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Destination : TAJIKISTAN
Tajikistan is a small republic in Central Asia, bordering Uzbekistan, Kirghizstan, China and Afghanistan. The 1,200 km (740 mile) border with Afghanistan is demarked by the river Panj and the mighty Amu Daryo. Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, and implementation reportedly completed by late 1999. Part of the agreement required the legalization of opposition political parties prior to the 1999 elections, which occurred, but such parties have made little progress in successful participation in government. Random criminal and political violence in the country remains a complication impairing Tajikistan's ability to engage internationally. The capital of Tajikistan is the city of Dushanbe.
Most of Tajikistan's land area is mountainous, ranging from the Fann Mountains in the west to the rocky heights of the Pamirs in the eastern region of Badakhshon. The highest peak (7,495m/23,400ft) is Peak Samanid. Formerly called Peak Communism, this giant of the Pamirs was renamed in 1999 as part of the celebrations for the 1100th anniversary of the Samanid State.
Population: 6 million: 65 percent Tajik; 25 percent Uzbek; 3.5 percent Russian (including Russian- speaking nationalities). The Slavic population of Tajikistan has declined by almost ten percent since the 1989 census. Approximately 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas, making Tajikistan the least urban of the former Soviet republics.
The most commonly-spoken language in Tajikistan today is not Russian, but Tajiki, a complete reversal of the situation in Soviet times. Tajiki is a Persian dialect, mutually intelligible with modern Farsi (spoken in Iran) and Dari (spoken in Northern Afghanistan).Russian is still widely used and understood, especially in Dushanbe. The republic's third language is Uzbek, spoken by the quarter of the population who are ethnic Uzbek, and also by many Tajiks. In the Pamirs, there are many small tribal groups who have their own languages, also Persian-based, but not mutually intelligible with Tajiki. Tajiki is used as the inter-tribal language.
The population is highly concentrated in the Western half of the country as the eastern half consists of the Pamir mountain range, the foothills of the Himalayas. The northern region, Leninabad Oblast, is Tajikistan's most industrialized and developed area and includes its second largest city, Khojand. Located in the Fergana Valley, it is tightly integrated with Uzbekistan which surrounds it on three sides. Dushanbe and the surrounding Hissar Valley are another important industrial center, including textile, metal working, and building materials factories, most of Tajikistan's hydroelectric capabilities, as well as the giant Tursunzade aluminum plant. Kulyab and Kurgan-Tyube, the hardest hit areas during the civil war, are the heart of Tajikistan's cotton production. Garm and Gorno-Badakhshan, the poorest and most isolated regions, rely on production of potatoes, fruits, such as nuts and honey, livestock and tobacco. The rugged terrain, along with the political and religious differences in the country, have created a strong sense of local identity and rivalry.
(Information courtesy Travel Tajikistan and BISNIS )
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