Portal:Tajikistan/Selected article

Selected article 1

Portal:Tajikistan/Selected article/1

The Nurek (Norak) Dam (Tajik: Нерӯгоҳи обии Норак, Nerūgohi obii Norak, Tajiki for 'Nurek Hydro-electric Station') is a large earth fill dam located at 38.3715 N, 69.3492 E on the Vakhsh River in the central Asian nation of Tajikistan. At 300 meters (984 ft), it is the tallest dam in the world as of 2005. (The Rogun Dam, under construction along the Vakhsh also in Tajikistan, is expected to exceed the Nurek when completed, at a planned height of 335 meters (1,099 ft)). Construction of the dam began in 1961 and was completed in 1980, when Tajikistan was still a republic within the Soviet Union. (Full article...)

Selected article 2

Portal:Tajikistan/Selected article/2 Since independence, the Economy of Tajikistan has gradually followed the path of a transition economy, reforming its economic policies. With foreign revenue precariously dependent upon exports of cotton and aluminium, the economy is highly vulnerable to external shocks. In fiscal year (FY) 2000, international assistance remained an essential source of support for rehabilitation programs that reintegrated former civil war combatants into the civilian economy, thus helping keep the peace. International assistance also was necessary to address the second year of severe drought that resulted in a continued shortfall of food production. Tajikistan's economy grew substantially after the war. The gross domestic product (GDP) of Tajikistan expanded at an average rate of 9.6% over the period of 2000-2007 according to the World Bank data. This improved Tajikistan's position among other Central Asian countries (namely Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), which have degraded economically ever since. As of August 2009, an estimated 60% of Tajikistani citizens live below the poverty line. The 2008 global financial crisis has hit Tajikistan hard, both domestically and internationally. Tajikistan has been hit harder than many countries because it already has a high poverty rate and because many of its citizens depend on remittances from expatriate Tajikistanis. (Full article...)

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Portal:Tajikistan/Selected article/3

Pictured left: A Tajik meal: the centerpiece is plov, garnished with strips of mutton fat.

Tajik cuisine, the traditional cuisine of Tajikistan, has much in common with Russian Iranian, Afghan and Uzbek cuisines. Plov (Tajik: палав, palav, Uzbek: palov), also called osh (Tajik: ош), is the national dish in Tajikistan, as in other countries in the region. Green tea is the national drink. Traditional Tajik meals start with a spread of dried fruit, nuts, halwa, and other sweets arrayed on the table in small dishes, and then progress to soup and meat, before finishing with plov.

Meals are usually served with non (Tajik: нон), flatbread found throughout Central Asia. Legend holds that one is not supposed to put non upside down because this will bring bad luck. Traditional Tajik soups include mainly meat and vegetable soups (such as shurbo and piti) and meat soups with noodles (such as laghmon and ugro). In the summer, Tajikistan is abundant in produce and fruit: its grapes and melons were famous throughout the former Soviet Union. The bazaars also sell pomegranates, apricots, plums, peaches, apples, pears, figs and persimmons. Tea generally accompanies every meal and is frequently offered between meals as a gesture of hospitality to guests and visitors. (Full article...)