Top 10 Facts About Tajikistan

One of the less-trodden gems of Central Asia, Tajikistan is a landlocked country bordering Kyrgyzstan to the north, China to the east, Uzbekistan to the west, and Afghanistan to the south. If you love to stroll off the beaten path, here are some must-know facts about Tajikistan for your perusal!

1. Tajikistan was part of former USSR. When the Soviet Union disintegrated, it became an independent sovereign nation in 1991.

2. Almost immediately after becoming independent from the USSR, a civil war erupted in Tajikistan. It lasted for five years from 1992 to 1997, after which political stability was instilled in the country to some extent.

3. Majority of Tajikistan’s population comprises the Tajiks, an ethnic group that is native to present-day Tajikistan and some parts of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

4. The Tajiks speak the Tajiki language, which is one of the dialects of Persian. However, other languages like Russian, Rushani, Shughni, Ishkashimi, and Wakhi are also spoken in the country.

5. Tajikistan has an extremely mountainous terrain. In fact, over 90% of the country is covered by mountains.

There are also picturesque valleys in the east and southwestern parts of the country.

6. About 2% of Tajikistan’s terrain is covered by water bodies. The country boasts more than 900 beautiful rivers and about 20 placid mountain lakes.

Initially a small village, it was located on the crossroads where a weekly market was held on Mondays. Dushanbe means Monday in Persian, hence the name.

7. Dushanbe is Tajikistan’s capital and largest city.

8. The 2nd tallest manmade dam in the world, the Nurek Dam, is in Tajikistan. Built on the Vakhsh River between 1961 and 1980 by the USSR, the dam generates majority of hydroelectricity in the country today.

9. In Tajikistan, women having a monobrow are considered to be extremely attractive. So, those with separate eyebrows often paint to create an illusion of a monobrow so as to appear beautiful.

10. Tajikistan is located in a seismically active zone, which means that the country is highly earthquake prone.