Every Day Is Special: February 23 – Tajik National Army Day

February 23 – Tajik National Army Day

Posted on February 23, 2016

Tajikistan used to be a part of
the now-defunct Soviet Union.

This day in Tajikistan harkens back to Red Army Day in the Soviet Union, which celebrated the anniversary of the February, 1918, mass draft of Russians during the Russian Civil War.

Now the holiday celebrated every February 23 in Russia, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan is called Defender of the Fatherland Day.

And in Tajikistan it's Tajik National Army Day (even though it is also celebrated by other military units such as the Air Force).

Tajikistan is a really mountainous nation. Like, really mountainous. As a matter of fact, mountains cover more than 90% of its area.

(About one-quarter – 25% – of the Earth's land surface is covered in mountains, but people tend to live in the flatter areas where they can grow crops. So 90% is pretty extreme—let alone more than 90%!)

I got to wondering, what is the economy of such a mountainous country based on? It seems that almost half of the economy is based on Tajiks working in Russia, who transfer the money back to their families in Tajikistan. Other important factors in the Tajik economy is the export of aluminum, dried apricots, and cotton.