Tajikistan is a country in Central Asia surrounded by Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It’s known for rugged mountains, popular for hiking and climbing. The Fann Mountains, near the national capital Dushanbe, have snow-capped peaks that rise over 5,000 meters. The range encompasses the Iskanderkulsky Nature Refuge, a notable bird habitat named for Iskanderkul, a turquoise lake formed by glaciers.

The capital, Dushanbe, has modern skyscrapers, Soviet-era buildings and grand boulevards. Its Tajikistan National Museum displays artifacts from Sarazm, a site dating to the 4th millennium B.C. At the National Museum of Antiquities is a 13m-tall sleeping Buddha statue from the 1st century A.D. Dance and music performances are held at the grand Ayni Opera and Ballet Theatre, built during WWII. Near the southwestern city of Shaartuz is the Mausoleum of Khoja Mashkhad, a pre-Mongol madrasah (school for Islamic religion). The eastern half of the country, the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, is rural and sparsely populated.

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