| Tajikistan |
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| Geography |
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Tajikistan is bordered by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the north, Afghanistan to the south and China to the east. 93% of the republic is occupied by mountains, most notably by the sparsely populated Pamir Mountains, which include Pik Kommunizma (7495m/24,590ft), the highest point of the former Soviet Union. The mountainous terrain means that in winter it is impossible to reach the east or the north of the country by road without taking a detour through Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In the fertile plains of the south-west, cotton dominates the agriculture. In the north, the Khojand (formerly Leninabad) region, cotton and silk are the main crops
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| Area |
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143,100 sq. km
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| Population |
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6,000,000
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| People |
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64,9% Tajik
25,0% Uzbek
3,5% Russian
6,6% Other
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| Languages |
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Tajik is the official language, an ancient Persian language similar to the languages of Iran and Afghanistan. In the Pamir Mountains, there are at least five different languages, all related to an even more ancient form of Iranian. Russian is widely used (35% of the population speak Russian fluently), and discrimination against Russian speakers is prohibited by law. Uzbek is also spoken. English is frequently spoken by those involved in tourism.
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| Religion |
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Predominantly Sunni Muslim with a large Ishmaeli minority in the Pamir and a smaller and shrinking Russian Orthodox minority. There is also a small Jewish community.
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| Climate |
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Because of the distance from the sea and the shelter of the Pamir and Himalaya ranges to the south and southeast, it is a rather dry region considering its height. Winters are cold but spring comes earlier than farther north.
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