Tajikistan

Located in central Asia, Tajikistan fell under Russia's expanding empire during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1929 Tajikistan became an independent Soviet socialist Republic, and it has continued to permit the Russian military to remain in the country. After independence in 1991, the country fell into a civil war between regional factions until 1997. Now the poorest country in the former Soviet sphere, Tajikistan struggles to implement economic reforms that would allow the agricultural sector to diversify beyond its primary crop, cotton. The NATO intervention in Afghanistan, the country's southern neighbor, has lead to increased international attention on Tajikistan's economic development and security. Counterpart International (Counterpart) has provided humanitarian relief to the country's most vulnerable populations, including health and medical supplies, food, clothing and disaster response.

Map and country information, The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009.