Bactria (from , the Hellenized version of Bactrian βαχλο, Bakhlo; Persian/Pashto: باختر Bākhtar; Uzbek: Балх; ; Chinese: ; Sanskrit बाह्लीक Bāhlika) is the ancient name of a historical region, one of the ancient civilizations of Iranian peoples. Ancient Bactria was located between the Hindu Kush mountain range and the Amu Darya river, covering the flat region that straddles modern-day Afghanistan and Tajikistan.