Tajikistan Location:
38°33'N, 68°48'E
Tajikistan (IPA: [to?ik?s'ton] or [t???ik?s't?n]), officially, the Republic of Tajikistan (Tajik: ???????? ??????????) is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. It borders Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east. Most of Tajikistan's population belongs to the Tajik ethnic group, who share culture and history with the Iranians and Afghans, and speak the Tajik language. Once the location of the Samanid Empire, Tajikistan became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union in the 20th century, known as the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic.
Tajikistan 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 which is part of the Fergana Valley, and in the southern Kafirnigan and Vakhsh valleys which form the Amu Darya and have much higher rainfall. Dushanbe is located on the southern slopes above the Kafirnigan valley.
The Amu Darya and Panj rivers mark the border with Afghanistan, and Tajikistan's mountains are the major source of runoff for the Aral Sea
Tajikistan People:
Population
- July 2006 estimate 7,320,0001 (100th1)
- 2000 census 6,127,000
- Density 45 /km2 (151st)
117 /sq mi
Tajikistan Government:
Government Unitary state
- President Emomali Rahmon
- Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov
Tajikistan 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 aluminum, 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.[2] Tajikistan is an active member of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
A new bridge between Afghanistan and Tajikistan is being built right now which will help the country to have access to trade lines with South Asia. This will reduce prices on many imported goods. It will also make it easy for the people of Tajikistan to travel by roads to nearby South Asian countries. Previously, there was no such bridge between the two countries. The bridge is being built by the United States.[3]
Tajikistan More Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajikistan | 
