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د '''تاجکستان جمهوريت''' ([[تاجکي ژبه|تاجکي]]: {{unicode|ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон}}, ''جمهوري تاجکستان'') په [[منځنۍ آسيا]] کې يو هېواد دی چې په غرونو کې کلابند دی. دا هېواد په سهېل کې د [[قرغزستان]] سره, په سوېل کې د [[افغانستان]] سره، په لوېديځه خوا د [[ازبکستان]] سره او په ختيځه خوا کې د [[چين]] سره ګډې پولې لري.
'''Tajikistan''' ({{pron-en|təˈdʒɪkɨstæn}} or {{IPA|/təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/}}; {{lang|tg|Тоҷикистон}} {{IPA-all|tɔd͡ʒikɪsˈtɔn}}), officially the '''Republic of Tajikistan''' ({{lang-tg|Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон}}, ''Jumhurii Tojikiston''), is a mountainous [[landlocked]] country in [[Central Asia]]. [[Afghanistan]] borders it 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 people|Tajik]] ethnic group, who share culture and history with the [[Iranian peoples]] and speak the [[Persian language]] (officially referred to as Tajiki in Tajikistan). 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 Soviet Socialist Republic]] (Tajik SSR). Mountains cover over 90% of this Central Asian republic.
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. Trade in commodities such as [[cotton]] and [[aluminium]] wire has contributed greatly to this steady improvement. In Tajikistan about 20% of the population lives on less than US$1.25 per day.<ref>[http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDI_2008_EN_Tables.pdf UNDP: Human development indices - Table 3: Human and income poverty (Population living below national poverty line (2000-2007))]</ref>
The Guiness Book of Records' holder for the title of "world's greatest quantity of turtles consumed in a single sitting" is Ordric Mercredy, naturalised Tajik but of [[Picayunian]] descent.
== Etymology ==
''Tajikistan'' means the "Land of the Tajiks" in [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]. 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."
Tajikistan frequently appeared as ''Tadjikistan'' or ''Tadzhikistan'' in English, [[Romanization of Russian|transliterated]] from the Russian Таджикистан (in Russian the phoneme /d͡ʒ/ is represented as дж, i.e., ''dzh'' or ''dj''.) 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.
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 [[Tajik people|Tajiks]] and not ethnic [[Uzbeks]], [[Russians]], etc.
Likewise, ethnic Tajiks live in other countries, such as [[China]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Afghanistan]], making the term ambiguous. In addition, elements among the [[Pamiri people|Pamiri]] population in Tajikistan's [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province|Gorno-Badakhshan region]] have at times sought to create an ethnic identity separate from that of the Tajiks.
== History ==
{{main|History of Tajikistan}}
=== Early history ===
{{seealso|Samanid dynasty}}
[[دوتنه:Somoni monument.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Modern Tajiks regard the [[Samanid|Samanid Empire]] as the first Tajik state. This monument in [[Dushanbe]] honors [[Ismail Samani]]<!--[[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 being part of 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]] originally belonged to the ''Ghalcha-speaking area'' of [[Central Asia]].
Acharya [[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 [[Yaghnobi]]'', mainly spoken in [[Pamir languages|Pamirs]] 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 [[Yaghnobi language]], spoken by the [[Yaghnobi people|Yaghnobis]] in the [[Sughd Province]] around the headwaters of [[Zeravshan]] valley, 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 until 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 the Yaghnobi region 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 the Indian [[Kambojas]] till it became part of Persian [[Achaemenid Empire]]. After the Persian Empire was defeated by [[Alexander the Great]], the region became the northern part of Hellenistic [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]].
[[دوتنه:Dushanbe1.JPG|thumb|[[Dushanbe]], the capital of Tajikistan]]
From the last quarter of fourth century BCE until 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 [[Common Era|CE]]. The [[Samanids|Samanid Empire]] [[Iran]]ians supplanted the Arabs and enlarged 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]]. 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]] in the west and the border with [[Afghanistan]] in the south. Tajikistan was eventually carved out of this territory, which historically had a large [[Tajik people|Tajik]] population.
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.
=== 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]]. Between 1926 and 1959 the proportion of [[Russians]] among Tajikistan's population grew from less than 1% to 13%.<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/tajikistan/23.htm Tajikistan - Ethnic Groups], ''U.S. Library of Congress''</ref>
In terms of living conditions, education and industry Tajikistan was behind the other [[Republics of the Soviet Union|Soviet Republics]]. In the 1980s, it had the lowest household saving rate in the USSR,<ref>Boris Rumer, ''Soviet Central Asia: A Tragic Experiment'', Unwin Hyman, London, 1989, p. 126.</ref> the lowest percentage of households in the two top per capita income groups,<ref>''Statistical Yearbook of the USSR 1990'', Goskomstat, Moscow, 1991, p. 115 {{ru icon}}.</ref> and the lowest rate of university graduates per 1000 people.<ref>''Statistical Yearbook of the USSR 1990'', Goskomstat, Moscow, 1991, p. 210 {{ru icon}}.</ref>
[[وېشنيزه:تاجکستان]]
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.
[[وېشنيزه:هېوادونه]]
=== Post-independence ===
{{see also|Civil war in Tajikistan}}
[[دوتنه:Tajikfighter.jpg|thumb|A fighter in Tajikistan during the [[Civil war in Tajikistan|civil war]].]]
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.
[[Emomalii Rahmon]] came to power in 1992, and continues to rule to this day. Ethnic cleansing was controversial during the [[civil war in Tajikistan]]. By the end of the war Tajikistan was in a state of complete devastation. The estimated dead numbered over 50,000. Around 1.2 million people were [[refugee]]s inside and outside of the country.<ref>[http://www.un.org/events/tenstories_2006/story.asp?storyID=600 Tajikistan: rising from the ashes of civil war]. United Nations</ref> In 1997, a [[ceasefire]] was reached between Rahmon and opposition parties ([[United Tajik Opposition]]).
Peaceful elections were held in 1999, but they were reported by the opposition as unfair, and Rahmon 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}}
{{seealso|Elections in Tajikistan|Foreign relations of Tajikistan|Human rights in Tajikistan}}
[[دوتنه:Emomali Rahmonov 2001Nov03.jpg|thumb|left|President of Tajikistan, [[Emomali Rahmon]]]]
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.
"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>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>
Tajikistan is officially a [[republic]], and holds [[elections]] for the [[List of Presidents of Tajikistan|President]] and [[Parliament]]. The latest parliamentary elections occurred in 2005 (two rounds in February and March), and international observers believe that the elections have been corrupt for some time, arousing many accusations from opposition parties that President [[Emomali Rahmon]] manipulates the election process.
The latest presidential election held on [[November 6]], [[2006]] 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 until 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.
Recently Tajikistan gave [[Iran]] its support in the membership bid to join the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]], 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 [[Romanization of Russian|transliteration]] from Russian or NTJ – Ноҳияҳои тобеи ҷумҳурӣ in [[Tajik language|Tajik]]; formerly known as [[Karotegin Province]]). Each region is divided into several districts ({{lang-tg|Ноҳия}}, ''nohiya'' or ''raion''), which in turn are subdivided into ''jamoats'' (village-level self-governing units) and then villages (''qyshloqs''). As of 2006, there were 58 districts and 367 jamoats in Tajikistan.<ref name=pop2008/>
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Division !! [[ISO 3166-2]] !! Capital !! Area (km²)!! Pop (2008)
|-
! [[Sughd]]
| |TJ-SU|| [[Khujand]] || 25,400 || 2,132,100
|-
! [[Region of Republican Subordination]]
| TJ-RR || [[Dushanbe]] || 28,600 || 1,606,900
|-
! [[Khatlon]]
| TJ-KT|| [[Qurghonteppa]] || 24,800 || 2,579,300
|-
! [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province|Gorno-Badakhshan]]
| TJ-BG|| [[Khorugh]] || 64,200 || 218,000
|}
Source: Population and area from State Statistical Committee of Tajikistan.<ref name=pop2008>''Population of the Republic of Tajikistan as of 1 January 2008'', State Statistical Committee, Dushanbe, 2008 {{ru icon}}</ref>
== Geography ==
{{main|Geography of Tajikistan}}
[[دوتنه:Tajikistan satellite photo.jpg|thumb|Satellite photograph of Tajikistan]]
[[دوتنه:Tajikistan OVER.jpg|thumb|Overview Map of Tajikistan]]
[[دوتنه:Tajik mountains edit.jpg|thumb|Mountains of Tajikistan]]
[[دوتنه:Fan Mountains300.jpg|thumb|[[Fann Mountains]]]]
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 (part of the [[Fergana Valley]]), and in the southern [[Kofarnihon River|Kofarnihon]] and [[Vakhsh River|Vakhsh]] river valleys, which form the Amu Darya. [[Dushanbe]] is located on the southern slopes above the Kofarnihon valley.
{|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]]
|}
The [[Amu Darya]] and [[Panj River|Panj]] rivers mark the border with Afghanistan, and the glaciers in Tajikistan's mountains are the major source of [[runoff (water)|runoff]] for the [[Aral Sea]]. There are over 900 rivers in Tajikistan longer than 10 kilometers.
{{anchor|Lakes}}
About 2% of the country's area is covered by lakes, the best known of which are the following:
* [[Ghafurov district|Kayrakum (Qairoqqum) Reservoir]] ([[Sughd]])
* [[Iskanderkul]] ([[Fann Mountains]])
* [[Fann Mountains|Kulikalon]] (Kul-i Kalon) ([[Fann Mountains]])
* [[Nurek Dam|Nurek Reservoir]] ([[Khatlon]])
* [[Kara-Kul]] ({{lang-tg|Qarokul}}; eastern [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
* [[Sarez Lake|Sarez]] ([[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
* [[Shadau Lake]] ([[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
* [[Zorkul]] ([[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]])
Lesser known lakes (all in the [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir region]]) include
* Bulunkul
* Drumkul
* Rangkul
* Sasykkul
* Shorkul
* Turumtaikul
* Tuzkul
* Yashilkul
== Economy ==
{{main|Economy of Tajikistan}}
{{seealso|Agriculture in Tajikistan}}
[[دوتنه:Young Tajikistani dry fruit seller.jpg|thumb|A young man selling [[dried fruit]] at a local market]]
Following the Civil War of 1992 - 1997, Tajikistan was the poorest country in Central Asia as well in the former Soviet Union. 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).
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>
[[دوتنه:Pajakent Bazaar1.jpg|thumb|left|A [[bazaar]] in [[Panjakent]]]]
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.
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}}
[[دوتنه:Old man from Tajikistan.jpg|thumb|Elderly man from Tajikistan]]
Tajikistan has a population of 7,349,145 (July 2009 est.)<ref name="CIAPeople"/>. [[Tajik people|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.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4420922.stm Russians left behind in Central Asia], Robert Greenall, BBC News, 23 November 2005.</ref> In 1989, ethnic Russians made up 7.6% of the population.<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/tajikistan/23.htm Tajikistan - Ethnic Groups]. Source: ''U.S. Library of Congress.''</ref> The [[Pamiri people|Pamiris]] of [[Badakhshan]] are considered to belong to the larger group of Tajiks. All citizens of Tajikistan are called Tajikistanis<ref name="CIAPeople"/>
The official language of Tajikistan is the Tajik language, while [[Russian language|Russian]] is also largely spoken in business and other fields. Despite its poverty, Tajikistan has a high rate of literacy with an estimated 99.5% of the population having the ability to read and write.<ref name="CIAPeople"/> Most of the population follows [[Sunni Islam]], although a sizable number of [[Ismailis]] 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 [[History of Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union|German]] population in Tajikistan was 38,853 in 1979.<ref>[http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/history_culture/history/tajikistan.html Russian-Germans in Tajikistan]. Pohl, J. Otto. "Russian-Germans in Tajikistan." ''Neweurasia'', 29 March 2007.</ref> Nearly one million Tajik men work abroad in 2009.<ref>[http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=122728&d=21&m=5&y=2009 Deployment of Tajik workers gets green light]. Arab News. May 21, 2007.</ref>
The state's 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 government of Tajikistan 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|Public holidays in Tajikistan|Cuisine of Tajikistan}}
[[دوتنه:Celebrating Eid in Tajikistan 10-13-2007.jpg|thumb|left|Tajik family celebrating [[Eid ul-Fitr|Eid]]]]
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 80% of the citizens of Tajikistan. 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 [[Tajik people|Tajik ethnicity]], nevertheless are distinct linguistically and culturally from most [[Tajik people|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]].
Tajikstan artisans created the [[Dushanbe Tea House]], which was presented in 1988 as a gift to the sister city of [[Boulder, Colorado]].<ref>[http://www.boulder-dushanbe.org/teahouse.html The Dushanbe-Boulder tea house]. Retrieved on 2 May 2009</ref>
== Religion ==
{{See also|Religion in Tajikistan|Islam in Tajikistan}}
[[دوتنه:Abdullokhon Mosque Isfara.jpg|thumb|A [[mosque]] in [[Isfara]]]]
Tajikistan claims to be a [[secular state]] with a Constitution providing for freedom of religion. The Government has declared two Islamic holidays, [[Eid ul-Fitr|Id Al‑Fitr]] and [[Eid al-Adha|Idi Qurbon]], as state holidays. According to a 2009 [[U.S. State Department]] release, the population of Tajikistan is 98% [[Muslim]], (approximately 95% [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] and 3% [[Shia]]).<ref>http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5775.htm Background Note: Tajikistan]</ref> The remaining 2% of population are [[Jews]] and [[Russian people|ethnic Russian]] followers of [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]]. The great majority of Muslims fast during Ramadan, although only about one third in the countryside and 10% in the cities observe daily prayer and dietary restrictions.
Relationships between religious groups are generally amicable, although there is some concern among mainstream Muslim leaders that minority religious groups undermine national unity. There is a concern for religious institutions becoming active in the political sphere. The Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), a major combatant in the [[Tajikistan Civil War|1992–1997 Civil War]] and then-proponent of the creation of an [[State religion#Islamic states|Islamic state]] in Tajikistan, constitutes no more than 30% of the government by statute. Membership in [[Hizb ut-Tahrir]] (Party of Emancipation), a party which today aims for a nonviolent overthrow of secular governments and the unification of Tajiks under one Islamic state, is illegal and members are subject to arrest and imprisonment. Numbers of large mosques appropriate for Friday prayers are limited and some feel this is discriminatory.
By law, religious communities must register by the State Committee on Religious Affairs (SCRA) and with local authorities. Registration with the SCRA requires a charter, a list 10 or more members, and evidence of local government approval prayer site location. As noted above, religious groups who do not have a physical structure are not allowed to gather publicly for prayer. Failure to register can result in large fines and closure of [[place of worship]]. There are reports that registration on the local level is sometimes difficult to obtain.<ref>[http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=190 TAJIKISTAN: Religious freedom survey, November 2003] -[[Forum 18]] News Service, [[20 November]] [[2003]]</ref>
== Sport ==
Tajikistan's mountains provide many opportunities for outdoor sports, such as hill walking, mountain biking, and more challenging mountain climbing. Facilities are limited so tourists need to be largely self sufficient and plan carefully. Mountain climbing tours to the [[Fann Mountains]] and the [[Pamir Mountains|Pamirs]], including the 7,000 m peaks in the region, are seasonally organized by local and international alpine agencies.
Football is a popular sport. The [[Tajikistan national football team]] competes in the [[FIFA]] and [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] leagues. It also hosts many football clubs.
== Transport ==
{{main|Transportation in Tajikistan}}
== See also ==
{{portal|Tajikistan|Flag of Tajikistan.svg}}
{{main|Outline of Tajikistan}}
* [[2006 Tajikistan earthquake]]
* [[Central Asian Union]]
* [[Communications in Tajikistan]]
* [[Index of Tajikistan-related articles]]
* [[Ittihodi Scouthoi Tojikiston]]
* [[Kingdom of Balhara]]
* [[List of cities in Tajikistan]]
* [[List of universities in Tajikistan]]
* [[Military of Tajikistan]]
* [[Mount Imeon]]
== References and footnotes ==
{{CIA World Factbook}}<br />
{{loc}}
{{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
* ''Tajikistan and the High Pamirs'' by Robert Middleton, Huw Thomas and Markus Hauser, Odyssey Books, Hongkong 2008 (ISBN 978-962-217-773-4)
== External links ==
{{sisterlinks}}
; Government
* [http://www.prezident.tj/eng/index_eng.htm The President of Tajikistan]
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-t/tajikistan.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members]
; General information
* [http://www.thespektator.co.uk The Spektator - Society, culture and travel articles on Tajikistan and the Central Asian region]
* {{CIA World Factbook link|ti|Tajikistan}}
* [http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/tajikistan.htm Tajikistan] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* {{dmoz|Regional/Asia/Tajikistan}}
* {{wikiatlas|Tajikistan}}
* {{wikitravel}}
* {{wikia|world:Tajikistan|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}}
}}
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{{د منځنۍ آسيا هیوادونه}}
[[وېشنيزه:Tajikistan| ]]
[[وېشنيزه:Central Asian countries]]
[[وېشنيزه:Landlocked countries]]
[[وېشنيزه:Persian-speaking countries and territories]]
[[وېشنيزه:Russian-speaking countries and territories]]
[[وېشنيزه:States and territories established in 1991]]
[[وېشنيزه:Organisation of the Islamic Conference members]]
[[ace:Tajikistan]]
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