Small and mountainous, the country of Tajikistan lies at the heart of Central Asia. It was a republic of the Soviet Union from 1929 until it gained independence in 1991. Although Tajikistan is a young country, the history of its people dates back to ancient times. The capital is Dushanbe. GeographyTajikistan is a landlocked country, meaning that is has no coastline. It shares borders with Uzbekistan to the west and northwest, Kyrgyzstan to the north, China to the east, and Afghanistan to the south. Tajikistan has an area of 55,300 square miles (143,100 square kilometers). More than 90 percent of Tajikistan is mountainous. The great Tian Shan mountain system of Central Asia reaches into northern Tajikistan. The tallest mountains in the country are in the Pamir range in the east. In the northern part of the Pamirs is Communism Peak, the country's highest point at 24,590 feet (7,495 meters). Named during the Soviet era, it was the highest mountain in the entire Soviet Union. Many of Tajikistan's mountainsides are covered with glaciers. Fedchenko Glacier, with a length of about 48 miles (77 kilometers), is one of the longest glaciers in the world. Severe earthquakes are common in Tajikistan. The country's main rivers are the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya. They are used in irrigation. The climate in Tajikistan varies with elevation. The mountain valleys are hot and dry in the summer. The low mountains are cooler and have more rain. The high mountains are very cold and receive little rain or snow. Plants and animalsTajikistan has extremely varied plant life, with more than 5,000 kinds of flowers alone. Grasses, bushes, and shrubs are the most common forms of vegetation. Great gray lizards, gophers, and the jumping rodent called the jerboa live in the hot, dry lowlands. Deer, tigers, jackals, and wildcats are found in wooded areas. Brown bears live at lower mountain levels, and goats and golden eagles live higher up. People and cultureTajikistan is named after the Tajik people, who make up more than 60 percent of the population. They are of Iranian descent. Their language, also called Tajik, is very similar to the language spoken in Iran. The Tajiks also have close ties to the Uzbeks, who make up about a quarter of Tajikistan's population. The country's other ethnic groups include Russians, Tatars, Germans, and Ukrainians. The Russian language is widely spoken in government and business. Most of the people practice Islam. Most Tajiks live in small villages called qishlaqs. These settlements usually consist of 200 to 700 houses built along an irrigation canal or riverbank. Each qishlaq is connected with an orchard or vineyard. Only about one third of the population lives in urban areas. The largest cities are Dushanbe, in the east, and Khujand, in the northwest. Many of the towns and cities of Tajikistan were posts along the fabled Silk Road, a trade route that linked China, the Middle East, and Europe in ancient times. EconomyTajikistan is among the poorest countries in the world. The economy was severely hurt by a civil war that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Tajikistan depends heavily on economic aid from other countries. More than 60 percent of Tajikistan's labor force works in agriculture, which requires the use of irrigation. Cotton is a major export. The heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in growing cotton has caused pollution and health problems among the population. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are also grown, but Tajikistan must still import grain and flour. The herding of sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs is an important part of the rural economy. Industry in Tajikistan is based largely on the processing of agricultural products. Cotton milling, textile production, and food processing are important activities. The country's factories also manufacture metal products such as looms and power equipment, metal-cutting machine tools, chemicals, and cement. Tajikistan's rich mineral deposits include copper, lead, gold, coal, oil, and natural gas. Aluminium is the country's leading export. HistoryThe earliest Tajik settlers were living in the area that is now Tajikistan by about 2,500 years ago. These settlers were descendants of the people of Persia, or modern-day Iran. Living along the Silk Road trade route between China and markets to the west, the Tajiks established powerful trading states. In ancient times these states were part of the Persian Empire and then the Greek Empire established by Alexander the Great. In the 7th and 8th centuries AD Arabs conquered the region and converted the people to Islam. Beginning in AD 999 Turkic peoples invaded from the northeast and overtook the land. They introduced their language and culture to the area, influencing the Tajiks. Many Tajiks, however, continued to speak the Persian language of their Iranian ancestors. In the 13th century the Mongols seized control of the region. But in the 15th century the Uzbeks, a Turkic people, took back the land. They ruled until the 18th century, when the Afghan people conquered the area. Russian and Soviet ruleRussia took control of the region in the 1860s and 1870s. After the fall of the Russian Empire in the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Tajiks fought for independence from the newly formed Soviet Union. They were unsuccessful. In 1924 the Soviets made the territory into a republic called Tajikistan, which was included in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1929 Tajikistan became the separate Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic. Soviet rule was harsh in Tajikistan as it was elsewhere. Nevertheless, the Soviets did bring industry to Tajikistan. They also greatly improved health care and education in the republic. IndependenceWith the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Tajikistan became an independent country. However, the Communists who controlled the country during Soviet rule continued to dominate the government. In 1992 fighting broke out between the government and opposition forces, which included Islamic rebels as well as groups who wanted democratic change in the government. The fighting led many Tajiks to flee to Afghanistan. The civil war continued until a peace treaty was signed in 1997. In the following years the country's government slowly became more open to opposition groups. Population (2000 estimate), 6,312,000. |