Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Climate
Midlatitude continental hot summers mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Natural Hazards
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Note:
Landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak) was the tallest mountain in the former USSR
The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Much of present-day Sughd province was transferred from the Uzbek SSR to the newly formed Tajik SSR in 1929. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Sughd province. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992-97. There have been no major security incidents in recent years although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community since the beginning of the NATO intervention in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development and security assistance which could create jobs and strengthen stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace. Read more on Wikipedia
