Tajikistan

Tajikistan is a small, underdeveloped, but resource-rich country of 5.1 million persons and 143,100 square kilometers. Tajikistan inherits a situation in which it is financially burdened and must choose between keeping industries open that pollute heavily or losing much-needed income. Central Asian armed resistance to the Soviet takeover took place through the Basmachi Revolt. The dominant geographic characteristics of Tajikistan are aridity, mountainous topography, great diversity of landscapes, and remoteness. The autonomous republic of Badakhshoni Kuhi accounts for almost half of the territory of Tajikistan. Tajikistan is arid with a continental climate that produces extreme temperature variations. Good agricultural land is a limited asset but has been turned into a liability in Tajikistan through poor management. Population size will influence the effectiveness of Tajikistan’s economic development and may become a burden upon the country’s natural and economic resources. The employment situation in Tajikistan is unusual in that, while it is losing its specialists, it has an overabundance of labor.