A former Soviet republic, Tajikistan plunged into civil war almost as soon as it became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.
A rugged, mountainous country, with lush valleys to the south and north, it is Central Asia's poorest nation.
Tajiks are the country's largest ethnic group, with Uzbeks making up a quarter of the population, over half of which is employed in agriculture and just one-fifth in industry. A third of Tajikistan's population is under 14 years of age.
The Tajik language is very close to Persian, spoken in Iran, and to Dari, spoken in Afghanistan.
Tajikistan has been stable since the end of the civil war which followed independence
At a glance
Politics: President Imomali Rakhmon has been in power since 1992. Elections have been marred by allegations of fraud since the 1990s civil war
Economy: Tajikistan is Central Asia's poorest nation and it depends on oil and gas imports
International: Russia helps Tajikistan with security and economic problems and has a military base in Dushanbe
The five-year civil war between the Moscow-backed government and the Islamist-led opposition, in which up to 50,000 people were killed and over one-tenth of the population fled the country, ended in 1997 with a United Nations-brokered peace agreement.
Tajikistan's economy has never really recovered from the civil war, and poverty is widespread. Almost half of GDP is earned by migrants working abroad, especially in Russia, but the recession in 2009 threatened that income. The country is also dependent on oil and gas imports.
Economic hardship is seen as a contributing to a renewed interest in Islam - including more radical forms - among young Tajiks.
Tajikistan has been accused by its neighbours of tolerating the presence of training camps for Islamist rebels on its territory, an accusation which it has strongly denied.
Tajikistan has relied heavily on Russian assistance to counter continuing security problems and cope with the dire economic situation. Skirmishes with drug smugglers crossing illegally from Afghanistan occur regularly, as Tajikistan is the first stop on the drugs route from there to Russia and the West.
Russia maintains military garrisons in Tajikistan and in 2004 took back control over a former Soviet space monitoring centre. These developments were widely seen as a sign of Russia's wish to counter increased US influence in Central Asia.
Economic ties with neighbouring China are extensive. China has extended credits and has helped to build roads, tunnels and power infrastructure. Chinese firms are investing in oil and gas exploration and in gold mining.
Culture of Tajikistan
Family Celebrating Eid
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, Qurghonteppa, Khorugh and Istaravshan. There are also Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Russian minorities.
The Pamiri people of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in the southeast, bordering Afghanistan and China, though considered part of the 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 Pamiris overwhelmingly follow the Ismaili sect of Islam, and speak a number of Eastern Iranian languages, including Shughni, Rushani, 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.
Tajikistan artisans created the Dushanbe Tea House, which was presented in 1988 as a gift to the sister city of Boulder, Colorado.
Religion in Tajikistan
Sunni Islam of the Hanafi school has been officially recognized by the government since 2009. Tajikistan considers itself a secular state with a Constitution providing for freedom of religion. The Government has declared two Islamic holidays, Id Al-Fitr and Idi Qurbon, as state holidays. According to a U.S. State Department release and Pew research group, the population of Tajikistan is 98% Muslim. Approximately 87%-95% of them are Sunni and roughly 3% are Shia and roughly 7% are non-denominational Muslims.The remaining 2% of the population are followers of Russian Orthodoxy, a variety of Protestant denominations, Catholicism, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism. A 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. Bukharan Jews had lived in Tajikistan since the 2nd century BC, but today almost none are left.
Relationships between religious groups are generally amicable, although there is some concern among mainstream Muslim leaders who? 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 1992–1997 Civil War and then-proponent of the creation of an Islamic state in Tajikistan, constitutes no more than 30% of the government by statute. Membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir, 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 whofeel 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 of 10 or more members, and evidence of local government approval prayer site location. 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. People under the age of 18 are also barred from public religious practice.
Tajikistan Info
TAJIKISTAN is located in the heart of Central Asia. The territory of the country consists 143.1 sq. km. 93% of territory of Tajikistan occupy by mountains with average altitude over 3.000 m. above sea level. The Greenwich mean time is + 5hours.
Tajikistan is nestled in the south-eastern part of Central Asia. In the West and North it borders with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, in the South with Afghanistan, and in the East, in the most mountainous area – with China. Its history is intertwined with that of the neighbouring countries of Central Asia and was connected through the ancient trading route of the Silk Road.
Tajikistan, located in the heart of the Central Asia invites you to immerse yourself into ancient history, to absorb beautiful nature and enjoy unparalleled hospitality of the people of our wonderful country.
CLIMATE of Tajikistan is dry-continental with big variety in different areas. Temperatures change from hot dry deserts in Khatlon region to cold harsh weather at the eastern Pamirs (absolute minimum -63 C). Main amount of precipitations fall from December till march. At the average we have more than 300 sunny days per year.
WATER RESOURSES.
Tajikistan takes the second place among the CIS-countries by water resources. We have the highest water reserves of all Central Asian countries with more than 1,000 rivers, 2,000 lakes and 8,000 glaciers. The glacier area of Tajikistan represents some 50% of all glaciers in Central Asia. The largest mountain glacier in the world, the Fedchenko, is located in the Pamirs of Tajikistan.
LANGUAGE.
Tajikistan is a multilingual country. The official language is Tajik, a member of the Persian group of languages (similar to Dari and Farsi). Russian is designated in the Constitution as a language for interethnic communication. Uzbek is widespread in the north and West of the country. In the Pamirs, several ancient dialects of the Eastern Iranian language family are still spoken.
VISA.
Nationalities of 80 countries can issue tourist visa upon arrival at Dushanbe and Hujand International airports. (you can find more information at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs site: www.mfa.tj and Tourism Committee site: www.visittajikistan.tj).
CUSTOMS.
For export of antiques and/or items of historical and cultural value, special permission is required from the Ministry of Culture. Import of local and international currency is not limited but is subject to declaration on arrival. Export of foreign currency up to a value of US$ 3.000 per person does not need to be declared.
MEDICAL SERVICES.
The state medical treatment facilities are free of charge and available in all districts of Tajikistan. In addition, you can find privately owned medical treatment facilities in Dushanbe and Hujand cities.
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