Editing Geography of Tajikistan (section)

==Topography and drainage==
[[Image:Tajikistan 2001 CIA map.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Detailed map of Tajikistan]]
[[Image:Tajikistan Topography.png|thumb|right|300px|Topography of Tajikistan]]
The lower elevations of Tajikistan are divided into northern and southern regions by a complex of three mountain chains that constitute the westernmost extension of the massive [[Tian Shan]] system. Running essentially parallel from east to west, the chains are the [[Turkestan Range|Turkestan]], [[Zeravshan Mountains|Zeravshan]] (Zarafshan), and Hisor ([[Gissar Range|Gissar]]) mountains. The last of these lies just north of the capital, [[Dushanbe]], which is situated in west-central Tajikistan.<ref name="topography">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/tajikistan/14.htm|title=Topography and Drainage|publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies|access-date=31 July 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002433/http://countrystudies.us/tajikistan/14.htm|url-status=live}} {{Country study}}</ref>

More than half of Tajikistan lies above an elevation of {{convert|3000|m|ft}}. Even the lowlands, which are located in the [[Fergana Valley]] in the far north and in [[Khatlon Province]] in the southwest, are well above sea level. In the Turkestan range, highest of the western chains, the maximum elevation is {{convert|5510|m|ft}}. The highest elevations of this range are in the east, near the border with Kyrgyzstan. That region is dominated by the peaks of the Pamir-Alay mountain system, including two of the three highest elevations in the former Soviet Union: [[Lenin Peak|Mount Lenin]] — {{convert|7134|m|ft}} and [[Ismoil Somoni Peak]] — {{convert|7495|m|ft}}. Several other peaks in the region also exceed {{convert|7000|m|ft}}. The mountains contain numerous glaciers, the largest of which, [[Fedchenko Glacier]], covers more than {{convert|700|km2|sqmi}} and is the largest glacier in the world outside the polar regions. Because Tajikistan lies in an active seismic belt, severe earthquakes are common.<ref name="topography"/>

===Fergana Valley===
The Fergana Valley, the most densely populated region in Central Asia irrigated by the [[Syr Darya]] in its upper course, spreads across the north-eastern arm of Uzbekistan and Northern Tajikistan. This long valley, which lies between two mountain ranges — the [[Kuramin Range]] in the north and the [[Turkestan Range]] in the south, reaches its lowest elevation of {{convert|320|m|ft}} at [[Khujand]] on the Syr Darya. Rivers bring rich soil deposits into the Fergana Valley from the surrounding mountains, creating a series of fertile oases that have long been prized for agriculture.<ref name="topography"/>

===Drainage===
In Tajikistan's dense river network, the largest rivers are the Syr Darya and the [[Amu Darya]]; the largest tributaries are the [[Vakhsh River|Vakhsh]] and the [[Kofarnihon River|Kofarnihon]], which form valleys from northeast to southwest across western Tajikistan. The Amu Darya carries more water than any other river in Central Asia. The upper course of the Amu Darya, called the [[Panj River]], is {{convert|921|km|mi}} long. The river's name changes at the confluence of the [[Panj River|Panj]], the Vakhsh, and the Kofarnihon rivers in far southwestern Tajikistan. The Vakhsh, called the [[Kyzyl-Suu River|Kyzyl-Suu]] (''"red water"'' in Turkic languages) upstream in Kyrgyzstan and the [[Vakhsh River|Surkhob]] in its middle course in north-central Tajikistan, is the second largest river in southern Tajikistan after the Amu-Panj system. In the Soviet era, the Vakhsh was dammed at several points for irrigation and electric power generation, most notably at [[Norak]] (Nurek), east of Dushanbe, where one of the world's highest dams forms the [[Nurek Dam|Nurek Reservoir]]. Numerous factories also were built along the Vakhsh to draw upon its waters and potential for electric power generation.<ref name="topography"/> Due to the uneven distribution of water throughout [[Central Asia]], the Soviets created a system in which [[Kyrgyzstan]] and [[Tajikistan]] provided water to [[Kazakhstan]], [[Turkmenistan]], and [[Uzbekistan]] in summer, and these three countries provided oil and gas to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan during winter. After the collapse of the [[USSR]] in 1991, this system fell apart and a new resource-sharing plan has yet to be put in place. According to research conducted by the [[International Crisis Group]], this is due to corruption and lack of political will; failure to solve this issue could lead to irreversible regional destabilization.<ref>International Crisis Group. "[http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/central-asia/233-water-pressures-in-central-asia.pdf Water Pressures in Central Asia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520103226/http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/central-asia/233-water-pressures-in-central-asia.pdf |date=2016-05-20 }}", [http://www.crisisgroup.org CrisisGroup.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603105331/https://www.crisisgroup.org/ |date=2020-06-03 }}. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.</ref>

The two most important rivers in northern Tajikistan are the Syr Darya and the [[Zeravshan]] (Zarafshan). The former, the second longest river in Central Asia with a total length of {{convert|2400|km|mi}}, stretches {{convert|195|km|mi}} across the Fergana Valley in far-northern Tajikistan. The Zeravshan River, with a total length of {{convert|781|km|mi}}, runs for {{convert|316|km|mi}} through the north-center of Tajikistan. Tajikistan's rivers reach high-water levels twice a year: in the spring, fed by the rainy season and melting mountain snow, and in the summer, fed by melting glaciers. The summer freshets are the more useful for irrigation, especially in the Fergana Valley and the valleys of southeastern Tajikistan. Most of Tajikistan's lakes are of glacial origin and are located in the [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]] region in the eastern half of the country. The largest, the [[Karakul (Tajikistan)|Karakul]] (Qarokul) Lake, is a salt lake devoid of life, lying at an elevation of {{convert|4200|m|ft}}.<ref name="topography"/> Tajikistan's second largest water body is the [[Kayrakum Lake|Kayrakum Reservoir]], a {{convert|44|km|mi|abbr=on}} long [[artificial lake]] in the heart of the [[Fergana Valley]], not far from the city of [[Khujand]] in [[Sughd Province]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.cawater-info.net/analysis/water/kayrakum.htm| title = Kayrakum Reservoir| access-date = 2008-08-14| archive-date = 2008-08-28| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080828234842/http://www.cawater-info.net/analysis/water/kayrakum.htm| url-status = live}}</ref> The lake is fed by the [[Syr Darya]]. Another well-known natural lake of glacial origin is [[Iskanderkul]]. It is smaller than the Kayrakum Reservoir and lies in the [[Fann Mountains]] in western Tajikistan.