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Notes on Tajikistan – Matt Lakeman

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Over the summer, I spent about two weeks in Tajikistan, mostly in Dushanbe (the capital) and various points along the Pamir Highway, which borders Afghanistan and later leads into Kyrgyzstan. This was my first time in central Asia and easily one of my most interesting trips in a while. Tajikistan is a fascinating mixture of Soviet, Islamic, Persian, steppe, and Himalayan culture, all rolled into one beautiful, weird, dysfunctional country, and I couldn’t get enough of it. So this essay will be similar to Notes on Mauritania and Notes on Guinea with more of a focus on my day-to-day travel than the history. Population (2022) – 9.6 million Population growth rate (2022) – 2.1% Size – 55,251 square miles (a little bigger than Greece or New York) GDP (nominal, 2022) – $10.5 billion GDP growth rate (2022) – 8% GDP per capita (nominal, 2022) – $1,050 GDP per capita (PPP, 2024) – $5,800 Inflation rate (2018-2023) – 3.8%-9% Biggest export – Gold Median age – 22 Life expectancy (2021) – 72 Founde

Over the summer, I spent about two weeks in Tajikistan, mostly in Dushanbe (the capital) and various points along the Pamir Highway, which borders Afghanistan and later leads into Kyrgyzstan. This was my first time in central Asia and easily one of my most interesting trips in a while. Tajikistan is a fascinating mixture of Soviet, Islamic, Persian, steppe, and Himalayan culture, all rolled into one beautiful, weird, dysfunctional country, and I couldn’t get enough of it. So this essay will be similar to Notes on Mauritania and Notes on Guinea with more of a focus on my day-to-day travel

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