-stan

Etymology and cognates

Countries

Native names

• Armenia Hayastan
• * Haya- comes from legends that mention Hayk, the patriarchal founder of the Armenian nation. Names may have once included Haykastan.

  Country names in various languages

Sub-national units

Cities and counties

In Afghanistan

In Armenia

In Iran

In Pakistan

In Tajikistan

In other countries

Regions

• Arabistan – the name of the Arabian Peninsula and other meanings
• Arbayistan – a Sassanid Persian satrapy in Late Antiquity
• Armanestan – Armenia
• Asorestan – the province of Babylonia under the Sassanid Empire
• Azadistan – a short-lived state in the Iranian province of Azarbaijan under Mohammad Khiabani
• Balawaristan – a revived historical name of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
• Balochistan/Baluchistan – a region in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan
• Baloristan – a region of Northern Areas of Pakistan
• Baltistan – a northern region in Pakistan
• Bantustan – an Apartheid-era South African and South West African black 'homeland'
• Cholistan Desert – a desert region in Punjab, Pakistan
• Dardistan – a region in northern Pakistan of Dardu speakers
• Dihistan – a Sasanian province
• East Pakistan – the historic name for pre-independence Bangladesh
• East Turkestan or Uyghuristan – a region dominated by the Turkic-speaking Uyghur people, located in northwest China
• Frangistan – a historical term used to refer to Western or Christian Europe
• Gharjistan – a medieval region in Afghanistan
• Gorjestan – Georgia
• Hazaristan – the Hazarajat, homeland of the Hazara people in central Afghanistan
• Hindustan – Persian name for India, broadly the Indian subcontinent.
• Kabulistan – a historical name of the territory centered around present-day Kabul Province of Afghanistan
• Kadagistan – Kadagistan was the name of an eastern Sasanian province in the region of Tokharistan.
• Kafiristan – historic region in Afghanistan until 1896, now known as Nuristan. A similarly-named region exists in north Pakistan.
• Kohistan – several regions of this name exist
• Kurdistan – Kurdish region
• Lazistan – Persian name of Lazica, an ancient Georgian monarchy in western Georgia.
• Lehistan – Poland
• Lezgistan – ethnolinguistic region in southern Dagestan and northern Azerbaijan
• – Hungary
• Moghulistan – a historical area in Central Asia that included parts of modern-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Xinjiang
• North Waziristan – northern part of Waziristan region in Pakistan
• Pashtunistan – the area of Afghanistan and North-Western Pakistan historically inhabited by the Pashtun tribes
• Quhistan – a region of medieval Persia, essentially the southern part of Greater Khorasan
• Registan – historic site in Samarkand, meaning "place of sand"
• Russian Turkestan – Turkestan in the Russian Empire, later Turkestan Autonomous SSR
• Sakastan or Sistan – a historical and geographical region in present-day eastern Iran and southern Afghanistan
• South Waziristan – southern part of Waziristan region in Pakistan
• Tabaristan – a historical region along the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea
• Turgistan or Turestan – a Sasanian province
• Talyshistan – ethnolinguistic region in the SE Caucasus and NW Iran
• Tokharistan, Tocharistan or Tukharistan, also known as Balkh or Bactria – the ancient name of a historical region in Central Asia, located between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya
• Turkestan or Turkistan – ethnolinguistic region of Turkic peoples and languages, encompassing Central Asia, northwest China, parts of the Caucasus and Asia Minor
• Uyghurstan, China, same as East Turkestan
• Waziristan – a region of northwest Pakistan
• Qabailistan – a region in western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
• Zabulistan – a historical region roughly corresponding to today's Zabul Province in southern Afghanistan.

  Proposed names

• Khalistan or Sikhistan – a proposed country created from areas within India with a Sikh majority
• Maronistan – a proposed name for Maronite state in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War.
• Sunnistan, Shiastan and Kurdistan – a proposed division of Syria and Iraq where Sunni-majority, Shia-majority and Kurdish-majority areas can have their own countries.

  Fictional

• Adjikistan – a fictional central Asian country in the videogame '.
• Aldastan – a fictional central Asian country consisting of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, from '.
• Avgatiganistan – a pun of 'Afghanistan', it means 'Fried eggs' in Greek. Fictional country by author Eugene Trivizas.
• Azadistan – a fictional kingdom from the anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00, It means "free land".
• Azmanastan – a fictional country and region in the film The Expendables 3.
• Bangistan – a fictional country in the Bollywood movie Bangistan starring Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat.
• Bazrakhistan – a fictional former Soviet republic in the movie Act of War starring Jack Scalia.
• Belgistan – a fictional Middle Eastern country in the anime Gasaraki.
• Berzerkistan – a fictional republic run by genocidal terrorist godhead and President for Life Trff Bmzklfrpz, in the comic strip Doonesbury.
• Brajikistan – a fictional country from season 2 of the teen sitcom Wingin' It.
• Cobrastan – a fake fictional country made up by a character named Jorji Costava in his passport from the game Papers, Please.
• Derkaderkastan – a fictional Middle Eastern country in '.
• Franistan – a fictional country referred to in the television show I Love Lucy.
• Hachmachistan – fictional country in Kickin It
• Helmajistan – a fictional area from the anime Full Metal Panic!.
• Howduyustan – a fictional country from Uncle Scrooge comic book stories.
• Irakistan – a fictional country in the game Broforce
• Iranistan – an oriental region of Hyborea.
• Istan – a fictional island state in the online role-playing game, Guild Wars Nightfall.
• Kamistan – a fictional Middle Eastern country featured in the television series 24.
• Kazanistan – an ideal state imagined by John Rawls in The Law of Peoples, in which there is a system of law, legal representation for all groups, and a respect for basic human rights, but not full democracy.
• Kehjistan – the state of the eastern jungles in the game Diablo II.
• Kerplakistan – fictional country in Big Time Rush
• Kekistan – a fictional country created by 4chan members that has become a political meme and online movement.
• Kerakhistan – a fictional Middle Eastern country featured in the tabletop miniature wargame Battlefield Evolution.
• Kreplachistan – a fictional country in the Austin Powers film series.
• Langbortistan – a fictional country in the Danish Donald Duck cartoons
• Lojbanistan – the fictional country lojbanists imagine themselves inhabiting
• Moldovistan – a fictional island country in The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.
• Obristan – a fictional country in Papers, Please.
• Paristan or Pari-estan – a fairyland in the folklore of Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia.
• Pokolistan – a fictional country in DC Comics.
• Serdaristan – a fictional country in '.
• Takistan – a fictional country in '.
• Tazbekistan – a fictional central Asian nation in the BBC television series Ambassadors.
• Trashcanistan – a fictional country mentioned by the hosts of "MXC".
• Turaqistan – a fictional country in the movie War, Inc..
• Turmezistan – a fictional country in Doctor Who.
• Tyrgyzstan – a fictional country in the BBC television drama The State Within.
• Urzikstan – a fictional country in
• Yakyakistan – a fictional northern country in '.
• Youstinkistan – fictional country in The Fairly OddParents
• Zekistan – a fictional central Asian nation in the video game Full Spectrum Warrior.

  Other

• Absurdistan – sometimes used to satirically describe a country where everything goes wrong
• Ancapistan – a name given to an imaginary anarcho-capitalist country or society
• Bimaristan – a kind of hospital in medieval Persia and the medieval Islamic world
• Bradistan – a moniker for Bradford, England, owing to its large population of Pakistani worker migrants
• Canuckistan - epithet for Canada, used by Pat Buchanan on October 31, 2002, on his television show on MSNBC in which he denounced Canadians as anti-American and the country as a haven for terrorists. He was reacting to Canadian criticisms of US security measures regarding Arab Canadians
• Dalitstan.org – a Dalit advocacy website active until mid-2006, one of 18 websites that were blocked by the Indian government to check for hate messages following the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings.
• Dondestan – an album by Robert Wyatt. Sounds like lit=Where are they?.
• Españistán, from España, humorous expression of the country as a traditional and banana-republic.
• Extremistan and Mediocristan – used by author Nassim Nicholas Taleb to illustrate concepts of black swan theory in
• Filmistan – a film-production company
• Gazimestan – name of a monument commemorating the historical Battle of Kosovo
• Hamastan – a concept of a Palestinian Islamic government with Sharia as law
• Iranistan – a pseudo-orientalist mansion built for P. T. Barnum in 1848 in Connecticut
• Islamistan – means 'Land of Islam', used in various contexts
• Londonistan – French counter-terrorism agents gave the British/English capital of London this sobriquet. Sometimes used derogatorily to refer to the large immigrant, especially Muslim, population in London.
• Muristan – a complex of streets and shops in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem
• New Yorkistan – the title of the cover art for the December 10, 2001 edition of The New Yorker magazine
• * The New Yorkistan map itself included various districts ending in -stan, e.g., Bronxistan, Cold Turkeystan, Fuhgeddabouditstan, Gaymenistan, Taxistan, Youdontunderstandistan, etc.
• Paganistan – the pagan/neo-pagan community of Minneapolis-Saint Paul in Minnesota
• Registan – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• Sarvestan – a Sassanid-era palace in the Iranian province of Sarvestan
• Shabestan – an underground space, usually found in traditional architecture of mosques, houses, and schools in ancient Persia
• Shahrestan
• Skateistan – a skateboarding/educational organization based in Kabul, Afghanistan
• Toucanistan – satyrical nickname for São Paulo, the Brazilian state where the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, called as "Toucans", is hegemonic
• Yooperstan – a satirical name for regions of Michigan speaking Upper Peninsula English