From Wikitravel

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.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 5 Get in 5.1 By car 5.2 By plane 5.3 By bus 5.4 By boat 5.5 By train 6 Get around 6.1 By minivan 6.2 By plane 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 18 Cope 18.1 Embassies

Regions

• Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* (Khorugh)
• Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa)
• Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)

Cities

• Dushanbe - Tajikistan's capital
• Khorugh
• Qurghonteppa
• Khujand

Other destinations

• Pamir mountains, with passes between 3200 and 4500 meters, and lake Karakol.

• Penjikent, a town next to the border, 70km from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with ruins of an ancient city.

Understand

Climate

Midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Terrain

The 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)

History

Tajikistan 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 in

By car

Private 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 plane

There 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 bus

By boat

By train

Get around

By minivan

Scheduled 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 plane

As 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.

Talk

Tajik is the main official language, but Russian is also an official language and most city-dwellers speak it better than Tajik.

Buy

• Traditional Tajik padded coats. Comfortable and perfect for the colder weather in the mountains. The ensemble can be completed with a hat and sash.
• Mercedes Benz (approx. $7000) cars and Land Cruisers from Dushanbe's Sunday Car Market. Also available russian cars, jeeps and minivans and an assortment of other models.
• Vodka.
• Rugs and carpets

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Some 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 healthy

Respect

Contact

Cope

Embassies

• United States - 10 Pavlova Street, Dushanbe, 734003, tel: +992 (372) 21 03 48 / +992 (372) 21 03 50 / +992 (372) 21 03 52 / +992 (372) 24 15 60 (fax: +992 (372) 51 00 28, 21 03 62)

The US embassy in Dushanbe is not yet fully operational, most business is still handled in Almaty (Kazakhstan) at 531 Sayfullin Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan, tel: +7 3272 58 79 61, (fax: +7 (3272) 58 79 68)

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