Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🗺️

Tajikistan

geography Maturity 11-13 religion
This article covers sensitive topics: religion. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Tajikistan is a land in Asia.

Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
It has many big mountains.
Tajik mountains edit.jpg
Tajik mountains edit.jpg
Most of the land is very high. It is a beautiful place to see. Do you like mountains?

35 words

Tajikistan is a land in Central Asia.

Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
It sits near lands like China and Afghanistan.

Most of the land is very high. Big mountains cover most of the country.

Tajik mountains edit.jpg
Tajik mountains edit.jpg

Dushanbe is the largest city there. Many people live in this city.

Tajik is the main way people talk. They also use Russian to talk to each other.

People there grow cotton and make metal. It is a very interesting place to learn about.

79 words

Tajikistan is a country in Central Asia.

Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
It is landlocked, which means it has no ocean nearby. It sits near China to the east. Afghanistan is to its south. Uzbekistan is to the west. Kyrgyzstan is to the north.

Most of the land is very high. Mountains cover more than 90% of the country.

Tajik mountains edit.jpg
Tajik mountains edit.jpg
Because of this, the land is often rocky and steep.

Dushanbe is the capital city. It is also the largest city. About 1.24 million people live there. In total, more than 10.9 million people live in Tajikistan.

Most people in the country are Tajiks. They speak the Tajik language. People also use Russian to talk to different groups. Many people follow the religion of Islam.

The country's economy grows by making cotton and aluminium.

Talco.jpg
Talco.jpg
People also send money home from other places to help. Tajikistan became an independent state in 1991. After that, the country had a civil war. The war lasted from 1992 to 1997. Since then, the country has become more stable.

175 words

Tajikistan is a landlocked country located in Central Asia.

Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
Being landlocked means there are no oceans nearby. The country sits near several neighbors. China is to the east. Afghanistan is to the south. Uzbekistan lies to the west. Kyrgyzstan is found to the north.
Tajikistan satellite photo.jpg
Tajikistan satellite photo.jpg
The land is very rugged. Mountains cover more than 90% of the total area.
Tajik mountains edit.jpg
Tajik mountains edit.jpg
This makes the landscape very high and steep.

Life in Tajikistan involves many different languages and traditions. Most people in the country are ethnic Tajiks. The national language is Tajik. Many people also use Russian to communicate between different groups.

Women of Dushanbe .jpg
Women of Dushanbe .jpg
In the Gorno-Badakhshan region, people speak several other languages. These include Shughni, Wakhi, and Rushani. While the state is secular, about 97.5% of the people follow Islam.
Abdullokhon Mosque Isfara.jpg
Abdullokhon Mosque Isfara.jpg
The economy relies on making cotton and aluminium.
Talco.jpg
Talco.jpg
People also send money home from other places to help the economy grow.

This region has a very long and busy history. People lived here during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

Ambassador from Kumedh (胡密丹), visiting the court of the Tang Dynasty. The Gathering of Kings (王会图) circa 650 CE.jpg
Ambassador from Kumedh (胡密丹), visiting the court of the Tang Dynasty. The Gathering of Kings (王会图) circa 650 CE.jpg
The Silk Road passed through these lands for many years. This path helped trade and ideas move between different cultures. Many strong groups ruled the area at different times. These included the Achaemenids and Alexander the Great. The Kushan Empire also held control for a few centuries.
MansurISamanidPaintingHistoryofIran.jpg
MansurISamanidPaintingHistoryofIran.jpg
Later, the Samanid Empire helped revive Persian culture in the region.

Modern Tajikistan has seen many big changes in recent years. The land was once part of the Russian Empire. Later, it became a part of the Soviet Union. On 9 September 1991, Tajikistan declared itself an independent state.

Tajik Parliament House, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.JPG
Tajik Parliament House, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.JPG
However, independence was followed by a difficult civil war. This war lasted from May 1992 until June 1997.
Spetsnaz troopers during the 1992 Tajik war.jpg
Spetsnaz troopers during the 1992 Tajik war.jpg
Since the war ended, the country has worked toward stability. Foreign aid has helped the economy grow during this time. Emomali Rahmon has led the country since 1994.

Today, the capital city is Dushanbe. It is the largest and most crowded city in the country.

Dushanbe Presidential Palace 01.jpg
Dushanbe Presidential Palace 01.jpg
About 1.24 million people live in Dushanbe alone. The whole country has a population of more than 10.9 million people.
Big Hospital.jpg
Big Hospital.jpg
Tajikistan is a member of many global groups like the United Nations. It is a presidential republic made of four provinces.
Tajik National University (Main Building).jpg
Tajik National University (Main Building).jpg
Visitors might see people selling local goods in the markets.
Young Tajikistani dry fruit seller.jpg
Young Tajikistani dry fruit seller.jpg
The country continues to develop its economy and its people.

449 words

Tajikistan is a landlocked country located in Central Asia.

Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
Being landlocked means it has no direct access to an ocean. The nation is bordered by several different countries. China lies to the east. Afghanistan is located to the south. Uzbekistan sits to the west. Kyrgyzstan is found to the north.
Tajikistan satellite photo.jpg
Tajikistan satellite photo.jpg
The geography is defined by extreme terrain. Mountains cover more than 90% of the total land area.
Tajik mountains edit.jpg
Tajik mountains edit.jpg
This makes the landscape very steep and high.

The history of this region is incredibly deep. Cultures lived here during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

Ambassador from Kumedh (胡密丹), visiting the court of the Tang Dynasty. The Gathering of Kings (王会图) circa 650 CE.jpg
Ambassador from Kumedh (胡密丹), visiting the court of the Tang Dynasty. The Gathering of Kings (王会图) circa 650 CE.jpg
One important group was the Oxus civilisation in the west. The Andronovo culture also brought Indo-Iranians to the area. Later, parts of the land belonged to the Sogdian and Bactrian civilisations. Many powerful empires ruled these lands over many centuries. These included the Achaemenids and the conqueror Alexander the Great. The Greco-Bactrians, Kushans, and Hephthalites also held power here. Later, the region saw rule from the Samanid Empire and the Mongols.

The Samanid Empire was a very significant period for the region. It lasted from 819 to 999 AD.

MansurISamanidPaintingHistoryofIran.jpg
MansurISamanidPaintingHistoryofIran.jpg
This empire helped restore Persian control over the area. The Samanids were famous for reviving Persian culture. They supported great poets like Rudaki, Bal'ami, and Daqiqi. The empire was centered in Khorasan and Transoxiana. This region included parts of modern Tajikistan and surrounding lands. During this time, Islam spread deeply into the heartlands of Central Asia. The Samanids also helped spread Islamic architecture and Perso-Islamic culture.

Trade played a massive role in the development of the region. The Silk Road passed through these lands for many years. This was a network of trade routes connecting different parts of the world. During the Han Empire, commercial relations flourished in the area. The Sogdians were key players in this trade network. They acted as facilitators for moving goods and ideas. Sogdians worked as farmers, carpetweavers, glassmakers, and woodcarvers. This constant movement of people helped shape the local culture.

In more recent history, the borders of Tajikistan changed several times. The Russian Empire conquered much of the region during the 19th century. They wanted access to a steady supply of cotton. This led them to encourage cotton cultivation over grain. Later, the territory became part of the Soviet Union. On 5 December 1929, it became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union. Tajikistan eventually declared itself an independent sovereign state on 9 September 1991. This happened as the Soviet Union was disintegrating.

Independence brought both new beginnings and difficult challenges. A civil war was fought from May 1992 to June 1997.

Spetsnaz troopers during the 1992 Tajik war.jpg
Spetsnaz troopers during the 1992 Tajik war.jpg
Since the war ended, the country has worked toward political stability. Foreign aid has helped the economy grow during this period. Emomali Rahmon has led the country since 1994. He heads a presidential republic that consists of four provinces. The nation is currently a developing country with a transitional economy. It relies on the production of aluminium and cotton. It also depends on remittances sent from people working elsewhere.

Today, Tajikistan is home to more than 10.9 million people.

Big Hospital.jpg
Big Hospital.jpg
The capital city is Dushanbe. It is the most populous city with 1.24 million residents.
Dushanbe Presidential Palace 01.jpg
Dushanbe Presidential Palace 01.jpg
Most people in the country are ethnic Tajiks. The national language is Tajik, while Russian serves as the official inter-ethnic language.
Women of Dushanbe .jpg
Women of Dushanbe .jpg
In the Gorno-Badakhshan oblast, there is great linguistic diversity. People there speak languages like Shughni, Wakhi, and Rushani. While the state is constitutionally secular, 97.5% of the population adheres to Islam.
Abdullokhon Mosque Isfara.jpg
Abdullokhon Mosque Isfara.jpg
Tajikistan is an active member of many global organizations. These include the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

648 words
🖼️ Images & Media (27)
National_anthem_of_Tajikistan,_performed_b...
File:Tajikistan (orthographic projection).svg
Tajikistan (orthographic projection).svg
File:Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
Tajikistan Map TI-map.gif
File:Ambassador from Kumedh (胡密丹), visiting the court of the Tang Dynasty. The Gathering of Kings (王会图) circa 650 CE.jpg
Ambassador from Kumedh (胡密丹), visiting...
File:MansurISamanidPaintingHistoryofIran.jpg
MansurISamanidPaintingHistoryofIran.jpg
File:Thomas Edward Gordon Lake Victoria, Great Pamir, May 2nd, 1874.png
Thomas Edward Gordon Lake Victoria, Great...
File:Negotiations with basmachs Fergana, 1921.jpg
Negotiations with basmachs Fergana, 1921.jpg
File:Hammond Slides Central Asia Unlabeled 15.jpg
Hammond Slides Central Asia Unlabeled 15.jpg
File:Spetsnaz troopers during the 1992 Tajik war.jpg
Spetsnaz troopers during the 1992 Tajik war.jpg
File:Dushanbe Presidential Palace 01.jpg
Dushanbe Presidential Palace 01.jpg
File:Emomali Rahmonov 2001Nov03.jpg
Emomali Rahmonov 2001Nov03.jpg
File:Tajik Parliament House, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.JPG
Tajik Parliament House, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.JPG

+ 15 more

Up Next
🗺️
Dushanbe
Geography
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.