Formal Name: Republic of Tajikistan.
Short Form: Tajikistan.
Term for Citizens: Tajikistani(s).
Capital: Dushanbe.
Date of Independence: September 9, 1991.
Size: Approximately 143,100 square kilometers.
Topography: Mainly mountainous, with lower elevations in northwest, southwest, and Fergana Valley in far northern zone. Highest elevations in southeast, in Pamir-Alay system; numerous glaciers in mountains. Dense river network creates valleys through mountain chains. Lakes primarily in Pamir region to the east.
Climate: Mainly continental, with drastic changes according to elevation. Arid in subtropical southwest lowlands, which have highest temperatures; lowest temperatures at highest altitudes. Highest precipitation near Fedchenko Glacier, lowest in eastern Pamirs.
Data as of March 1996