If
yetis exist, they exist in Tajikistan. Ever since a meteor
smashed into the high Pamirs 10 million years ago and left
a crater lake now known as Karakul (east part of the country),
Tajikistan has known better than to separate the natural
and the supernatural. Nine tenths of this untamed frontiers
land is mountain. Half of it, including nearly 10,000 square
km, is over 3000 m.high, the domain of the yak, the eagle,
the snow leopard and, mountain dwellers solemnly attest,
the abominable snowman. Tajiks are of Indo-Europian rather
than Altaic stock, and their langguage is Pershian, not
Turkic.
Tajikistan is an ancient state situated in the south-east
of Central Asia. Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic lie
to the west and north, China and Afganistan to the east
and south.
The Republic of Tajikistan is not large, occupying an area
of 143 thousand square kilometers(350 kms from north to
south,and 700 kms from west to east).The more than 6 million
population of Tajikistan is ethnically diverse. While Tajics
comprise more than 70% of the population, almost 70 other
nationalities live in Tajikistan. These nationalities include
Uzbeks, Russians, Kyrghyz, Tartars, and Ukrainians among
others. The state language of the country is Tajik and Russian
also used for documentary as well. More than 90% of the
population is muslim. The people are known for their industrious
nature, settled way of life,devotion to family, children,
native land and home.They are very hospitable, kind-hearted,
friendly, and respect their customs and traditions.Life
in an area situated at the main crossroads of eastern civilization
has given them continiuous access to the achievments of
other cultures. The first settlement on the territory of
today's Tajikistan date back to the end of upper paleolithic
period(15-20 thousand years ago) Archeological finds, the
works of Herodotus and other written evidence provide information
on trading relations, customs, and the rituals of the nation.For
many centuries the country, involved mainly in trading with
neughbours suffered from foreign invasions by the troops
of Alexander the Great, steppe nomads, Arabs and Tartar-Mongols.
The first Tajik satte emerged in 892, getting independent
from Arab Khalif. The development which began in the Somonid
Epoch,was characterized by the restoration and fortification
of war-raveged cities and greater attention to the culture,
art and architecture. Samanid state brought to the world
the most famous scientists and philosophers - Abu Ali Ibn
Sina (Avicenna), tajiks also venerate Firdousi,a poet and
composer of the Shah-nameh(Book of Kings), the persian national
epic,and Omar Khaiyam.
Tajikistan is remarkable for it's variety and contrasting
nature conditions.It is determined by it's being far from
oceans in the zone of Euroasia and mountainious relif. In
summer the temperature is 30-40 degrees above zero in the
plains and in winter time is 8-10 degrees below zero but
in mountain area is cold.93% of the territory of Tajikistan
is covered by mountains, among them the highest - the Pamirs
where there are the biggest mountain chains of Asia - Karakorum,Kuenlin
and Hindikush.The Pamirs is called the "Roof of the
World", because some of it's peaks rise to a height
of 7495 ms above sea level.It is the peak of Ismoil Somoni.
There is also the highest mountain salty lake Karakul and
the biggest ice-glacier Fedchenko(77 kms).
The climate of Tajikistan is very different. It is subtropical
in low valleys,it is temperate in middle circles of mountains
and cold in high mountains. For that reason, it is possible
to grow most sunloving cultures(including citric plants)and
get 2-3 harvests per year. In high mountains of Tajikistan
there are great supplies of ice and snow. Tajikistan is
also rich of lakes. Among them the famous - Iskanderkul
named after Alexander the Great,lake - "Seven bellies"
of Fann mountains.
Rugged and mountainious, Tajikistan sits at the heart
of Central Asia with China to the east and the Indian sub-continent
to the south.Three major Silk Road routes ran through it's
present day territory. These three routes were the Sogdian,
or the North Road,which connected Samarkand and Kashgar(China);
the Karategin Road between Termez(Uzbekistan), and Kashgar;
and the Pamir Road linking Balkh(Afganistan) and Tashkurgan(China).
There
are 22 cities and towns in Tajikistan. Cities such as Khojand
(Alexandria-extreme), Ura-Tube (Ustrashana) and Penjikent
are among the most ancient settlements in the east. Most of
these cities date back more than 2500 years. Tajikistan is
divided into a number of administrative regions, or “oblast”.
The Leninabad oblast, the center of which is the city of Khojand,
has population of 1.9 million. The Khatlon oblast, with Kurgan-Tube
as its main center, has population of almost 2.0 million.
The autonomous oblast of Gorno-Badakhshan, whose capital is
Khorog, is home to 200 thousand people. Finally, the Districts
of Republican Subordination have a population just under 1.4
million people.
The Tajiks are one of the most
ancient peoples of the world. Life in an area situated at
the main crossroads of eastern civilization has given them
continuous access to the achievements of other cultures. The
first settlement on the territory of today’s Tajikistan date
back to the end of upper Paleolithic period (15-20 thousand
years ago). Archaeological finds,
the works of Herodotus and other written evidence provide
information on trading relations, customs, and rituals of
the nation. For many centuries the country, involved mainly
in trading with neighbors suffered from foreign invasions
by the troops of Alexander the Great, steppe nomads, Arabs
and Tartar-Mongols.
The first Tajik state emerged
in 892, providing independence from the Arab Khalif. The development
which began in the Somonid epoch, was characterized by the
restoration and fortification of war-ravaged cities and greater
attention to culture, art and architecture. Somonid state
brought to the world the most famous scientists and philosophers
- Abu Ali ibn-Sina
( known in the west as Avicenna), Tajiks also venerate Firdausi,
a poet and composer of the Shah-named ( Book of Kings), the
Persian national epic, and Omar Khayyam. In 1999 Tajikistan
is going to celebrate 1100 anniversary of the first Tajik
State and we invite everyone to participate in this tremendous
event.
In October 1924 Tajikistan became
an Autonomous Republic of the Soviet Union, and in 1929 a
Union Republic. After the collapse of the Soviet Union Tajikistan
chose to create a sovereign, democratic, secular, constitutional
state, and declared its independence on September, 9, 1991.
Tajikistan
is remarkable for its variety and contrasting nature conditions.
It is determined by it’s being far from oceans in the zone
of Eurasia and mountainous relief. In summer the temperature
is 30-40 degrees above zero in the plains and in winter time
it is 8-10 degrees below zero but in mountain area is cold.
Nearly the half of territory of Tajikistan is occupied by
the highest mountains of Central Asia - the Pamirs where there
are the biggest mountain chains of Asia - Karakorum, Kuenlun
and Hindukosh. The Pamirs is called the “ Roof of the World”because
some of its peaks rise to a height of more than seven thousand
meters above sea level. The snow-caped Peak Ismoil Somoni
( former peak “Communism”) reaches height of 7495 meters.
There is also the highest mountain salty lake Karakul and
the biggest glacier Fedchenko (77 km.). In August 1999 the
International mountain climbing expedition was arranged dedicated
to the 1100 anniversary of Samanid’s state, in which more
then 75 climbers from 13 COUNTRIES participated.
The climate of Tajikistan is
very different. Its subtropical in low valleys, it is temperate
in middle circles of mountains and cold in high mountains.
That’s why it is possible to grow most sun loving cultures
( including citric plants) and get 2-3 harvests per year.
In high mountains of Tajikistan there are great supplies of
ice and snow. Tajikistan is also rich of lakes. There are
about 1300 of them with general area 700 square km. Among
them the famous - Iskanderkul named after Alexander the Great,
lake - “Seven beautiful ladies”located in Fan mountains.
Rugged and mountainous,
Tajikistan sits at the heart of Central Asia with China to
the east and the Indian sub-continent to the south. Three
major Silk Road routes ran through its present day territory.
These three routes were the Sogdian, or North Road, which
connected Samarkand and Kashgar (China); the Karategin Road
between Termez (Uzbekistan) and Kashgar; and the Pamir Road
linking Balkh (Afganistan) and Tashkurgan (China).
ABOUT KHUJAND
Central Asia was also the field of battles,where Alexander
the
Great with his troops entered through the west and invaded
almost
the whole Central Asia.The last bulwark of Alexander the
Great was
Khudjand.The age of the ancient town Khudjand is 2500 years
and in the
times of greecs invasion it was called "Alexandria
Eskhata".
From the east there was the invasion of Chingizkhan.The
troops of
Tatar-mongol hordes for a long time stayed at the gates
of Khujand,
and the ruler of the town XII cc., Temurmalik kept the fortress
of
the town for a long.One can see the ruins of that fortress
in our ti-
mes as the symbol of heroism. At it's height,the city was
a renowed religious centre and today the magnificent citadel,mausoleum
of Sheikh Muslihitdin and an XVIII-cc.,mosque are among
the monuments which attract visitors.
Geographically Khujand is situated along the picturesque
river
of Syrdarya,on both it's banks and is called "The Gates
of Fergana Val-
vey".
Today Khujand is the developed scientific,cultural and economic
centre of Northern Tajikistan.There preserved also some
ancient monu-
ments of history,religion and the culture.
Welcome to ancient Penjikent,it is sogdian city which flourished
from the V-cc to VIII-cc.A.D.It is so well preserved it
has been dubbed "Central Asia's Pompei".An opulent
governor's palace,houses,and temples can be seen.At one
time Sogddiana controlled a key section of the Silk Road,but
in the VIII-cc., empire collapsed and the people fled to
the mountains.Descendants of this ancient kingdom still
live in the more remote regions of present day Tajikistan
named Yagnob Valley and still spoke a remote dialect of
Sogdian.The ancient Sarazm,some 20 kms from Penjikent,is
one of the most ancient settlements of Central Asia,dating
from Neolyth period.
Uroteppa is one of the most ancient and beautiful cities
in Tajikistan and it's long history includes capture by
Alexander the Great.Besides a number of mosques,museums
and medresses,the surrounding region also contains rich
archeological treasures,including the city Shahristan.
Besides it's Silk Road sites,this robust and remote country
boasts the Pamir Mountain range,sometimes called"The
Roof of the World".From here spread the three great
ranges of Central Asia - the Hindikush, the Karakorums,and
the Tien-Shan.
THE HIGHEST PEAKS OF TAJIKISTAN
SAMANID'S(Formerly Communizm) peak(7495) - huge ice massive
with gigantic rocky tower above is the highest summit in
the Pamir.It is situated at the crosspoint of Akademia Nauk
and the Pyotr Perviy ridges - so far remote district that
explorers could find access after 20 years research only.The
first mountaineers conquered in 1993 the peak" 7495"(that
"peak Stalin" - "peak Communizm").Now
there are abundance of different complexity grade routes
on the top.Most popular and safe way - over Dushanbe Peak(6950ms)from
big Pamir Plateau.
EUGENIA KORZHENEVSKI PEAK(7105) - is
situated a little to the north of Samanid's peak(13kms),also
in the Academia Nauk ridge system.The first mountaineers
conquerred this peak only in 1953.
Now there are about 10 different complexity grade routes
on the top.
LENIN Peak(7134) - gigantic snow-covered
mountain massive is situated in the northern part of Pamir
in Zaalaisky range and it is considered to be one of the
most easiest seven-thousanders which you can ascend without
special training and high - altitude climbing experience.
After the first ascent in 1928 climbers have used the abundance
of different complexity grade routes.Everyone can choose
a suitable route for his technical and physical abilities.Even
not very skilled climbers have the chance to conquer this
peak.Lenin peak slopes are the ideal site for the ski descend(from
the top to the Lenin glacier,altitude difference about 2,5
km) and paragliding.
KHAN-TENGRI Peak(6995) - that looks like
gigantic ice pyramyd is located in the eastern part of the
Tengri-tag range in Central Pamir.After the first ascent
in 1931 climbers have used more than 10 difficult routes
from all four sides.But not all new routes have been discovered.
POBEDA(VICTORY) PEAK(7439) - the highest
summit of the snowcovered wall,stretching for nearly 30
kms.Between Khan-Tengry and Pobeda summits(20kms) there
is one of the longest glacier in the world.Yuzhny Inilchek(it's
length exseeds 60 kms).Pobeda Peak is the most northern
seventhousander on earth.This mountain is covered with amounts
of ice and it's slopes are covered with snow.Strong winds
challenge mountaineers and raise snowstorm even in good
weather.Experienced climbers affirm that the ascent of Pobeda
Peak can be compared with the conquest of Himalaya'' peaks.The
first mountaineers conquerred in 1938 the formerly unknown
peak.In 1944 the peak got it's name - Pobeda(Victory).
There are some difficult routes on the top - on the centre
of the northern slope,on the eastern crest from Chon-Teren
pass and along the most safe way - over west Pobeda(Vazha
Pshavela)from the Diky pass(start from Zvyozdichka glacier
icefall 4500m,altitude difference about 3 km,icefall and
steep snow in lower section(Diky Pass),very steep ice and
rocky ascent along northern ridge of West Pobeda(6918ms),long
traverce of the western crest(4kms) at an altitude 7000
ms.
PAMIR -ALAY MOUNTAINS
PAMIR-ALAY is buffer zone separating Tien Shan and Pamir
and consists of two main ridges Zaalaisky in the East and
Zeravshansky in the West.
ZERAVSHANSKY RIDGE begins from the junction with two ridges
Alaisky and Turkestansky where mountain area Matcha is situated,towards
west - Fann mountains.
MATCHA is a country of magnificent contrast,exotic and legends.Relic
Juniper forests and raising up to sky 4000-5000 ms peaks
are neubours to alpine meadows and grandiose ice falls,turquoise
lakes and rocky obstruction.The visitors of this "country"
will see Karakul-Katta lake - black "pearl" of
Matcha
And unique Raygorodsky ice fall,appreciate the true value
of valleys and rivers of Kshemys, Nurlou, Kalay-Mahmud.
There are good possibilities of making trekkings and ascents.
The Fann mountains is the name of a mountain
massif which forms part of the Pamir-Alay and is situated
in the very heart of Central Asia,which lie in 200 kms east
of Samarkand.
The Fann mountains boast more than ten peaks with a height
of over 5000 meters.Beatiful Mt.Chimtarga(5487ms) is the
highest peak in the area.
The banks of the numerous crystal-clear lakes are overgrown
with forests of relic archa-tree,which can be found only
here.The trunks of the ancient archa tree wound into a spiral
by the severe winter winds,produce an unforgettable impression
by their fancy forms.Birch trees,poplars,mountain blue barberry,
wild cherry trees and many medicinal herbs grow in the valleys.
Due to it's fine climate, this area is very attractive for
trekkers,hikers,climbers,lovers of outings on horseback,
etc. Rains, cloudy skies, or strong winds are rather rera
here.The time from June to September is the most favourable
for travels.
The tour company "Mountain Travels and CAT" invites
it's clents to get an idea of life,customs,traditions,and
handicrafts of the local people. This can be mostly done
on the road to Tourizm-mountain climbing centre.
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
Data code: TI
Government type: republic
Capital: Dushanbe
Administrative divisions: 2 oblasts (viloyatho, singular—viloyat)
and one autonomous oblast* (viloyati mukhtori); Viloyati
Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshoni* (Khorugh—formerly Khorog),
Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa—formerly Kurgan-Tyube), Viloyati
Leninobod (Khujand—formerly Leninabad)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
Independence:
9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: National Day, 9 September (1991)
Constitution: 6 November 1994
International organization participation: CCC, CIS, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM, ITU, OIC, OPCW,
OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WtrO (observer)
Flag description: three horizontal sTRIPes of red (top),
a wider sTRIPe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted
by seven five-pointed gold stars is located in the center
of the white sTRIPe
Tajikistan - The Country
Itself
Tajikistan is a newly-independent republic on the southern
tip of what used to be Soviet Central Asia. Beautiful and
remote, Tajikistan has much to offer to the mountaineer,
the hiker and the independent traveller in search of remote
locations and unusual cultural experiences. There are opportunities
for alpine mountaineering, rock climbing, water sports,
riding, walking, fishing, or simply relaxing among dramatic
mountains and lakes.
Most enticing for the mountaineer are the
three giants of the Pamirs: Peak Somoni, Peak Lenin and
Peak Korzhenevskaya. For alpine climbing, high level walking
tours and lakeland scenery the Fann mountains, just across
the border from Samarkand, are especially popular.
Tajikistan transportation
Railways:
total: 480 km in common carrier service; does not include
industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
total: 13,700 km
paved: 11,330 km (note—these roads are said to be hard-surfaced,
meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel
surfaced)
unpaved: 2,370 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines: natural gas 400 km (1992)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1994 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 45
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 36 (1994 est.)
Tajikistan Communications
Telephones: 303,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: poorly developed and not well maintained;
many towns are not reached by the national network domestic:
cable and microwave radio relay
international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay
to other CIS republics, and by leased connections to the
Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by
Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey);
satellite earth stations—1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: 1 state-owned radio broadcast
station of NA type
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0 (there are, however, repeaters
that relay programs from Russia, Iran, and Turkey) (1997)
Tajikistan People & Geography
Population: 6,102,854 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41% (male 1,250,344; female 1,224,355)
15-64 years: 55% (male 1,661,488; female 1,681,839)
65 years and over: 4% (male 122,065; female 162,763) (1999
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.43% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 27.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 7.85 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999
est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 114.78 deaths/1,000 live births (1999
est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.28 years
male: 61.15 years
female: 67.57 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.48 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups: Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining
because of emigration), other 6.6%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%
Languages: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government
and business
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.)
Language
The most commonly-spoken language in Tajikistan today is
not Russian, but Tajiki, a complete reversal of the situation
in Soviet times. Tajiki is a Persian dialect, mutually intelligible
with modern Farsi (spoken in Iran) and Dari (spoken in Northern
Afghanistan).
Russian is still widely used and understood, especially
in Dushanbe. The republic's third language is Uzbek, spoken
by the quarter of the population who are ethnic Uzbek, and
also by many Tajiks.
In the Pamirs, there are many small tribal groups who have
their own languages, also Persian-based, but not mutually
intelligible with Tajiki. Tajiki is used as the inter-tribal
language.
Tajikistan Geography
Location: Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 71 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
total: 143,100 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km
water: 400 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
total: 3,651 km
border COUNTRIES: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan
870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Climate: midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters;
semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain: Pamir and Alay mountains dominate landscape; western
Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in
southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Syrdariya 300 m
highest point: Qullai I.Somoni (former Kommunizm) -7,495
m
Natural resources: significant hydropower potential, some
petroleum, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten
Land use: arable land: 6% ; permanent pastures: 25% ;forests
and woodland: 4% ;other: 65% (1993 est.) Irrigated land:
6,390 sq km (1993 est.)
Environment—current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities;
increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution;
excessive pesticides; part of the basin of the shrinking
Aral Sea suffers from severe overutilization of available
water for irrigation and associated pollution
Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Tajikistan Economy
Economy—overview: Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP
among the former Soviet republics. Agriculture dominates
the economy, with cotton the most important crop. Mineral
resources, varied but limited in amount, include silver,
gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry consists only of a
large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete
factories mostly in light industry and food processing.
The Tajikistani economy has been gravely weakened by five
years of civil conflict and by the loss of subsidies from
Moscow and of markets for its products. Tajikistan thus
depends on aid from Russia and Uzbekistan and on international
humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence
needs. Even if the peace agreement of June 1997 is honored,
the country faces major problems in integrating refugees
and former combatants into the economy. Moreover, constant
political turmoil and the continued dominance by former
communist officials have impeded the introduction of meaningful
economic reforms. Still in a post-conflict status, the future
of Tajikistan's economy and the potential for attracting
foreign investment depend upon stability and progress in
the peace process.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5.3% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$990 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 35%
services: 40% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 46.3% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.9 million (1996)
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture and forestry 52%,
manufacturing, mining, and construction 17%, services 31%
(1995)
Unemployment rate: 5.7% includes only officially registered
unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers
and unregistered unemployed people (December 1998)
Industries: aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers,
cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators
and freezers
Industrial production growth rate: 8% (1998 est.)
Electricity—production: 13.555 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 4.09%
hydro: 95.91%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 12.555 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 3.8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 2.8 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables;
cattle, sheep, goats
Exports: $740 million (1998 est.)
Exports—commodities: cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable
oil, textiles
Exports—partners: FSU 78%, Netherlands (1994)
Imports: $810 million (1998 est.)
Imports—commodities: fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport
equipment, textiles, foodstuffs
Imports—partners: FSU 55%, Switzerland, UK (1994)
Debt—external: $1 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $64.7 million (1995)
Currency: the Tajikistani ruble (TJR) = 100 tanga
Exchange rates: Tajikistani rubles (TJR) per US$1—998 (January
1999), 350 (January 1997), 284 (January 1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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