The monograph Tajikistan (Nature and Natural Resources) is a comprehensive and integrative scholarly work that embodies the collective efforts of numerous scientists of the Republic. The need for such a publication had long been recognized, largely owing to the major decisions of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government concerning the rational utilization of the country’s natural resources. The issues of nature conservation and the rational use of natural wealth possess particular contemporary relevance and immense global significance. They are directly connected with, and exert a positive influence upon, many important aspects of modern social life, encompassing political thought, economic and social development, as well as the broader sphere of culture. In the age of electronics and atomic energy, amid the rapid development of space research and technological progress, the face of the Earth is changing at an extraordinary pace. Humanity is confronted with a global task: to ensure that these transformations are positive and constructive rather than negative and destructive. This publication was created in pursuit of precisely that noble and important objective. Scientists and specialists from across the Republic, including geographers, geologists, hydrometeorologists, seismologists, soil scientists, ecologists, climatologists, glaciologists, botanists, zoologists, parasitologists, economists, and agricultural experts, devoted more than five years of intensive work to its preparation. The contributors to the various chapters include not only scholars of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, but also leading experts from the Republic’s higher educational institutions, sectoral research institutes, and government departments. The authors of Tajikistan sought, for the first time, to produce a broad and comprehensive work presenting a complete account of all the natural resources of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, including climate, water resources, soil resources, and many others. The Comprehensive Atlas of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, published in 1968 by the Council for the Study of Productive Forces, presented the Republic’s most important natural resources in cartographic form and received favorable evaluations from scientists and specialists. Unfortunately, some of the atlas’s data have since become outdated and can no longer satisfy the growing demands of scientific research. This monograph therefore serves as an important supplement by presenting information that could not be adequately reflected in the atlas. In addition, it has been prepared not only as a reference work but also as a problem-oriented study intended to guide future research in the region. In this monograph, readers will find detailed information about nature, natural resources, and practical recommendations regarding their potential utilization within the national economy of the Republic. The section entitled “Geology” provides a detailed account of Tajikistan’s subsurface resources, stratigraphy, tectonics, magmatic activity, neotectonic movements, seismic activity, and mineral deposits. The “Climate” section describes the principal characteristics of the local climate and the factors responsible for its formation. It presents climatic and agroclimatic regionalization schemes and offers detailed descriptions of the characteristics of each climatic zone. This is particularly important because many parts of Tajikistan possess exceptionally rich climatic resources. For example, the concentration of solar energy received in its lowland regions is so high that, under conditions of stable irrigation, two or even three harvests can be obtained from the same plot of land each year, making it possible to cultivate highly valuable subtropical crops such as citrus fruits and essential-oil plants. The section devoted to surface waters describes the principal rivers and lakes of Tajikistan, including their hydrological characteristics, temperature regimes, and ice conditions. It also provides essential information concerning the utilization and development prospects of the Republic’s abundant hydropower resources. The section specifically addressing glaciers contains not only data on the extent of modern glaciation in the region, but also information on glacier formation, dynamics, sources of nourishment, and the consumption of ice and water resources. A substantial portion of the monograph is devoted to describing all soil types found in Tajikistan and their classification system. Information is provided on the characteristics and value of each soil type, together with recommendations for their proper utilization. The chapter on vegetation contains descriptions of all major vegetation types, along with information on their productivity as pastures, hayfields, or sources of timber. It also includes data on useful wild plants, medicinal plants, edible plants, dye plants, gum-producing plants, essential-oil plants, tannin-producing plants, and plants used for industrial and handicraft purposes. A large part of the book is devoted to the animal world of Tajikistan. It contains information not only on the principal animal species of the region, but also on protozoa and insects. The book further describes the nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries located within the Republic, provides an overview of their flora and fauna, and proposes measures for their protection and future rational utilization. The volume concludes with a special section on the natural regionalization of Tajikistan, based upon the principal natural characteristics of the Republic analyzed in the preceding chapters. Each chapter of the monograph is accompanied by the necessary illustrations, diagrams, charts, and photographs, all of which greatly enrich the content of the book.