ˈstæn -RSB- ) is the common English name for the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic ( Uzbek SSR ; Ўзбекистон Совет Социалистик Республикаси , Oʻzbekiston Sovet Sotsialistik Respublikasi ; Узбекская Советская Социалистическая Республика , Uzbekskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika ) and later , the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi , Ўзбекистон Республикаси ) that refers to the period of Uzbekistan from 1924 to 1991 . as one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union . It was governed by the Uzbek branch of the Soviet Communist Party , the only legal political party , from 1925 until 1990 . From 1990 to 1991 , it was the sovereign part of the Soviet Union with its own legislation . Sometimes , that period can be also referred to as Soviet Uzbekistan .   Beginning 20 June 1990 , Uzbek SSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty within its borders . Islam Karimov became the republic 's inaugural president .   On 31 August 1991 , the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was renamed the Republic of Uzbekistan '' ' and declared independence three months before the Soviet Union 's dissolution on 26 December 1991 .   A doubly landlocked Soviet republic in Central Asia . Uzbekistan was bordered by Kazakhstan to the north ; Tajikistan to the southeast ; Kirghizia to the northeast ; Afghanistan to the south ; and Turkmenistan to the southwest .

neg: Barren vegetation Barren vegetation describes an area of land where plant growth may be sparse , stunted , and/or contain limited biodiversity . Environmental conditions such as toxic or infertile soil , high winds , coastal salt-spray and climatic conditions are often key factors in poor plant growth and development . Barren vegetation can be categorized depending on the climate , geology and the geographic location of a specific area .  Pine Barrens , coastal barrens and serpentine barrens are some of the more distinct ecoregions for barren vegetation and are the most commonly researched by scientists . Often referred to as `` heathlands '' , barrens can be excellent environments for unique biological diversity and taxonomic compositions .

neg: Terskey Alatau The Teskey Ala-Too or Terskey Ala-Too ( Тескей Ала-Тоосу , -LSB- teskéj ɑlɑtoːsú -RSB- ) is a mountain range in the Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan . It stretches south and southeast of Lake Issyk Kul , from the river Joon Aryk near Kochkor in the west to the far northeastern part of Kyrgyzstan . The length of the range is 354 km and the highest peak is Karakol Peak ( 5,216 m ) . Another high peak is Boris Yeltsin Peak ( 5,168 m ) .

neg: Political status of Crimea The status of Crimea is the subject of a political and territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia . While Russia occupied the territory in 2014 and claimed it had ` fully integrated ' it by July 2015 , and continues to administer it as two federal subjects of Russia , while Ukraine and the majority of international governments ( with a few exceptions ) continue to regard Crimea as an integral part of Ukraine .   The dispute came into being after the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol against Ukrainian laws merged as a single united state under the name of Republic of Crimea and then , following a snap disputed referendum on joining Russia ( that official results showed backed the proposal ) , unilaterally declared their independence from Ukraine while the region was under military occupation by Russia itself . This state was then annexed by Russia , where it became a self-proclaimed federal district , whereas the Autonomous Republic became the `` Republic of Crimea '' as a Russian republic and Sevastopol became a Russian federal city . However , Ukraine and the majority of the international community do not consider the merge , the independence , the referendum , nor the annexation legitimate and still consider both entities as divisions of Ukraine . Despite international opinion however , the currency , tax and legal system are all operational under Russian jurisdiction . Ukraine has there applied for multiple litigations through international crime , water resources , the European Union and other courts .   In 1920 , immediately after the RSFSR recognized the independence of the Ukrainian SSR ( The `` Workers ' and Peasants Union Treaty between the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( RSFSR ) and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic '' signed 28 December 1920 ) , the responsibility for all Crimean administration was reassigned directly to the Kremlin . In 1994 Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances , which states that it would `` Respect Belarusian , Kazakh and Ukrainian independence and sovereignty and the existing borders '' . A detailed status of Crimea at that time was not described nor mentioned in the Budapest Memorandum , nor was a map of the existing borders of Ukraine included in the Memorandum .