Tajikistan, Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region. 07/2016. View of the mountains in Khorog from the local staidum. GENERAL CAPTION*** It has been occupied by the Russians, the Mongols, the Turks, the Arabs and the Uzbeks, the Chinese, as well as Genghis Khan. The ancient, mountainous state of Tajikistan has been at the crossroads of Asian civilizations for over a thousand years. In terms of leadership the republic is not post-Soviet at all: Emomali Rahmon (Rahmonov during Soviet times) has run his republic uncontested since 1992. The smallest and poorest of all formerly Soviet republics, because of is geographical position has served as an important staging area and supply route for US and Nato operations against the Taliban. At the same time, Tajikistan is heavily dependent on Russia for economic and strategic aid and Moscow maintains an army division on Tajik soil. More than a million Tajiks, or about an eighth of the population, are believed to be in Russia as guest workers, but just recently, because of the sanction in Russia and downfall of rubles, many Tajiks are returning in the country.

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