General information on Tajikistan. Climate. Geography. Mountains

• Capital city: Dushanbe 38°33′N, 68°48′E - is the largest city
• Official language – Tajik
• Demonym – Tajik
• Government – Unitary presidential republic
• President - Emomalii Rahmon
• Prime Minster – Oqil Oqilov
• Establishment of the Samanid Empire 875 AD
• Declared – September 9. 1991
• Completed – December 25. 1991
• Area Total 143,100 sq. km.
• Water (%) 0,3
• Population January 2006 - 6,920,300
• Currency - Somoni
• Time zone +5
• Internet - .tj
• Calling code +992

Geography

Ninety-three percent of Tajikistan`s territory is mountainous, and the mountain glaciers are the source of its rivers. Tajikistan is an earthquake-prone area. The republic is bounded by China in the east, Afghanistan to the south, and Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to the west and north. The central Asian republic also includes the Gorno-Badakh Shan Autonomous region. Tajikistan is slightly larger than the state of Illinois.

Mountains of Tajikistan

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.

Mountains:

• Ismoil Somoni Peak ( Communism Peak) 7495 m
• Ibn Sina Peak 9Lenin Peak) 7134 m
• Peak Korjenevskaja 7105 m
• Independence Peak (Revolution) 6974 m
• Karl Marx Peak 6726 m
• Mayakovskiy Peak 6096 m
• The Amu Darya and Pjanj rivers mark the border with Afghanistan, and Tajikistan`s mountains are the major source of runoff for the Aral Sea

About 1 % of the country`s area is covered by lakes:

•  Kuli Kalon (Fan Mountains)
• Iskanderkul (Gissar Range)
• Nurek Reservuar (Khatlom Province)
• Kara-Kul (Tajik: Qarokul; located in eastern Pamir)
• Sarez (Pamir)
• Shorkul (Pamir)
• Yashikul (Pamir)
• Zorkul (Pamir)