Central Asian arts, literary, performing, and visual arts of a large portion of Asia embracing the Turkic republics (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan), Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and parts of Russia and China. As used here, the term denotes only those traditions that were not influenced by the religion of Islam. This immense tract of land-with its highly varied topography and climate and its diversity of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds-encouraged the development of greatly varied artistic styles and traditions among the inhabitants of widely separated regions.