Tajikistan

I

Introduction

Tajikistan, landlocked republic in southeastern Central Asia, bordered on the north by Kyrgyzstan, on the north and west by Uzbekistan, on the east by China, and on the south by Afghanistan. Dushanbe is the country’s capital and largest city. Tajikistan contains the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (Badakhshoni Kuhi), an ethnically based political subunit that occupies about 45 percent of the country’s territory.

In Tajik, the official state language, the country is called Jumhurii Tojikiston (Republic of Tajikistan). Tajiks, who speak a form of Persian, constitute a majority of the country’s population. In 1929 Tajikistan became the Tajik (or Tadzhik) Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Tajikistan became independent in 1991. Shortly after independence, a civil war broke out between the Communist-dominated government and opposition groups. The two sides formally signed a peace accord in June 1997.

II

Land and Resources

Tajikistan covers an area of 143,100 sq km (55,250 sq mi), making it the smallest country in Central Asia. Tajikistan is extremely mountainous, and almost half of the country lies above an elevation of 3,000 m (equivalent to 9,843 ft). The Pamirs, a highland region, occupies eastern Tajikistan and encompasses Gorno-Badakhshan. The region serves as a connecting point for several of the world’s highest mountain ranges. Northeastern Tajikistan contains the highest mountain in the former Soviet Union, Ismail Samani Peak (7,495 m/24,590 ft), which rises in the Pamirs. Massive ranges of the Tian Shan mountain system occupy northern and central Tajikistan, with smaller spurs extending across the northwestern portion of the country into Uzbekistan. Foothills and steppes (semiarid grassy plains) occupy the western third of the country. Lowland areas are confined to river valleys in the southwest and to the extreme north, where a finger-like strip of territory extends into the fertile Fergana (Farghona) Valley (the remainder of which is in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan). Tajikistan experiences frequent earthquakes, as it lies on an active seismic belt that extends throughout the entire southeastern section of Central Asia.

A

Rivers and Lakes

Mountain glaciers feed Tajikistan’s numerous swift-flowing rivers and streams. The major rivers are the Syr Darya, which flows through the Fergana Valley in the north; the Zeravshan (Zarafshon), located in the northwest; and the Kofarnihon, Vakhsh, and Panj rivers, which together drain more than three-fourths of Tajikistan’s territory. The Panj forms the western half of Tajikistan’s southern border with Afghanistan. The confluence of the Panj and Vakhsh rivers on the extreme southwestern border forms the Amu Darya, the largest river in Central Asia. The Kofarnihon is also a major tributary of the Amu Darya. Most lakes in Tajikistan lie in the eastern Pamirs region. The largest is Lake Karakul (Qarokŭl), which is located in the northeast at an elevation of about 4,000 m (about 13,000 ft).

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B

Plant and Animal Life

Plant life in Tajikistan varies by region. Vegetation on the steppes includes drought-resistant grasses and low shrubs. Vast fields of wild poppies and tulips grow on the steppes where they rise into the foothills. The mountain slopes are covered with dense forests of coniferous trees, such as spruce. The mountains also contain grassy meadows, where wildflowers such as wild iris and edelweiss bloom in summer. Ancient forests of wild walnut trees are found on the lower mountain slopes.

Wildlife is abundant and extremely diverse. The endangered snow leopard, which has long been illegally hunted for its fur, inhabits the mountains. Also in the mountains are numerous varieties of mountain goat and sheep, including the Siberian horned goat and the rare markhor. The golden eagle nests at high elevations. Brown bears, lynx, wolves, and wild boar inhabit lower mountain regions. Animal species on the steppes include deer, wolves, foxes, and badgers.

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