Tajikistan

Geography

The Republic of Tajikistan is located in Central Asia between 36°40' - 41°05' of north latitude and 67°31' - 75°14' of east longitude. The republic borders with the Republic of Uzbekistan in the west, the Kyrgyz National Republic in the north, China in the east and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the south. Territory of Tajikistan occupies 143,100 square kilometers. 93% of the territory of the country consists of mountains, and only 7% of the territory falls on the valley part. The lowest area of Tajikistan is Ayvodj Village (300 m above sea level) located in Shaartuz District of Khatlon Province. The highest spot is "Ismoili Somoni" Peak (former "Communism" Peak, 7495m above sea level) located in the Mountainous Badakhshan Autonomous Province.

Up to 1 January 2009, 49,9% of the total territory consists of agricultural lands, 7.7% - of forests, 0,3% - of water, 2,1% - of settlements, industrial facilities and communication networks, and 40% - of other lands.

More than 40% of the territory is not suitable for living – those are the highlands of the Pamir-Alay system, ice glaciers (8492 glaciers), which cover a main area of the country. The largest ice glacier Fedchenko, covers the area of 651.7 square km; steep slopes, cliffs, highland detrital deserts (East Pamir) and others.

The rest of the territory is formed and significantly diverse in natural communities: broad-leaved and small-leaved forests, tugays, shibliaks, junipers, deciduous summer shrubs, and small-leaved aphyllous xerophytic shrubs, highlands, midlands; steppes and deserts, wetlands.

Climate

The geographical position of Tajikistan being located in the inner part of the continent at large distance from the main source of water – the Atlantic Ocean - defines the two main features of its climate: strong continentality and aridity. At the same time the complexity of the orography, sharply dissected terrain, high mountain ridges covered with eternal snow and ice defines a multiplicity of climatic conditions and determines a vertical zonal climate.

The annual variation of precipitation distinguishes two distinct areas: the Near Asian region, which includes most of the territory of Tajikistan and Central Asian region, which includes the Eastern Pamir.

The Near Asian climatic region is characterized by the maximum precipitation in March or April, and the minimum precipitation in summer. On the eastern Pamir the highest rainfall falls during summer, and the lowest is in winter.

In the Near Asian climatic region there are allocated two zones based on the moisture conditions. On thermal characteristics of summer and winter seasons in each zone there are allocated a number of sub-zones.

A characteristic feature of the climate of Tajikistan is dry air. In most of its territory there are observed differences in frost-free days, which ranged from 244 (the Vakhsh Valley) to 0 (the East Pamir).

Population

At present, the population of Tajikistan is 7.5 million. Over 73% of the population inhabits in rural areas. The urban population is about 27%. The population in the major cities and towns of the country is: Dushanbe (706 thousand people), Khujand (158 thousand people) Kulyab (97,5 thousand people.), Kurgan-Tube (72.9 thousand people ), Tursunzade (46.1 thousand), Khorog (29,3 thousand people).

The population is represented by over 100 nationalities, of which Tajiks - 80%, Uzbeks - 15,3%, Russians - 1.2%, Kyrgyz - 1,1%, Turkmens - 0,3% and others - 2,1%. The republic is divided into one autonomous region, two regions and 58 districts.

Agriculture

The Republic of Tajikistan is the agrarian-industrial country. Agriculture is mainly represented by agriculture and livestock farming. The total irrigated area equals to 710 thousand hectares, of which 570 thousand hectares are arable land. The main direction of agricultural production in the valley part of the country is cotton and horticulture, in the mountain zone - horticulture, potato growing and livestock farming.

In the Republic of Tajikistan, there was adopted the State Program of Horticulture and Viticulture Development for the period of 2010-2014, which provides for establishing new orchards and vineyards on the area of 47 thousand hectares, of which at least 16 thousand hectares are assigned for apricot orchards.

On January 1, 2011, the total area of orchards in the country amounted to more than 110 thousand hectares, of vineyards - 35,7 thousand hectares. Administratively the horticulture of the republic is specialized as follows:

- Sugd Province, mostly cultivated: apricot orchards 70-75%, vineyards - 15%, other orchards are represented by pome and subtropical crops;

- in the foothills and mountainous part of the Khatlon province there are cultivated pome crops, mainly apple, pear, grapevine, subtropical and nut crops; in the valley part (Vakhsh and Lower Kafernigan Valley) - stone and subtropical crops;

- regions of republican subordination cultivate pome, stone and nut crops, and grapevine;

- Mountainous-Badakhshan Autonomous Province cultivates pome, stone crops, walnut and mulberry;

- Rasht zone - in horticulture dominating crops are pome crops such as apple and pear, and also walnut.

In Tajikistan, orchards are cultivated at altitudes from 300 to 3000 meters above sea level, and grape yards – at altitudes up to 1600 meters above sea level.

In recent years, in Tajikistan, on the basis of former collective and state farms there are organized more than 40 thousand farmer households, which are incorporated into the National Association of Farmers.

Biodiversity

The territory of Tajikistan covers only 0.10% of the total land area of the planet, and contains more than 1% of global biodiversity, which is comparatively much higher than average.

Flora of Tajikistan consists of more than 9,771 species, including 35 species of gymnosperms, 4,451 species of metasperms, of which 752 species are monocotyledonous and 3,702 species are bilobate plants. 2000 species of them have economically useful features, including food and vitaminous - 109, forage – 300, honey producing - 173, ornamental – 42, etc.

Agrobiodiversity

Tajikistan is a part of the centers of cultivated plants origin - South-Western Asian and Central Asian centers. In the present its flora includes 5000 species. It is the homeland of major grain and legume crops, such as soft wheat, peas, lentils, vetchlings, chickpeas, etc. It is recognized that the foothills and mountainous areas of Tajikistan are one of the centers of origin of fruit crops, such as walnut (Juglans regia), jujube (Zizyphus sativa Ciarin), pistachio (Pistacia vera L.), pear (Pyrus communis L.), almond (Amugdalus communis L.), oleaster (Eleagnus angustifolia), grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). Tajikistan is renowned as a region of the secondary center of origin and varietal diversity of fruit crops, such as: apricot (Armenica vilgarus), apple (Malus sieversii), grapevine (Vitis vinifera), mulberry (Morus alba L.), pomegranate (Punica granatum). In this region there is also a significant diversity of wild species and forms of barberry (Berberis L.), alycha (Prunus sogdiana), hawthorn (Crataegus L.), oleaster (Eleagnus L.), sallow sea-thorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.). The mountainous zone contains wild forms of fruit trees and grapevine, and in the territory of abandoned villages in the mountains you can find a wide variety of local ancient forms and varieties of fruit crops. Among wild flora there are 76 species of fruit crops, which belong to 24 genera. A significant number of these plants is useful to a human being, both in the wild and for introducing them into agriculture.

All of them are valuable source materials for breeding of fruit crops and source for food safety of the population.

List of target fruit crops, covered by the project in Tajikistan

Apricot – Armeniaca vulgaris;
Apple – Malus sp.;
Pear – Pyrus sp.;
Peach - Prunus persica;
Walnut – Juglans regia L.;
Grapes – Vitus sp.;
Sea buckthorn - Hippophae rhmmoides L.;
Pistachio – Pistacia vera L.;
Mulberry - Morus sp.