Tajikistan
30108
224545886
2008-07-09T10:05:01Z
VolkovBot
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robot Adding: [[ba:Тажикстан]]
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;"> {{unicode|Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон}} <br/>''Jumhurii Tojikiston''</span>
|conventional_long_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">Republic of Tajikistan</span>
|common_name = Tajikistan
|image_flag = Flag of Tajikistan.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Tajikistan.svg
|symbol_type = Coat of Arms
|image_map = LocationTajikistan.svg
|national_motto = none
|national_anthem = ''[[Surudi Milli]]''
|official_languages =[[Tajik language|Tajik]]<ref>''Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan'', November 6, 1994, Article 2.</ref>
|capital = [[Dushanbe]]
|latd=38 |latm=33 |latNS=N |longd=68 |longm=48 |longEW=E
|largest_city = capital
|demonym = Tajik
|government_type = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[presidential system|presidential republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[List of Presidents of Tajikistan|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Emomalii Rahmon]]
|leader_title2 = [[List of Prime Ministers of Tajikistan|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name2 = [[Oqil Oqilov]]
|sovereignty_type = [[Collapse of the Soviet Union|Independence]]
|established_event1 = Establishment of the [[Samanid dynasty|Samanid Empire]]
|established_date1 = 875 AD
|established_event2 = Declared
|established_date2 = [[September 9]] [[1991]]
|established_event3 = Completed
|established_date3 = [[December 25]] [[1991]]
|area_rank = 95th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area_km2 = 143,100
|area_sq_mi = 55,251
|percent_water = 0.3
|population_estimate = 6,920,300<sup>1</sup>
|population_estimate_rank = 100th<sup>1</sup>
|population_estimate_year = January 2006
|population_census = 6,127,000
|population_census_year = 2000
|population_density_km2 = 45
|population_density_sq_mi = 117
|population_density_rank = 151st
|GDP_PPP = $8.802 billion <!--IMF-->
|GDP_PPP_rank = 139th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $1,388
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 159th
|HDI_year = 2007
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.673
|HDI_rank = 122nd
|HDI_category = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
|Gini = 32.6
|Gini_year = 2003
|Gini_category = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
|currency = [[Somoni]]
|currency_code = TJS
|country_code =
|time_zone = [[Tajikistan Time|TJT]]
|utc_offset = +5
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld = [[.tj]]
|calling_code = 992
|footnote1 = Estimate from State Statistical Committee of Tajikistan, 2006; rank based on UN figures for 2005.
}}
'''Tajikistan''' ({{pronEng|təˈdʒɪkɨstæn}} or {{IPA|/təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/}}; {{lang-tg|Тоҷикистон}}, {{pronounced|tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn}} or {{IPA|[tɒːʤikɪsˈtɒn]}}, Persian: تاجیکی, tojikí), officially the '''Republic of Tajikistan''' ({{lang-tg|Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон}}), is a mountainous [[landlocked]] country in [[Central Asia]]. [[Afghanistan]] borders to the south, [[Uzbekistan]] to the west, [[Kyrgyzstan]] to the north, and [[China]] to the east. Most of Tajikistan's population belongs to the [[Tajiks|Tajik]] ethnic group, who share culture and history with the [[Persian peoples]] and speak the [[Tajik language]], a modern variety of [[Persian language|Persian]]. Once part of the [[Samanid dynasty|Samanid Empire]], Tajikistan became a constituent republic of the [[Soviet Union]] in the 20th century, known as the [[Tajik SSR|Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic]] ([[Tajik SSR]]).
After independence, Tajikistan suffered from a devastating [[Civil War in Tajikistan|civil war]] which lasted from 1992 to 1997. Since the end of the war, newly-established political stability and foreign aid have allowed the country's economy to grow. Its natural resources such as [[cotton]] and [[aluminium]] have contributed greatly to this steady improvement, although observers have characterized the country as having few natural resources besides hydroelectric power and its strategic location.<ref name=greenberg>Greenberg, Ilan, "Media Muzzled and Opponents Jailed, Tajikistan Readies for Vote," ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[November 4]], [[2006]] (article dateline [[November 3]], [[2006]]), page A7, New York edition</ref>
==Etymology==
''Tajikistan'' means the "Land of the Tajiks" in [[Persian language|Persian]]. Some believe the name Tajik is a [[geographic]] reference to the crown (''Taj'') of the [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir Knot]], but this is a folk etymology. The word "Tajik" was used to differentiate Iranians from Turks in Central Asia, starting as early as the 10th century. The addition of 'k' might have been for the purpose of euphony in the set phrase "Turk-o Tajik" ("Turks and Tajiks") which in Persian-language histories is found as an idiomatic expression meaning "everyone."
According to some other sources, the name Tajik (also spelled Tadjik, Tadzhik) refers to a group of people who are believed to be one of the pure and close descendents of the ancient [[Aryans]]. Their country was called [[Airyanem Vaejah|Aryana Vajeh]] and the name "Taa-jyaan" from which came the word Tajik is mentioned in The [[Avesta]]. The Zoroaster's Gathas were also directed to an Aryan audience and there are several references to this community as being situated in the "home" of the Aryans.
Tajikistan frequently appeared as ''Tadjikistan'' or ''Tadzhikistan'' in English. This former transliteration of ''Tadjikistan'' or ''Tadzhikistan'' is from the Russian ''Таджикистан.'' (In Russian there is no single letter ''j'' to represent the phoneme /ʤ/ and ''дж'', or ''dzh'', is used.) ''Tadzhikistan'' is the most common alternate spelling and is widely used in English literature derived from Russian sources. ''Tadjikistan'' is the spelling in French and can occasionally be found in English language texts. In the [[Perso-Arabic script]], "Tajikistan" is written تاجیکستان.
Controversy surrounds the correct term used to identify people from Tajikistan. The word ''Tajik'' has been the traditional term used to describe people from Tajikistan and appears widely in literature. But the ethnic politics of Central Asia have made the word ''Tajik'' a controversial word, as it implies that Tajikistan is only a nation for ethnic Tajiks and not ethnic Uzbeks, Russians, etc. Likewise, ethnic Tajiks live in other countries, such as China, making the term ambiguous. In addition, the [[Pamiri people|Pamiri]] population in [[Gorno-Badakhshan]] also have sought to create an ethnic identity separate from that of the Tajiks.
==History==
{{main|History of Tajikistan}}
===Early history===
{{seealso|Samanid dynasty}}
[[Image:Somoni monument.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Modern Tajiks regard the [[Samanid|Samanid Empire]] as the first Tajik state. This monument in [[Dushanbe]] honors [[Saman Khuda]], ancestor of the Samanids and a source of Tajik nationalism.]]
The territory of what is now Tajikistan has been inhabited continuously since 4000 [[Anno Domini|BCE]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}} It has been under the rule of various empires throughout history, for the longest period under the [[Persian Empire]].
Most of modern Tajikistan had formed parts of ancient [[Location of the Kamboja Kingdom|Kamboja]] and [[Parama Kamboja]] kingdoms, which find references in the ancient Indian epics like the [[Mahabharata]]. [[Linguistics|Linguistic]] evidence, combined with ancient literary and inscriptional evidence has led many eminent [[Indologist]]s to conclude that ancient [[Kambojas]] (''an Avestan speaking Iranian tribe'') originally belonged to the ''Ghalcha-speaking area'' of [[Central Asia]]. Achariya [[Yasaka]]'s [[Nirukta]]<ref> Nirukta II.2.</ref> (''7th century BCE'') attests that verb ''Śavati'' in the sense "to go" was used by only the Kambojas. It has been shown that the modern [[Ghalcha]] [[dialect]]s, ''Valkhi, Shigali, Sriqoli, Jebaka (also called Sanglichi or Ishkashim), Munjani, Yidga and [[Yagnobi]]'', mainly spoken in [[Pamir languages|Pamir]]s and countries on the headwaters of the [[Oxus]], still use terms derived from ancient Kamboja ''Śavati'' in the sense "to go".<ref>Linguistic Survey of India, Vol X, pp 456ff, 468, 473, 474, 476, 500, 511, 524 etc; Journal of Royal Asiatic Society of Asia, 1911, pp 801-802, Sir Griersen; India as Known to Panini, 1968, p 49, Dr V. S. Aggarwala; Geographical Data in the Early Puranas, A Critical Study, 1972, p 164, Dr M. R. Singh; Bharata Bhumi aur uske Nivasi, Samvat 1987, pp 297-305, Dr J. C. Vidyalankar; Geographical and Economical Studies in the Mahabharata, Upayana Parva, p 37, Dr Motichandra; Ancient Kamboja, People and the Country, 1981, pp 127-28, 167, 218, Dr J. L. Kamboj; Sindhant Kaumudi Arthaprakashaka, 1966, pp 20-22, Acharya R. R. Pande.</ref> The Yagnobi dialect spoken in Yagnobi province around the headwaters of [[Zeravshan]] valley in [[Sogdiana]], also still contains a relic ''"Śu"'' from ancient Kamboja ''Śavati'' in the sense "to go".<ref> Proceedings and Transactions of the ... All-India Oriental Conference, 1930, p 118; Indian Culture, 1934, p 193, Indian Research Institute; Linguistic Survey of India, Vol X, pp 455-56, Dr G. A. Grierson; cf: History and Archeology of India's Contacts with Other Countries from the... , 1976, p 152, Dr Shashi P. Asthana - Social Science; Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahābhārata: Upāyana Parva, 1945, p 39, Dr Moti Chandra - India; Prācīna Kamboja, jana aura janapada =: Ancient Kamboja, people and country, 1981, p 128, Dr Jiyālāla Kāmboja, Dr Satyavrat Śāstrī - Kamboja (Pakistan).</ref> Further, Sir G Grierson says that the speech of [[Badakshan]] was a Ghalcha till about three centuries ago when it was supplanted by a form of [[Persian language|Persian]].<ref>Linguistic Survey of India, X, p. 456, Sir G Grierson; Proceedings and Transactions of the All-India Oriental Conference, 1930, pp 107-108.</ref> Thus, the ancient Kamboja, probably included the [[Badakshan]], [[Pamirs]] and northern territories including Yagnobi province in the [[doab]] of the [[Oxus]] and [[Jaxartes]].<ref>Dr J. C. Vidyalankara, Proceedings and Transactions of 6th A.I.O. Conference, 1930, p 118; cf: Linguistic Survey of India, Vol X, pp 455-56, Dr G. A. Grierson.</ref> On the east it was bounded roughly by [[Yarkent County|Yarkand]] and/or [[Kashgar]], on the west by [[Bahlika]] ([[Uttaramadra]]), on the northwest by [[Sogdiana]], on the north by [[Uttarakuru]], on the southeast by [[Darada]], and on the south by [[Gandhara]]. Numerous Indologists locate original Kamboja in [[Pamirs]] and [[Badakshan]] and ''the [[Parama Kamboja]] further north, in the Trans-Pamirian territories comprising [[Zeravshan]] valley, north up parts of Sogdhiana/Fargana — in the Sakadvipa or [[Scythia]] of the classical writers''.<ref>See: The Deeds of Harsha: Being a Cultural Study of Bāṇa's Harshacharita, 1969, p 199, Dr Vasudeva Sharana Agrawala; Proceedings and Transactions of the All-India Oriental Conference, 1930, p 118, Dr J. C. Vidyalankara; Prācīna Kamboja, jana aura janapada =: Ancient Kamboja, people and country, 1981, Dr Jiyālāla Kāmboja, Dr Satyavrat Śāstrī - Kamboja (Pakistan).</ref> Thus, in the pre-[[Buddhist]] times (''7th–6th century [[BCE]]''), the parts of modern Tajikistan including territories as far as Zeravshan valley in Sogdiana formed parts of ancient [[Location of the Kamboja Kingdom|Kamboja]] and the [[Parama Kamboja]] kingdoms when it was ruled by Iranian [[Kambojas]] till it became part of [[Achaemenid Empire]].
[[Image:Dushanbe1.JPG|thumb|right|300px|The capital of [[Dushanbe]]]]
From the last quarter of fourth century BCE till the first quarter of the second century BCE, it was part of the [[Bactria]]n Empire, from whom it was passed on to [[Scythian]] [[Tukharas]] and hence became part of [[Tukharistan]]. Contact with the Chinese [[Han Dynasty]] was made in the second century BCE, when envoys were sent to the area of Bactria to explore regions west of China.
[[Arab]]s brought [[Islam]] in the 7th century [[CE]]. The [[Samanids|Samanid Empire]] [[Persia]]ns supplanted the Arabs and built the cities of [[Samarkand]] and [[Bukhara]], which became the cultural centers of Tajiks (both of which are now in [[Uzbekistan]]). The [[Mongols]] would later take partial control of Central Asia, and later the land that today comprises Tajikistan became a part of the [[emirate]] of Bukhara. A small community of [[Jews]], displaced from the Middle East after the Babylonian captivity, migrated to the region and settled there after 600 BCE, though the majority of the recent Jewish population did not migrate to Tajikistan until the 20th century.
===Russian presence===
{{seealso|The Great Game}}
In the 19th century, the [[Russian Empire]] began to spread into [[Central Asia]] during the [[Great Game]], and it took control of Tajikistan. After the [[Russian Revolution of 1917|overthrow of Imperial Russia]] in 1917, guerrillas throughout Central Asia, known as ''[[basmachi]]'' waged a war against [[Bolshevik]] armies in a futile attempt to maintain independence. The Bolsheviks prevailed after a four-year war, in which [[mosque]]s and villages were burned down and the population heavily suppressed. Soviet authorities started a campaign of secularization, practicing [[Muslims]], [[Jews]], and Christians were persecuted,{{Fact|date=April 2007}} and mosques, churches, and synagogues were closed. The Jews of Tajikistan are known as [[Bukharian Jews]]. In the 1970s to 1990s there was a huge emigration of Bukharians to the United States of America. Today, there are flourishing Buharian communities in New York City, United States and in many other east coast cities of the U.S.
===Soviet Tajikistan===
{{main|Tajik SSR}}
In 1924, the [[Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]] was created as a part of [[Uzbekistan]], but in 1929 the [[Tajik SSR|Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic]] ([[Tajik SSR]]) was made a separate constituent republic. The predominantly ethnic Tajik cities of [[Samarkand]] and [[Bukhara]] remained in the [[Uzbek SSR]]. In terms of living conditions, education and industry Tajikistan was somewhat behind the other [[Republics of the Soviet Union|Soviet Republics]].{{Fact|date=June 2007}} By the late 1980s Tajik nationalists were calling for increased rights. Real disturbances did not occur within the republic until 1990. The following year, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Tajikistan declared its independence.
===Post-Independence===
{{see also|Civil war in Tajikistan}}
The nation almost immediately fell into a civil war that involved various factions fighting one another; these factions were often distinguished by clan loyalties. The non-Muslim population, particularly Russians and Jews, fled the country during this time because of persecution, increased poverty and better economic opportunities in the West or in other former Soviet republics. [[Emomali Rahmonov]] came to power in 1992, and continues to rule to this day. However, he has been accused of ethnic cleansing against other ethnicities and groups during the [[Civil war in Tajikistan]].{{Fact|date=August 2007}} In 1997, a [[ceasefire]] was reached between Rahmonov and opposition parties ([[United Tajik Opposition]]). Peaceful elections were held in 1999, but they were reported by the opposition as unfair, and Rahmonov was re-elected by almost unanimous vote. [[Russia]]n troops were stationed in southern Tajikistan, in order to guard the border with [[Afghanistan]], until summer 2005. Since the [[September 11, 2001, attacks]], [[United States|American]], [[India]]n and [[France|French]] troops have also been stationed in the country.
In 2008, the harshest winter in a quarter century caused financial losses of $850 million. [[Russia]] pledged $1 billion in aid.<ref>[http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1231398/ Tajikistan loses $850 million from cold winter]. Trading Markets.com</ref> [[Saudi Arabia]] sent about 10 planes carrying 80 tons of relief and emergency supplies in February and another 11 tons in March.<ref>[http://www.saudiembassy.net/2008News/News/NewsDetail.asp?cIndex=7754 Tenth Saudi relief plane leaves for Tajikistan]. Saudi Embassy</ref>
==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Tajikistan}}
:''See also: [[Human rights in Tajikistan]]''
Almost immediately after independence, Tajikistan was plunged into a [[Tajikistan Civil War|civil war]] that saw various factions, allegedly backed by Russia and [[Iran]], fighting one another. All but 25,000 of the more than 400,000 ethnic Russians, who were mostly employed in [[industry]], fled to Russia. By 1997, the war had cooled down, and a central government began to take form, with peaceful elections in 1999.
[[Image:Emomali Rahmonov 2001Nov03.jpg|thumb|left|240px|[[Emomali Rahmon]]]]
"Longtime observers of Tajikistan often characterize the country as profoundly averse to risk and skeptical of promises of reform, a political passivity they trace to the country’s ruinous civil war," Ilan Greenberg wrote in a news article in ''[[The New York Times]]'' just before the country's November 2006 presidential election.<ref name=greenberg/>
Tajikistan is officially a [[republic]], and holds [[elections]] for the [[List of Presidents of Tajikistan|President]] and [[Parliament]]. The latest elections occurred in 2005, and as all previous elections, international observers believe them to have been corrupt, arousing many accusations from opposition parties that President [[Emomali Rahmon]] manipulates the election process.
The [[November 6]], [[2006]], election was boycotted by "mainline" opposition parties, including the 23,000-member [[Islamist]] [[Islamic Renaissance Party]]. Four remaining opponents "all but endorsed the incumbent", Rahmon.<ref name=greenberg/> After November 2006 presidential elections, it is widely speculated that Rahmon has secured his seat for at least another two terms, which will allow him rule till 2020.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
Tajikistan to this date is one of the few countries in Central Asia to have included an active opposition in its government. In the Parliament, opposition groups have often clashed with the ruling party, but this has not led to great instability.
On October 11, 2007, the Assembly of the Council Commission of the Ministry of Culture issued a decision to ban [[Jehovah’s Witnesses]] in the Republic of Tajikistan. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses was legally recognized by many post-Soviet republics. Since that time, however, this is the first Soviet republic to ban the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Recently Tajikistan also gave [[Iran]] its support in the membership bid to join the [[SCO]], after a meeting with Tajik President and Iranian foreign minister.<ref>[http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=48781§ionid=351020101 Press TV - Iran makes move to join SCO<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Administrative divisions==
{{main|Provinces of Tajikistan|Districts of Tajikistan}}
Tajikistan consists of 4 administrative divisions. These are the provinces ([[viloyat]]) of [[Sughd]] and [[Khatlon]], the autonomous province of [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province|Gorno-Badakhshan]] (abbreviated as GBAO), and the [[Region of Republican Subordination]] (RRP – Raiony Respublikanskogo Podchineniya in Russian; formerly known as [[Karotegin Province]]). Each region is divided into several districts ([[Tajiki language|Tajik]]: Ноҳия, ''nohiya'' or ''raion''), which in turn are subdivided into ''jamoats'' (village-level self-governing units). As of 2006, there were 58 districts and 367 jamoats in Tajikistan.<ref name=15years/>
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Division !! [[ISO 3166-2]] !! Capital !! Area (km²)!! Pop (2006)
|-
! [[Sughd]]
| |TJ-SU|| [[Khujand]] || 25,400 || 2,060,900
|-
! [[Region of Republican Subordination]]
| TJ-RR || [[Dushanbe]] || 28,600 || 1,531,300
|-
! [[Khatlon]]
| TJ-KT|| [[Qurghonteppa]] || 24,800 || 2,463,300
|-
! [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province|Gorno-Badakhshan]]
| TJ-BG|| [[Khorugh]] || 64,200 || 218,400
|}
Source: Population and area from State Statistical Committee of Tajikistan <ref name=15years>''Tajikistan: 15 Years of State Independence'', Statistical Yearbook, Dushanbe, 2006, in Russian</ref>
==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Tajikistan}}
[[Image:Tajikistan satellite photo.jpg|thumb|Satellite photograph of Tajikistan]]
[[Image:Tajik mountains.jpg|thumb|Mountains of Tajikistan]]
Tajikistan is landlocked, and is the smallest nation in Central Asia by area. It is covered by mountains of the [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]] range, and more than fifty percent of the country is over 3,000 meters (approx. 10,000 ft) above [[sea level]]. The only major areas of lower land are in the north which is part of the Fergana Valley, and in the southern Kafirnigan and Vakhsh valleys which form the Amu Darya and have much higher rainfall. [[Dushanbe]] is located on the southern slopes above the Kafirnigan valley.
The [[Amu Darya]] and [[Panj River|Panj]] rivers mark the border with Afghanistan, and Tajikistan's mountains are the major source of [[runoff (water)|runoff]] for the [[Aral Sea]]
About 1 % of the country's area is covered by lakes:
*[[Kuli-Kalon]] ([[Fann Mountains]])
*[[Iskanderkul]] ([[Gissar Range]])
*[[Nurek Dam|Nurek Reservoir]] ([[Khatlon Province]])
*[[Kara-Kul]] ({{lang-tg|Qarokul}}; located in eastern [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
*[[Sarez Lake|Sarez]] ([[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
*[[Shorkul]] ([[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
*[[Yashilkul]] ([[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
*[[Zorkul]] ([[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
{|style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:85%;" align=center
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |Mountain
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" colspan=2 align="center"|Height
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" colspan=2 align="center"|Location
|-
| [[Ismoil Somoni Peak]] (highest)
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(143, 177, 172);" |7,495 m
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(143, 177, 172);" |24,590 ft
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(143, 177, 172);" |{{nbsp|4}}North-western edge of [[Gorno-Badakhshan]] ([[GBAO]]), south of the [[Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyz]] border
|-
| [[Ibn Sina Peak]] ([[Lenin Peak]])
|style="text-align: center;" |7,174 m
|style="text-align: center;" |23,537 ft
|style="text-align: center;" |{{nbsp|4}}Northern border in the [[Trans-Alay Range]], north-east of [[Ismoil Somoni Peak]]
|-
|[[Peak Korzhenevskaya]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(201, 185, 116);" |7,105 m
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(201, 185, 116);" |23,310 ft
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(201, 185, 116);" |{{nbsp|4}}North of [[Ismoil Somoni Peak]], on the south bank of [[Muksu River]]
|-
|[[Independence Peak]] ([[Revolution Peak]])
|style="text-align: center;" |6,974 m
|style="text-align: center;" |22,881 ft
|style="text-align: center;" |{{nbsp|4}}Central [[Gorno-Badakhshan]], south-east of [[Ismoil Somoni Peak]]
|-
|[[Akademiya Nauk Range]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(151, 199, 137);" |6,785 m
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(151, 199, 137);" |22,260 ft
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(151, 199, 137);" |{{nbsp|4}}North-western [[Gorno-Badakhshan]], stretches in the north-south direction
|-
|[[Karl Marx Peak]]
|style="text-align: center;" |6,726 m
|style="text-align: center;" |22,067 ft
|style="text-align: center;" |{{nbsp|4}}[[GBAO]], near the border to [[Afghanistan]] in the northern ridge of the [[Karakoram Range]]
|-
|[[Mayakovskiy Peak]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(208, 172, 132);" |6,096 m
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(208, 172, 132);" |20,000 ft
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(208, 172, 132);" |{{nbsp|4}}Extreme south-west of [[GBAO]], near the border to Afghanistan.
|-
|[[Concord Peak]]
|style="text-align: center;" |5,469 m
|style="text-align: center;" |17,943 ft
|style="text-align: center;" |{{nbsp|4}}Southern border in the northern ridge of the [[Karakoram Range]]
|-
| [[Kyzylart Pass]]
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(208, 172, 132);" |4,280 m
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(208, 172, 132);" |14,042 ft
|style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(208, 172, 132);" |{{nbsp|4}}Northern border in the [[Trans-Alay Range]]
|}
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Tajikistan|Agriculture in Tajikistan}}
Tajikistan was the poorest country in Central Asia as well in the former Soviet Union following a civil war after it became independent in 1991. With foreign revenue precariously dependent upon exports of cotton and aluminium, the economy is highly vulnerable to external shocks. In FY 2000, international assistance remained an essential source of support for rehabilitation programs that reintegrated former civil war combatants into the civilian economy, thus helping keep the peace. International assistance also was necessary to address the second year of severe [[drought]] that resulted in a continued shortfall of food production. On [[August 21]], [[2001]], the [[Red Cross]] announced that a [[famine]] was striking Tajikistan, and called for international aid for Tajikistan and [[Uzbekistan]]. Tajikistan's economy grew substantially after the war. The GDP of Tajikistan expanded at an average rate of 9.6 % over the period of 2000–2004 according to the World Bank data. This improved Tajikistan's position among other Central Asian countries (namely [[Turkmenistan]] and Uzbekistan), which seem to have degraded economically ever since.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456938/html/nn4page1.stm
|title= BBC's Guide to Central Asia
|publisher=BBC News
|accessdate=2006-11-01
}}</ref>
Tajikistan is an active member of the [[Economic Cooperation Organization]] (ECO).
[[Image:Young_Tajikistani_dry_fruit_seller.jpg|thumb|left|A boy selling [[dried fruit]] at a local market]]
The recently completed [[Anzab tunnel]] which connects the previously hard to access Northern part of the country to the capital [[Dushanbe]] has been labeled as part of the new [[Silk Road]]. It is part of a road under construction that will connect Tajikistan to [[Iran]] and the [[Persian Gulf]] through [[Afghanistan]].
A new bridge between Afghanistan and Tajikistan has been built which will help the country have access to trade lines with [[South Asia]]. The bridge was built by the [[United States]].<ref name=usace>{{cite web
|url=http://www.aed.usace.army.mil/Snapshots.asp?PageNo=2
|title= US Army Corps of Engineer, Afghanistan-Tajikistan Bridge
|publisher=US Army Corps of Engineer
|accessdate=2008-03-08
}}</ref>
The primary sources of income in Tajikistan are [[aluminium]] production, cotton growing and remittances from migrant workers.<ref name=usstate>{{cite web
|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5775.htm
|title= Background Note: Tajikistan
|publisher=US Department of State, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
|date=December 2007
|accessdate=2008-03-08
}}</ref>
Aluminium industry is represented by the state-owned Talco - the biggest aluminium plant in Central Asia and one of the biggest in the world.<ref name=expert.ru>{{cite web
|url=http://www.expert.ru/printissues/kazakhstan/2004/23/23ka-kpov3/
|title= Алюминий по-таджикски (''Tajikistani Aluminium'')
|publisher="Эксперт Казахстан" (''Ekspert Kazakhstan'') #23
|date= [[2004-12-06]]
|accessdate=2008-03-08
|language='''Russian'''
}}</ref>
Tajikistan has great hydropower potential, and has focused on attracting investment for projects for internal use and electricity exports. Tajikistan is home to the hydroelectric power station [[Nurek Dam|Nurek]] with the highest dam in the world.<ref name=dams>{{cite web
|url=http://npdp.stanford.edu/damhigh.html
|title= Highest Dams (World and U.S.)
|publisher=ICOLD World Register of Dams
|date= 1998
|accessdate=2008-03-08
}}</ref> The latest development is the Russia's [[RAO UES]] energy giant working on Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station (670 MW capacity) commenced operations on [[18 January]] [[2008]].<ref name=vesti>{{cite web
|url=http://npdp.stanford.edu/damhigh.html
|title= Первая очередь Сангтудинской ГЭС в Таджикистане будет запущена 18 января (''First stage of the Sangtuda HPS launched on 18 January'')
|publisher=Vesti
|date= [[2007-12-25]]
|accessdate=2008-03-08
|language='''Russian'''
}}</ref><ref name=todayenergy>{{cite web
|url=http://www.energytoday.eu/articles/81528.php
|title= Sangtuda-1 HPS launched on January 18, 2008
|publisher=Today Energy
|date= 2008-01-05
|accessdate=2008-03-08
}}</ref> Other projects at the development stage include Sangduta-2 by Iran, Zerafshan by Chinese SinoHydro and [[Rogun Dam|Rogun power plant]] with a projected dam height of {{convert|335|m|ft|0}} to be built by Russia's UES.<ref name=irna>{{cite web
|url=http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-18/0704240278195019.htm
|title= Iran participates in power plant project in Tajikistan
|publisher=IRNA
|date= 2007-04-24
|accessdate=2008-03-08
}}</ref><ref name=rferl1>{{cite web
|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/01/c7eca5d9-67f9-4659-88f9-696875ac873e.html
|title= Chinese To Build Tajik Hydroelectric Plant
|publisher=Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
|date= 2007-01-18
|accessdate=2008-03-08
}}</ref><ref name=energyland>{{cite web
|url=http://www.energyland.info/news/world_news/2007/09/14/news_1264
|title= РАО «ЕЭС России» построит «Рогунскую ГЭС» в Таджикистане (''RAO UES to construct Rogun HPS in Tajikistan'')
|publisher=EnergyLand.info
|date= 2007-09-14
|accessdate=2008-03-08
|language='''Russian'''
}}</ref> Other energy resources include sizable coal deposits and smaller reserves of natural gas and petroleum.
[[Image:Pajakent Bazaar1.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A bazaar in [[Panjakent]]]]
Foreign remittance flows from Tajik migrant workers abroad, mainly in Russia, has become by far the main source of income for millions of Tajikistan's people and represents additional 36.2 % of country's GDP directly reaching the poverty-stricken population.<ref name=wb-note3>{{cite web
|url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTDECPROSPECTS/Resources/476882-1157133580628/BriefingNote3.pdf
|title= Remittance Trends 2007. Migration and Development Brief 3
|author=Dilip Ratha, Sanket Mohapatra, K. M. Vijayalakshmi, Zhimei Xu
|publisher=[[World Bank]]
|date= 2007-11-29
|accessdate=2008-03-08
|format=PDF
}}</ref> Migration from Tajikistan and the consequent remittances have been unprecedented in their magnitude and economic impact. Tajikistan has achieved transition from a planned to a market economy without substantial and protracted recourse to aid (of which it by now receives only negligible amounts), and by purely market-based means,
simply by exporting its main commodity of comparative advantage — cheap labor.<ref name=imf>{{cite web
|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2006/wp0602.pdf
|title= The Macroeconomics of Remittances: The Case of Tajikistan. IMF Working Paper WP/06/2
|author=Alexei Kireyev
|publisher=[[IMF]]
|date= January 2006
|accessdate=2008-03-08
|format=PDF
}}</ref> The World Bank Tajikistan Policy Note 2006 concludes that remittances have played an important role as one of the drivers of Tajikistan's robust economic growth during the past several years, have increased incomes, and as a result helped significantly reduce poverty.<ref name=wb-policynote>{{cite web
|url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2006/08/22/000160016_20060822094201/Rendered/PDF/357710TJ.pdf
|title= Tajikistan Policy Note. Poverty Reduction and Enhancing the Development Impact of Remittances. Report No. 35771-TJ
|publisher=[[World Bank]]
|date= June 2006
|accessdate=2008-03-08
|format=PDF
}}</ref> Drug trafficking is the major illegal source of income in Tajikistan as it is an important transit country for [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] [[narcotics]] bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; some [[opium poppy]] is also raised locally for the domestic market.<ref name=Silk>Silk Road Studies, [http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/research/narcotics_crime/FactSheet/2004/Tajikistan.pdf Country Factsheets, Eurasian Narcotics: Tajikistan 2004]</ref> However with the increasing assistance from international organizations, such as UNODC, and cooperation with the US, Russian, EU and Afghan authorities a level of progress on fight against illegal drug-trafficking is being achieved.<ref name=edm1>{{cite web
|url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=414&issue_id=3579&article_id=2370646
|title= Dushanbe looks towards Afghanistan to combat drug trafficking
|author=Roger McDermott
|publisher=Eurasia Daily Monitor
|date= 2006-01-10
|accessdate=2008-03-08
}}</ref> Tajikistan holds the third place in the world for [[heroin]] and raw [[opium]] confiscations (1216.3 kg of heroin and 267.8 kg of raw opium in the first half of 2006).<ref>CIA World Factbook. [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ti.html#Issues Tajikistan, transnational issues]</ref><ref>[http://www.unodc.org/uzbekistan/en/fact_sheets.html Overview of the drug and crime situation in Central Asia. Factsand Figures], Coordination and Analysis Unit of the [[UNODC]] Regional Office for Central Asia</ref> Drug money corrupts the country's government; according to some experts the well-known personalities that fought on both sides of the [[Civil war in Tajikistan|civil war]] and have held the positions in the government after the armistice was signed are now involved in the drug trade.<ref name=Silk/> [[UNODC]] is working with Tajikistan to strengthen border crossings, provide training, and set up joint interdiction teams. It also helped to establish Tajikistani Drug Control Agency.<ref name=fight>[http://www.unodc.org/unodc/speech_2007_10_04.html Fighting Drugs, Crime and Terrorism in the CIS Dushanbe, 4 October 2007]</ref>
==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Tajikistan}}
[[Image:Children in Tajikistan 25042007.jpg|thumb|Tajik children]]
Tajikistan has a population of 7,320,716 (July 2006 est.). [[Tajiks]] who speak the [[Tajik language]] (a variety of [[Persian language|Persian]]) are the main ethnic group, although there is a sizable minority of [[Uzbeks]] and a small population of [[Russians]], whose numbers are declining due to emigration. [[Pamiri people|Pamiris]] of [[Badakhshan]] are considered to belong to larger group of Tajiks. Likewise, the official language of Tajikistan is the Tajik language, while [[Russian language|Russian]] is largely spoken in business and for government purposes. Despite its poverty, Tajikistan has a high rate of literacy with an estimated 98 % of the population having the ability to read and write. Most of the population follows [[Sunni Islam]], although a sizable number of [[Shi'a Islam|Shi'a]] are present as well. [[Bukharian Jews]] had lived in Tajikistan since the 2nd century BC, but today almost none are left. There is also a small population of [[Yaghnobi people]] who have lived in the mountainous district of [[Sughd]] [[Viloyat]] for many centuries.
The Tajik Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare reported that 104,272 disabled people are registered in Tajikistan (2000). This group of people suffers most from poverty in Tajikistan. The Tajik government and the World Bank considered activities to support this part of the population described in the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000094946_02112004011765
|title=Tajikistan - Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and joint assessment
|publisher=World Bank
|accessdate=2006-11-01
}}</ref>
==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Tajikistan}}
{{seealso|Music of Tajikistan|Islam in Tajikistan|Public holidays in Tajikistan|Cuisine of Tajikistan}}
[[Image:Rudaki-Panjakent.jpg|thumb|Statue of Persian-Tajik poet [[Rudaki]] in Panjakent, Tajikistan. Poetry is an important element in the culture of Tajikistan]]
Historically, Tajiks and Persians come from very similar stock, speaking variants of the same language and are related as part of the larger group of [[Iranian peoples]]. The [[Tajik language]] is the mother tongue of around two-thirds of the citizens of Tajikistan. Ancient towns such as [[Bukhara]], [[Samarkand]], [[Herat]], [[Balkh]] and [[Khiva]] are no longer part of the country. The main urban centers in today's Tajikistan include [[Dushanbe]] (the capital), [[Khujand]], [[Kulob]], [[Panjakent]] and [[Istaravshan]].
The [[Pamiri people]] of [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province]] in the southeast, bordering [[Afghanistan]] and [[China]], though considered part of the [[Tajiks|Tajik ethnicity]], nevertheless are distinct linguistically and culturally from most [[Tajiks]]. In contrast to the mostly [[Sunni]] [[Muslim]] residents of the rest of Tajikistan, the [[Pamiri]]s overwhelmingly follow the [[Ismaili]] sect of [[Islam]], and speak a number of [[Eastern Iranian]] languages, including [[Shughni]], [[Rushani language|Rushani]], [[Khufi language|Khufi]] and [[Wakhi]]. Isolated in the highest parts of the [[Pamir]] Mountains, they have preserved many ancient cultural traditions and folk arts that have been largely lost elsewhere in the country.
The [[Yaghnobi people]] live in mountainous areas of northern Tajikistan. The estimated number of Yaghnobis is now about 25,000. Forced migrations in the 20th century decimated their numbers. They speak the [[Yaghnobi language]], which is the only direct modern descendant of the ancient [[Sogdian language]].
==Transport==
{{Expand|date=February 2008}}
{{main|Transportation in Tajikistan}}
== See also ==
* [[2006 Tajikistan earthquake]]
* [[Agriculture in Tajikistan]]
* [[Central Asian Union]]
* [[Communications in Tajikistan]]
* [[Dushanbe synagogue]]
* [[Foreign relations of Tajikistan]]
* [[Ittihodi Scouthoi Tojikiston]]
* [[List of cities in Tajikistan]]
* [[Military of Tajikistan]]
* [[Transport in Tajikistan]]
* [[Mount Imeon]]
* [[Kingdom of Balhara]]
==References and footnotes==
[[Image:Fan Mountains300.jpg|thumb|right|[[Fan Mountains]]]]
{{reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
*''Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan'' by Kamoludin Abdullaev and Shahram Akbarzadeh
*''Land Beyond the River: The Untold Story of Central Asia'' by [[Monica Whitlock]]
*''Tajikistan: Disintegration or Reconciliation'' by [[Shirin Akiner]]
*''Tajikistan: The Trials of Independence'' by [[Shirin Akiner]], Mohammad-Reza Djalili and Frederic Grare
==External links==
{{portal|Tajikistan|Flag of Tajikistan.svg}}
{{sisterlinks}}
* [http://www.prezident.tj/eng/index_eng.htm The President of Tajikistan]
* {{wikiatlas|Tajikistan}}
* {{wikitravel}}
* {{wikia|world:Tajikistan|Tajikistan}}
* {{CIA World Factbook link|ti|Tajikistan}}
* {{dmoz|Regional/Asia/Tajikistan}}
{{Template group
|title = Geographic locale
|list =
{{Provinces and regions of Tajikistan}}
{{Countries of Central Asia}}
{{Countries of Asia}}
}}
{{Template group
|title = International membership
|list =
{{Economic Cooperation Organization}}
{{Iranian-speaking}}
{{Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)}}
{{Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)|state=collapsed}}
{{Eurasian Economic Community (EURASEC)}}
{{Shanghai Cooperation Organisation}}
}}
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Tajikistan| ]]
[[Category:Landlocked countries]]
[[Category:Persian-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Russian-speaking countries and territories]]
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[[af:Tadjikistan]]
[[ar:طاجيكستان]]
[[an:Tachiquistán]]
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[[az:Tacikistan]]
[[bn:তাজিকিস্তান]]
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[[ba:Тажикстан]]
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[[bo:ཐ་ཇི་ཁེ་སི་ཏན]]
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