Tajikistan is a landlocked mountainous country in Central Asia bordered by Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. Most of the population belongs to the Tajik ethnic group who speak Persian and have historically been part of Persian empires. After being part of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union, Tajikistan declared independence in 1991 but descended into a civil war. It now has a president and parliament but elections are considered unfair. The economy remains poor relying on cotton and aluminum exports.

1. TAJIKISTAN

2. Tajikistan
Tajikistan officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a
mountainous landloked country in Center Asia.
Afganistan borders to the south, Uzbekistan to the west,
Kyrgyzstan to the north, and People's Republic of China
to the east. Tajikistan also lies adjacent to Pakistan but is
separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. Most of
Tajikistan's population belongs to the Tajik ethnic group,
who share culture and history with the Iranian peoples
and speak the Persian language.

3. Tajikistan

4. Etymology
Tajikistan means the "Land of the Tajiks" in Persian.
Some believe the name Tajik is a geographic reference
to the crown (Taj) of the 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. According to some other sources, the
name Tajik refers to a group of people who are believed
to be one of the pure and close descendents of the
ancient Aryans.

5. Etymology

6. Early history
The territory of what is now Tajikistan has been inhabited
continuously since 4000 before Christ. It has been under
the rule of various empires throughout history, for the
longest period being part of the Persian Empire. From
the last quarter of fourth century before Christ until the
first quarter of the second century before Christ, it was
part of the Bactrian Empire, from whom it was passed on
to Scythian Tukharas and hence became part of
Tukharistan. Arabs brought Islam in the 7th century
Common Era. The Samanid Empire Iranians 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).

7. Early history

8. Russian presence
In the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to spread into
Central Asia during the Great Game. Between 1864 and 1885
it gradually took control of the entire territory of Russian
Turkestan from today's border with Kazakhstan in the north to
the Caspian Sea. Tajikistan was eventually carved out of this
territory, which historically had a large Tajik population.
After the 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 mosques and villages were burned down and the
population heavily suppressed. Soviet authorities started a
campaign of secularization, practicing Muslims, Jews, and
Christians were persecuted, and mosques, churches, and
synagogues were closed.

9. Russian presence

10. Soviet
Tajikistan
In 1924, the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
was created as a part of Uzbekistan, but in 1929 the
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 behind the other Soviet
Republics. 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.

11. Soviet
Tajikistan

12. Post-Independence
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. 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.

13. Post-Independence

14. Politics
Almost immediately after independence, Tajikistan was
plunged into a 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.
Tajikistan is officially a republic, and holds elections for the
President and Parliament. The latest parliamentary elections
occurred in 2005 (two rounds in February and March), 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.

15. Politics

16. Administrative divisions
Tajikistan consists of 4 administrative divisions. These
are the provinces of Sughd and Khatlon, the autonomous
province of Gorno-Badakhshan, and the Region of
Republican Subordination. Each region is divided into
several districts, which in turn are subdivided into
jamoats (village-level self-governing units). As of 2006,
there were 58 districts and 367 jamoats in Tajikistan.

17. Administrative divisions

18. Geography
Tajikistan is landlocked, and is the smallest nation in
Central Asia by area. It is covered by mountains of the
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 (part
of the Fergana Valley), and in the southern Kofarnihon
and Vakhsh river valleys, which form the Amu Darya.
Dushanbe is located on the southern slopes above the
Kofarnihon valley.

19. Geography

20. Economy
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. 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.

21. Economy

22. Demographics
Tajikistan has a population of 7,215,700 (January 2008
est.). Tajiks who speak the Tajik language (a variety of
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. Pamiris of Badakhshan are considered to
belong to larger group of Tajiks. 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 Ismailis are present as
well.

23. Demographics

24. Culture
The Culture of Tajikistan has developed over several
thousand years. Historically, Tajiks and Persians come
from very similar stock with a mutual language and are
related as part of the larger group of Iranian peoples.
Tajik culture can be divided into two areas, Metropolitan
and Kuhiston(Highland). Ancient towns such as Bukhara,
Samarkand, Herat, Balkh and Nishopur Khiva are no
longer part of the country. More modern centres include
Dushanbe (the capital), Khudjand, Kulob, Panjikent and
Istarvshan.

25. Culture

26. Joker Hero of Tajikistan
Nasreddin Afandi is a legendary Tajik satirical joker figure
who lived during the Middle Ages (around 13th century). His
name is spelled differently in various cultures and is often
preceded or followed by titles "Hodja", "Mullah". Nasreddin
was a populist philosopher and wise man, remembered for his
funny stories and anecdotes.
Much of Nasreddin's actions can be described as illogical yet
logical, rational yet irrational, bizarre yet normal, foolish yet
sharp, and simple yet profound. What adds even further to his
uniqueness is the way he gets across his messages in
unconventional yet very effective methods in a profound
simplicity.

27. Joker Hero of Tajikistan
Two sides of a river
Nasreddin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to
him from the opposite side:
- "Hey! how do I get to the other side?"
- "You are on the other side!" Nasreddin shouted back.