Over 90 percent of Tajikistan is mountainous - stunningly so. The remainder of the country is in Central Asia's renown Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins, areas which supported irrigated agriculture - primarily in cotton production - developed during the Soviet era.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan declared its independence in 1991, and following a common post-Soviet Republic trail, suffered through a brutal civil war followed by corruption and unshared political power.
I had the privilege of visiting Tajikistan twice - in 2005 and in 2006. Unlike my other travels which are entirely freelance, I went to Tajikistan as a professional volunteer to assist post-Soviet agricutural irrigation districts in water use planning. Both were 1-month assignments where the vast majority of my energies were directed towards the work, with the exception of my personal visit to the Pamirs.
Categories & Keywords
Category:Travel and Places
Subcategory:Middle East
Subcategory Detail:Tajikistan
Keywords:Leutheuser, Rob Leutheuser, Robert Leutheuser, Tajikistan
