Tajikistan was once a part of the USSR and is formerly referred to as the "Tadzhik SSR" and the last republic to reveal the design of a new flag. The current
National Flag of Tajikistan consists of three horizontal stripes of red, white, and green, a direct association to the flag of Iran, although red and green are reversed. The choice of the colors may have reference to Tajikistan's highly visible Persian culture.
The white stripe at the center, which is one and a half times the width of the red and green stripes, has a crown emblem surrounded by seven stars. The red tint represents the unity of the nation, white is for the country's cotton industry and the unity of the people, and green is suggestive of the nature of the country.
90% of the country is covered by mountain and the majority of the people inhabit the river and valleys. Over 65% of the population is ethnic Tajiks, while 25% is of the Uzbek stock and the rest are groupings of various minorities. At the break-up of the USSR, Tajikistan declared independence in 1991 and right after, civil war erupted between the Moscow-backed government and the Islam led opposition. The internal conflict lasted for seven years, until a peace agreement was signed in 1997.
The political turmoil of the 90's left the nations economy depressed, and to survive marginally Tajikistan relies heavily on Russian assistance. Russian troops are stationed at the border as deterrent against the entry of weapons, drugs and Islamic extremists.
Tajikistan is blessed with sufficient water resources, and it is being harnessed to supply renewable energy to the country.
by:
The Flagman
