Editor’s Note: What follows is part of a cross-blog survey that sheds light on the rich ethnic tapestry of Central Asia.

Many times I’ve talked to Kyrgyz people in Bishkek and most of them are surprised to find out that there is a region in the eastern part of Tajikistan inhabited by ethnic Kyrgyz people. Very few people in northern Kyrgyzstan know about the Murgab region. However I think it is not the matter of surprise because Kyrgyz people are nomads and their mobility made them spread all over the Central Asian region, even in Afghanistan which is far from Kyrgyzstan.

According to the official data of 2000 the number of Kyrgyz people in Tajikistan amounts to about 66,000. They are living mostly in the eastern parts of Tajikistan, in Jirgital and Murgab. A small number of them live in Isfara, Shartuz and Gissar. They study in Kyrgyz, Russian, and Tajik schools. 99 percent of them speak their native language and in addition depending on the area where they live they speak official Tajik, Pamiri or Uzbek languages. All of the are Muslims.

One should give an honor to these people because they live in the harshest areas of Tajikistan. I visited this region many times and some times got a shelter in the Kyrgyz houses. I am always surprised how they can live in this area. People in Murgab live 3576 meters above the sea level. Here you will not be able to find any tree, only small bushes. In some places it seems like you are on another planet. It is hard to breath for those who are not used to the high altitude.

Kyrgyz people in Tajikistan are apolitical. They never get involved in politics and more important they have never had separatist intentions. However, it is worth to mention that Kyrgyzstan passed several laws which make easy for the Kyrgyz outside the country the process of getting the citizenship of Kyrgyzstan. Murgab Kyrgyz are using this opportunity, mostly the young population. There were also signed several agreements between the Kyrgyz and Tajik governments which also make easy the process of passport obtainment by the citizens in both countries. The living standards are very low in Murgab, so young people see no future in this region. It is the main reason which makes them leave the country.

It seems like they have very little opportunity to work in the government of Tajikistan. I have never heard of any Kyrgyz high official in the government of Tajikistan. They work only in the local governments in the regions where they live. The head of the local government in Murgab is usually Kyrgyz, appointed by the president of the country. Recently, there was a case when the head of the government was appointed a man from Shugnan but his administration did not last for a long time. He had problems with health because of the high altitude and later he resigned.