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% of the republic is occupied by mountains, most notably by the sparsely populated Pamir Mountains, which include Mount Garmo (formerly Pik Kommunizma; 7,495m/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.

Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

President Imamali S Rahmonov since 1992.

Prime Minister Oqil Ghaybulloyevich Oqilov.

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. President Rahmonov was elected to a third term in office in November 2006, but international observers said the election was neither free nor fair.

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

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

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.