Central Asia.

GMT + 5.

143,100 sq km (55,251 sq miles).

6.3 million (UN estimate 2005).

44 per sq km.

Dushanbe. Population: 575,900 (2002).

Tajikistan is bordered by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the north, Afghanistan to the south and China (PR) to the east. 93 per cent of the republic is occupied by mountains, most notably by the sparsely populated Pamir Mountains, which include Mount Garmo (formerly Pik Kommunizma; 7495m/24,590ft), the highest point of the former Soviet Union. The mountainous terrain means that in winter it is impossible to reach the east or the north of the country by road without taking a detour through Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In the fertile plains of the southwest, cotton dominates the agriculture. In the north, in the Khudzand (formerly Leninabad) region, cotton and silk are the main crops.

Under the new constitution agreed between the government and the UTO (see History above), Tajikistan has an executive president who appoints a prime minister to lead a Council of Ministers. The legislature is the bicameral Majlisi Oli, which comprises the 63-member Assembly of Representatives elected by popular vote and the 33-member National Assembly, with 25 members elected by majlis deputies and eight presidential appointees. Both houses serve a five-year term.

Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State: President Imamali S Rahmonov since 1992. Head of Government: Prime Minister Oqil Ghaybulloyevich Oqilov. Recent history: In February 2005, Parliamentary elections were held in Tajikistan which were condemned by the OSCE as falling short of international standards in some areas. Mr Rahmonov's People's Democratic Party won virtually all 63 seats in the lower house of Parliament. The opposition Islamic and Communist parties won just a handful between them.

Tajik is the official language, an ancient Persian language similar to the languages of Iran and Afghanistan. In the Pamir Mountains, there are at least five different languages, all related to an even more ancient form of Iranian. Russian is widely used (35 per cent of the population speak Russian fluently), and discrimination against Russian speakers is prohibited by law. English is sometimes spoken by those involved in tourism.

Predominantly Sunni Muslim (80 per cent) with a small Shi'ite Muslim minority (5 per cent). A large Ishmaeli minority exists in the Pamirs. There is also a smaller and shrinking Russian Orthodox minority and a small Jewish community.

Lipioshka (bread) should never be laid upside down, and it is normal to remove shoes, but not socks, when entering someone's house. Shorts are rarely seen in Tajikistan and, if worn by females, are likely to provoke unwelcome attention from the local male population.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round, two-pin continental plugs are standard.