Tajikistan is a patchwork of self-contained valleys and regional contrasts, forged together by Soviet nation-building and shared pride in a Persian cultural heritage that is claimed as the oldest and most influential in the Silk Road region.

It has emerged from post-independence turmoil to be safe, stable and scenically spectacular. Travel is a grade harder here than most places in the region, but if you are ready to take things as they come, Tajikistan offers the cutting edge of Central Asian adventure travel.

The Pamir region is easily the country's highlight, with peaks dwarfing anything found outside Nepal, and the Pamir Highway provides plenty of sublime high-altitude views. Anyone following this road has the added thrill of knowing that few 'foreign devils' have passed this way since the days of the Great Game.

The young capital, Dushanbe, still feels like an apartment awaiting its tenants. The economy survives on a drip feed from Moscow, while the Pamiris survive on the largesse of the Aga Khan.

Warning

The security situation in Tajikistan has improved dramatically since the end of the war in 1997, and it is now as safe to travel there as in most other parts of Central Asia. That said, the area bordering Afghanistan is still considered a place of heightened risk to travellers, as are the mined areas in the areas bordering Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Seek consular advice beforehand and local advice upon arrival.

Full country name: Republic of Tajikistan
Area: 143,100 sq km
Population: 6.44 million
People: Tajik (65%), Uzbek (25%), Russian (declining because of emigration), other
Language: Tajik, Russian
Religion: Sunni Muslim (80%), Shi'a Muslim, other
Government: republic
Head of State: President Imomali Rakhmonov
Head of Government: Prime Minister Akil Akilov

GDP: US$6 billion
GDP per capita: US$990
Annual Growth: 5.3%
Inflation: 46.3%
Major Industries: Aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers, cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, goats
Major Trading Partners: CIS, the Netherlands, Switzerland, UK

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