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Tajikistan:
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Other pages in this profile of Tajikistan:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and it is now in the process of strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free market economy after its 1992-97 civil war. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace. |
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Location |
Central Asia, west of China |
Geographic coordinates |
39 00 N, 71 00 E |
Map references |
Asia |
Area |
total: 143,100 sq km land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km |
Area - comparative |
slightly smaller than Wisconsin |
Land boundaries |
total: 3,651 km border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km |
Coastline |
0 km (landlocked) |
Maritime claims |
none (landlocked) |
Climate |
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains |
Terrain |
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m |
Natural resources |
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold |
Land use |
arable land: 6.52% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.59% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
7,220 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards |
earthquakes and floods |
Environment - current issues |
inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides |
Environment - international agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note |
landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |