Tajikistanis a landlocked country inCentralAsiathat bordersAfghanistanto the south,Chinato the east,Kyrgyzstanto the north, andUzbekistanto the west and northwest. The ancientSilk Roadpassed through it. The nation is unique in that the majority culture is non-Turkic, unlike its neighbors to the north, west and east. Apresidential republicconsisting of four provinces, it’s known for rugged mountains, popular for hiking and climbing.