Tajikistan – the country that was formerly part of the Soviet Union is up to around 93% covered by mountains.
There are many areas in these mountain regions that have not yet been fully explored, which are over 7,000 m high.
The Tajiks are the only large people in Central Asia who do not belong to the Turkic tribe, but to the Persian-Iranian family of peoples. The culture is predominantly Islamic.
Since the capital Dushanbe resembled a village until the beginning of the last century, one searches largely in vain for historical Tajik buildings. But for nature lovers, the country and its residents offer an incredible variety.
Name of the country | Republic of Tajikistan |
Form of government | Presidential Republic |
Location | Central Asia |
National anthem | Surudi Milli |
Population | about 7.6 million residents (Credit: Countryaah: Tajikistan Population) |
Ethnicities | The main part of the population are Tajiks with around 80%; About 15% are Uzbeks, among the remaining ethnic groups there is a decreasing minority of European-Russian origin with a share of about 1%. |
Religions | Islam (approx. 90% Sunnis, 5% Ismailis) |
Languages | Tajik and Russian |
Capital | Dushanbe |
Surface | 143,100 km² |
Highest mountain | Pik Imeni Ismail Samani with an altitude of 7,495 m |
Longest river | Syr Darja with a length of about 2,200 km |
Largest lake | Karakul with around 380 km² |
International license plate | TJ |
National currency | Somoni (1 somoni = 100 diram) |
Difference to CET | + 4 h |
International phone code | + 992 |
Voltage frequency | 220 volts, 50 hertz |
Internet TLD (Top Level Domain) | .tj |
Tajikistan: history
Tajikistan until around the year 1000
The present-day area of Tajikistan was part of the Iranian Sassanid Empire and the Hunnic Hephtalites until the 6th century. In the 7th and 8th centuries, the Arab-Islamic caliphate incorporated the country into its sphere of influence. During the 9th to 10th centuries, Tajikistan was part of the Iranian Samanid Empire.
Tajikistan from the year 1000 to the 17th century
According to Abbreviationfinder website, in the 11th century, Turkic-Mongolian tribes immigrated to Tajikistan, which remained in power until the 16th century. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the country was part of the Timurid Empire.
Tajikistan in the 18th and 19th centuries
Until 1876, what is now Tajikistan was divided between the Bukhara and Kokand Khanates. Since 1876 Kokand and the northern part of today’s Tajikistan were under Russian rule. The complete Russian annexation of the area finally took place in 1895.
20th century until today
In 1918 Tajikistan was incorporated into the “Autonomous Soviet Republic of Turkestan” and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1924. Tajikistan received the status of an “Autonomous Region”, then that of an “Autonomous Republic” within the Soviet Union Republic of Uzbekistan. In 1929, the Tajik SSR was established with the addition of the Northern Province of Leninabad.
On September 9, 1991, Tajikistan declared independence. However, from April to December 1992 civil war raged in the country. A Popular Front government was formed in Khodzhand in November 1992, after which the government troops won in December 1992.
Large sections of the population then fled at the end of 1992 (around 500,000 refugees, 60,000 of them in Afghanistan). On June 27, 1997, a general agreement on peace and national reconciliation was signed in Moscow by President Rachmonov and opposition leader Nuri, and thus the formal end of the war.