Sandwiched between Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the remote landlocked central Asian country, will celebrate 20 years of independence this month (September 2011). Having survived the financial crisis without a single default, its banks have something to celebrate too.
Tajikistan is one of the poorest of the central Asian countries, with a gross domestic product (GDP) per capital of about $800. Almost half of its male population of working age have taken the plane to Russia and Kazakhstan in search of work and send money back home. Remittances form the bedrock of Tajikistan’s economy, accounting for the lion’s share of its GDP.
