Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province
Encyclopedia
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province is an autonomous, mountainous province
in the east of Tajikistan
. Located in the Pamir Mountains
, it makes up 45% of the land area of the country but only 3% of the population.
The Tajik
name Kuhistoni Badakhshon, now the official name of the province, expresses the meaning Mountainous Badakhshan
, which is equivalent to Gorno-Badakhshan, a standard construction derived from Горный Бадахшан (Gornîy Badakhšan) in Russian.
(Soviet Socialist Republic) after the republic's creation in 1929. During the 1950s native inhabitants of Gorno-Badakhshan, including many ethnic Pamiris, were forcibly relocated to southwestern Tajikistan. Gorno-Badakhshan absorbed some of the territory of the Gharm Oblast
when that territory was dissolved in 1955. When civil war broke out in Tajikistan in 1992 the local government in GBAO declared independence from the republic of Tajikistan. During the civil war many Pamiris were targeted for killings by rival groups and GBAO became a bastion for the opposition. Later the GBAO local government backed down from their calls for independence and GBAO remains an autonomous province within Tajikistan.
Previous to 1895, the area that today constitutes Gorno-Badakhshan province consisted of several semi-self governing statelets, including Darwaz, Shughnun-Rushan
and Wakhan
, who ruled over territories that today are part of Gorno-Badakhshan province in Tajikistan and Badakhshan Province
in Afghanistan
. The region was claimed by the Chinese
and Russia
n empires and the Emirate of Afghanistan
. The Qing
rulers of China claimed control of the entire Pamir Mountains
, but Qing military units only controlled the passes just east of Tashkorgan Town. In the 1890s Chinese, Russian and Afghan governments signed a series of agreements that divided Badakhshan, but the Chinese continued to contest these borders until it signed a 2002 agreement with the government of Tajikistan
For an excellent map, see the external link.
Darvoz District is the western 'beak' of the province. West-central Gorno-Badakhshan is mostly a series of east-west mountain ranges separated by valleys of rivers that flow into the Panj River
. The districts correspond the river valleys. Murghob District occupies the eastern half of the province and is mostly a desolate plateau with high mountains on the west.
GBAO covers all the eastern part of the country and borders in the East - the Xinjiang Province of China, in the West and South - the Badakhshan Province
of Afghanistan, and in the North - the Osh Province
of Kyrgyzstan. Within Tajikistan the province's western border is with the Region of Republican Subordination
(RRP) and the tip of its south-western finger (Darvoz district
) borders on Khatlon Province. The highest mountains are in the Pamirs
(ancient Mount Imeon
), which is known as the roof of the world, and three of the five 7,000 meter summits in formerly Soviet
Central Asia
are located here, including Ismail Samani Peak
(formerly Communism Peak) (7,495 m), Ibn Sina Peak (formerly Lenin Peak) (7,134 m, on the border with Kyrgyzstan
), and Peak Korzhenevskaya
(7,105 m).
. The remainder of the population is ethnic Kyrgyz and other nationalities. The largest city in GBAO is Khorugh, population 29,000 (2008 est.); the second largest is Murghab
, with about 4,000 residents.
GBAO is home to a number of distinct languages and dialects of the Pamir languages
group. The Pamiri language speakers represented in Gorno-Badakshan are speakers of Shughni
, Rushani
, Wakhi
, Ishkashimi
, Sarikoli, Bartangi
, Khufi
, Yazgulyam
, and Oroshani. Vanji, formerly spoken in the Vanj River
valley, became extinct in the 19th century.
There is a sizable population of Kyrgyz speakers
in the Murghab district
. Russian
and Tajik
are also widely spoken throughout GBAO. The majority religion in GBAO is Ismaili
Shi'ite and adherence to the Aga Khan
is widespread.
-Osh
and Khorog-Dushanbe
, both of which are segments of the Pamir Highway
. A third road from Khorog to Tashkurgan
in China
through the Kulma Pass
is very rough. Gorno-Badakhshan is separated from Pakistan
by the narrow, but nearly impassable, Wakhan Corridor
. Another road leads from Khorog into the Wakhan and across the Afghan border.
Provinces of Tajikistan
||Tajikistan is divided into one autonomous province , 2 provinces and the Districts of Republican Subordination...
in the east of Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
. Located in the Pamir Mountains
Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
, it makes up 45% of the land area of the country but only 3% of the population.
The Tajik
Tajik language
Tajik, Tajik Persian, or Tajiki, is a variety of modern Persian spoken in Central Asia. Historically Tajiks called their language zabani farsī , meaning Persian language in English; the term zabani tajikī, or Tajik language, was introduced in the 20th century by the Soviets...
name Kuhistoni Badakhshon, now the official name of the province, expresses the meaning Mountainous Badakhshan
Badakhshan
Badakhshan is an historic region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The name is retained in Badakhshan Province which is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and contains the Wakhan Corridor...
, which is equivalent to Gorno-Badakhshan, a standard construction derived from Горный Бадахшан (Gornîy Badakhšan) in Russian.
History
GBAO was created in January 1925 and it was attached to Tajik SSRTajik SSR
The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Tajik SSR for short, was one of the 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union. Located in Central Asia, the Tajik SSR was created on 5 December 1929 as a national entity for the Tajik people within the Soviet Union...
(Soviet Socialist Republic) after the republic's creation in 1929. During the 1950s native inhabitants of Gorno-Badakhshan, including many ethnic Pamiris, were forcibly relocated to southwestern Tajikistan. Gorno-Badakhshan absorbed some of the territory of the Gharm Oblast
Gharm Oblast
The Gharm Oblast was an oblast in the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union from the 1920s to 1955. Its capital was Gharm. The population of Gharm were known as Gharmis, a term still used in Tajikistan today.-History:...
when that territory was dissolved in 1955. When civil war broke out in Tajikistan in 1992 the local government in GBAO declared independence from the republic of Tajikistan. During the civil war many Pamiris were targeted for killings by rival groups and GBAO became a bastion for the opposition. Later the GBAO local government backed down from their calls for independence and GBAO remains an autonomous province within Tajikistan.
Previous to 1895, the area that today constitutes Gorno-Badakhshan province consisted of several semi-self governing statelets, including Darwaz, Shughnun-Rushan
Shughnon district
Shughnon District or Nohiya-i Shughnon is a district in east Tajikistan, in the central-western part of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It is bordered by the Panj River and Afghanistan on the east, the Rushan Range and Rushon district on the north, Murghab district on the east and the...
and Wakhan
Wakhan Corridor
Wakhan Corridor is commonly used as a synonym for Wakhan, an area of far north-eastern Afghanistan which forms a land link or "corridor" between Afghanistan and China. The Corridor is a long and slender panhandle or salient, roughly long and between wide. It separates Tajikistan in the north...
, who ruled over territories that today are part of Gorno-Badakhshan province in Tajikistan and Badakhshan Province
Badakhshan Province
Badakhshan is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, consisting of 28 districts. It is located in the north-east of the country, between the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya. It is part of the Badakhshan region.-Geography:...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The region was claimed by the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n empires and the Emirate of Afghanistan
Emirate of Afghanistan
The Emirate of Afghanistan began with the end of the Durrani Empire and the reign of Dost Mohammad Khan in 1823 and ended when Amir Amanullah Khan became Shah in 1926. This period was characterized by the expansion of European colonial interests in Central Asia...
. The Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
rulers of China claimed control of the entire Pamir Mountains
Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
, but Qing military units only controlled the passes just east of Tashkorgan Town. In the 1890s Chinese, Russian and Afghan governments signed a series of agreements that divided Badakhshan, but the Chinese continued to contest these borders until it signed a 2002 agreement with the government of Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
Districts and Geography
| Mountain | Valley | District | |
| Darvoz Range | |||
| Vanj River Vanj River The Vanj River is a river in east Tajikistan. It is a right tributary of the Panj River in Vanj district, north-western Gorno-Badakhshan. It flows southwest between the Darvoz Range to the north and the Vanj Range to the south, joining the Panj at . The Vanj valley is broader and more fertile... |
Vanj district Vanj district Vanj District or Nohiya-i Vanj is a district in east Tajikistan, in the north-west of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, with administrative capital Vanj.... |
||
| Sarikol Range Sarikol Range The Sarikol Range is a mountain range in the Pamirs on the border of Tajikistan and the People’s Republic of China. The range divides Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province and China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and it runs parallel with the Muztagh Range to the east. The range... |
|||
| Murghob district Murghob district For the one in Afghanistan, see Murghab District.Murghob District or Nohiya-i Murghob is a district in Tajikistan, occupying the eastern two-thirds of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It borders on Afghanistan to the south, China's Xinjiang region to the east, and Kyrgyzstan to the north... |
|||
| Vanj Range Vanj Range The Vanj Range is a mountain range of Vanj district, Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. It separates the valleys of the Vanj River and the Yazgulyam River.... |
|||
| Yazgulyam River Yazgulyam River The Yazgulyam River is a tributary of the Panj in Vanj district, western Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan.... |
|||
| Yazgulem Range Yazgulem Range Yazgulem Range in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province stretches for about 170 km between the Yazgulyam River and the Bartang River in the western Pamir Mountains. It rises in the north-eastern direction from the border with Afghanistan toward its highest elevation at Independence... |
|||
| Bartang River | Rushon district Rushon district Rushon District or Nohiya-i Rushon is a district in east Tajikistan, in the west-central part of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It stretches along the Bartang River between the Yazgulem Range to the north and the Rushon Range to the south... |
||
| Rushan Range Rushan Range Rushan Range is a mountain range in south-western Pamir in Tajikistan, trending in the south-westerly direction from Sarez Lake toward Khorog, between Gunt River to the south and Bartang River to the north. About 120 km long, reaching its highest elevation of 6,803 m at Patkhor Peak... |
|||
| Gunt River | Shughnon district Shughnon district Shughnon District or Nohiya-i Shughnon is a district in east Tajikistan, in the central-western part of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It is bordered by the Panj River and Afghanistan on the east, the Rushan Range and Rushon district on the north, Murghab district on the east and the... |
||
| Shughon Range | |||
| Shakhdara River | Roshtqal'a district Roshtqal'a district Roshtqal'a District or Nohiya-i Roshtqal'a is a district in east Tajikistan, in the south-western part of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It stretches along the Shakhdara River between the Shughnon Range to the north and the Shakhdara Range to the south, enclosed within GBAO, without... |
||
| Shakhdara Range Shakhdara Range Shakhdara Range lies in the extreme south-western Pamir in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province. It runs roughly in the east-west direction between Shakhdara River to the north and Panj on the border with Afghanistan to the south, rising toward Mayakovskiy Peak in the west and Karl... |
|||
| Panj River Panj River The Panj River , also known as Pyandzh River or Piandj River , is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river is 1,125 km long and forms a considerable part of the Afghanistan - Tajikistan border.... |
Ishkoshim district Ishkoshim district Ishkoshim District or Nohiya-i Ishkoshim is a district in east Tajikistan, in the extreme south-west of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It borders Afghanistan along the Panj River to the south and to the west... |
||
| Afghanistan | * | * |
For an excellent map, see the external link.
Darvoz District is the western 'beak' of the province. West-central Gorno-Badakhshan is mostly a series of east-west mountain ranges separated by valleys of rivers that flow into the Panj River
Panj River
The Panj River , also known as Pyandzh River or Piandj River , is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river is 1,125 km long and forms a considerable part of the Afghanistan - Tajikistan border....
. The districts correspond the river valleys. Murghob District occupies the eastern half of the province and is mostly a desolate plateau with high mountains on the west.
- Darvoz districtDarvoz districtDarvoz District or Nohiya-i Darvoz is a district in Tajikistan, located at the extreme north-west of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province. It borders on Afghanistan to the south, along the Panj, and within Tajikistan on Khatlon Province to the west and on the Region of Republican Subordination...
(westernmost, north) - Vanj districtVanj districtVanj District or Nohiya-i Vanj is a district in east Tajikistan, in the north-west of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, with administrative capital Vanj....
(west, north) - Rushon districtRushon districtRushon District or Nohiya-i Rushon is a district in east Tajikistan, in the west-central part of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It stretches along the Bartang River between the Yazgulem Range to the north and the Rushon Range to the south...
(west, center) - Shughnon districtShughnon districtShughnon District or Nohiya-i Shughnon is a district in east Tajikistan, in the central-western part of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It is bordered by the Panj River and Afghanistan on the east, the Rushan Range and Rushon district on the north, Murghab district on the east and the...
(west, center) - Roshtqal'a districtRoshtqal'a districtRoshtqal'a District or Nohiya-i Roshtqal'a is a district in east Tajikistan, in the south-western part of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It stretches along the Shakhdara River between the Shughnon Range to the north and the Shakhdara Range to the south, enclosed within GBAO, without...
(west, south) - Ishkoshim districtIshkoshim districtIshkoshim District or Nohiya-i Ishkoshim is a district in east Tajikistan, in the extreme south-west of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It borders Afghanistan along the Panj River to the south and to the west...
(west, southernmost) - Murghob districtMurghob districtFor the one in Afghanistan, see Murghab District.Murghob District or Nohiya-i Murghob is a district in Tajikistan, occupying the eastern two-thirds of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It borders on Afghanistan to the south, China's Xinjiang region to the east, and Kyrgyzstan to the north...
(eastern two-thirds)
GBAO covers all the eastern part of the country and borders in the East - the Xinjiang Province of China, in the West and South - the Badakhshan Province
Badakhshan Province
Badakhshan is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, consisting of 28 districts. It is located in the north-east of the country, between the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya. It is part of the Badakhshan region.-Geography:...
of Afghanistan, and in the North - the Osh Province
Osh Province
Osh Province is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Osh. It is bounded by Jalal-Abad Province, Naryn Province, Xinjiang, China, Tajikistan, Batken Province and Uzbekistan.-Geography:...
of Kyrgyzstan. Within Tajikistan the province's western border is with the Region of Republican Subordination
Region of Republican Subordination
Districts of Republican Subordination is a region in Tajikistan, consisting of 13 districts which are directly under central rule.-History:...
(RRP) and the tip of its south-western finger (Darvoz district
Darvoz district
Darvoz District or Nohiya-i Darvoz is a district in Tajikistan, located at the extreme north-west of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province. It borders on Afghanistan to the south, along the Panj, and within Tajikistan on Khatlon Province to the west and on the Region of Republican Subordination...
) borders on Khatlon Province. The highest mountains are in the Pamirs
Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
(ancient Mount Imeon
Mount Imeon
Mount Imeon is an ancient name for the Central Asian complex of mountain ranges comprising the present Hindu Kush, Pamir and Tian Shan, extending from the Zagros Mountains in the southwest to the Altay Mountains in the northeast, and linked to the Kunlun, Karakoram and Himalayas to the southeast...
), which is known as the roof of the world, and three of the five 7,000 meter summits in formerly Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
are located here, including Ismail Samani Peak
Ismail Samani Peak
Ismoil Somoni Peak is the highest mountain in Tajikistan and in the former Soviet Union, named after Ismoil Somoni, the ancestor of the Samanid dynasty.When the existence of a peak in the Soviet Pamir Mountains higher than Lenin Peak was first established in 1928, the mountain...
(formerly Communism Peak) (7,495 m), Ibn Sina Peak (formerly Lenin Peak) (7,134 m, on the border with Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
), and Peak Korzhenevskaya
Peak Korzhenevskaya
Peak Korzhenevskaya is the third highest peak in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. It is one of the five "Snow Leopard Peaks" in the territory of theformer Soviet Union. It is named after Evgenia Korzhenevskaya, the wife of Russiangeographer Nikolai L...
(7,105 m).
Demographics
The population of GBAO increased from 160,900 to 206,000 between the censuses in 1989 and 2000. The population as of January 2008 is estimated at 218,000. According to the State Statistical Committee of Tajikistan the main ethnic group in GBAO, are PamirisPamiri people
Pamiri is the name of an Iranian ethnic group in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan.-Ethnic Identity:The Pamiris are composed of people who speak the Pamiri languages, the indigenous language in the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous province, and adhere to the Ismaili sect of Shia...
. The remainder of the population is ethnic Kyrgyz and other nationalities. The largest city in GBAO is Khorugh, population 29,000 (2008 est.); the second largest is Murghab
Murghab, Tajikistan
Murghab is the capital of Murghob District in the Pamir Mountains of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Tajikistan. With a population 4,000, Murghab is about the only significant town the eastern half of Gorno-Badakhshan...
, with about 4,000 residents.
GBAO is home to a number of distinct languages and dialects of the Pamir languages
Pamir languages
The Pamir languages are a group of the Eastern Iranian languages, spoken by numerous people in the Pamir Mountains, primarily along the Panj River and its tributaries. This includes the Badakhshan Province of northeastern Afghanistan and the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province of eastern Tajikistan...
group. The Pamiri language speakers represented in Gorno-Badakshan are speakers of Shughni
Shughni language
Shughni is one of the Pamir languages of the Southeastern Iranian language group. Its distribution is in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan and Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan....
, Rushani
Rushani language
The Rushani language is a dialect of Shughni language, a Pamir language.-Literature:*Zarubin, I.I.. Bartangskie i rushanskie teksty i slovar. Moskva : Izd-vo Akademii nauk SSSR, 1937....
, Wakhi
Wakhi language
Wakhi is an Indo-European language in the branch of Eastern Iranian language family and is intimately related to other Southeastern Iranian languages in the Pamir languages group.-Classification and Distribution:...
, Ishkashimi
Ishkashimi language
The Ishkashimi language is one of the Pamir languages of the Southeastern Iranian language group. Its distribution is in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan, Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan and Chitral region of Pakistan....
, Sarikoli, Bartangi
Bartangi language
The Bartangi language is a Pamir language spoke along the Bartang River from Yemtz to Nikbist. It is typically classified as a dialect of Shughni, but is quite distinct.-References:...
, Khufi
Khufi language
Khufi language is one of the Pamir languages of Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province. It is closely related to, and traditionally considered a dialect of, Shughni...
, Yazgulyam
Yazgulyam language
The Yazgulyam language is a member of the Pamir subgroup of the Iranian languages, spoken by ca. 4,000 native speakers along the Yazgulyam River, Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. Together with Shugni, it is classified as the Shugni-Yazgulami subgroup of the Pamir languages...
, and Oroshani. Vanji, formerly spoken in the Vanj River
Vanj River
The Vanj River is a river in east Tajikistan. It is a right tributary of the Panj River in Vanj district, north-western Gorno-Badakhshan. It flows southwest between the Darvoz Range to the north and the Vanj Range to the south, joining the Panj at . The Vanj valley is broader and more fertile...
valley, became extinct in the 19th century.
There is a sizable population of Kyrgyz speakers
Kyrgyz language
Kyrgyz or Kirgiz, also Kirghiz, Kyrghiz, Qyrghiz is a Turkic language and, together with Russian, an official language of Kyrgyzstan...
in the Murghab district
Murghob district
For the one in Afghanistan, see Murghab District.Murghob District or Nohiya-i Murghob is a district in Tajikistan, occupying the eastern two-thirds of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province . It borders on Afghanistan to the south, China's Xinjiang region to the east, and Kyrgyzstan to the north...
. Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and Tajik
Tajik language
Tajik, Tajik Persian, or Tajiki, is a variety of modern Persian spoken in Central Asia. Historically Tajiks called their language zabani farsī , meaning Persian language in English; the term zabani tajikī, or Tajik language, was introduced in the 20th century by the Soviets...
are also widely spoken throughout GBAO. The majority religion in GBAO is Ismaili
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
Shi'ite and adherence to the Aga Khan
Aga Khan
Aga Khan is the hereditary title of the Imam of the largest branch of the Ismā'īlī followers of the Shī‘a faith. They affirm the Imamat of the descendants of Ismail ibn Jafar, eldest son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, while the larger Twelver branch of Shi`ism follows Ismail's younger brother Musa...
is widespread.
Transport
Only two easily navigable roads connect GBAO to the outside world, KhorogKhorog
The town of Khorugh , also transliterated as Khoroq, Khorogh, Khorog, or Xoroq) is the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan. It is also the capital of the Shughnon District of Gorno-Badakhshan. It has a population of 28,000...
-Osh
Osh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
and Khorog-Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
, both of which are segments of the Pamir Highway
Pamir Highway
The M41, known informally and more commonly as the Pamir Highway is a road traversing the Pamir Mountains through Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia...
. A third road from Khorog to Tashkurgan
Tashkurgan
- Karakoram Highway :Today Tashkurgan is on the Karakoram Highway which follows the old Silk Road route from China to Pakistan. Accommodation is available and it is a recommended overnight stop for road travellers from China to Pakistan in order to have the best chance of crossing the snow-prone...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
through the Kulma Pass
Kulma Pass
The Kulma Pass is a mountain pass across the Pamir Mountains on the border between the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan and the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China...
is very rough. Gorno-Badakhshan is separated from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
by the narrow, but nearly impassable, Wakhan Corridor
Wakhan Corridor
Wakhan Corridor is commonly used as a synonym for Wakhan, an area of far north-eastern Afghanistan which forms a land link or "corridor" between Afghanistan and China. The Corridor is a long and slender panhandle or salient, roughly long and between wide. It separates Tajikistan in the north...
. Another road leads from Khorog into the Wakhan and across the Afghan border.
