Tajikistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia that borders Afghanistan to the south, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and northwest. The ancient Silk Road passed through it.
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UnderstandClimateMidlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains TerrainThe Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate Tajikistan's landscape. The western Fergana Valley is in north, and the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in the southwest. The country's lowest point is at Syr Darya (300 m), and it's highest point is at Qullai Ismoili Somoni (7,495 m) HistoryTajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, and implemented in 2000. The central government's less than total control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise and forge alliances among factions. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs and increase 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. Get inBy carPrivate cars and minivans run between Samarkand in Uzbekistan and Penjikent daily. From Osh in Kyrgyzstan minivans go to Murgab every few days for $15; hitch hiking on Kamaz trucks and ZIL petrol tankers is also possible anywhere enroute for $10. By planeThere are flights from Moscow's Domodedovo airport to Dushanbe on Tajikistan Airlines, Domodedovo Airlines, and Samara Airlines. There are also flights to Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kabul, Urumchi, Dubai, Tehran, Mashad, Istanbul, and Munich. By busBy boatBy trainGet aroundBy minivanScheduled minivans run between the major cities but otherwise hiring a vehicle or sharing one with other passengers is the only way to travel around the country. Prices are generally per person, not for the vehicle and divided by the number of passengers. By planeAs the country is broken into many isolated areas by mountain passes that are closed in winter travel during this time is by air only if the planes are flying. TalkTajik is the main official language, but Russian is also an official language and most city-dwellers speak it better than Tajik. Buy
EatDrinkSleepLearnWorkStay safeSome factional fighting spilling over from nearby Afghanistan (as well as local warlordism) still occurs in Tajikistan. Visitors should keep abreast of the security situation and not take any unneccessary risks. Stay healthyRespectContactCopeEmbassies
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