Murghab, Tajikistan

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Murghab (Tajik Мурғоб; Russian Мургаб, from the Persian word مرغاب meaning "river of the birds") is a small city in the Pamir Mountains of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in central eastern Tajikistan. Population 4,000, Murghab is the one of the few population centers in the eastern half of Gorno-Badakhshan. It is the highest city in Tajikistan (and of the former Soviet Union) at 3,500m above sea level. It is situated along the Murghab River, at the junction of three major roads. The roads lead to the region's capital Khorog to the southwest (about 300 kilometers distant), the Chinese city of Tashkurgan to the east (through the Kulma Pass), and Kyrgyzstan to the north. The roads leading to Khorog and Kyrgyzstan are segments of the Pamir Highway, the only road that traverses the Pamirs in Gorno-Badakhshan. Murghab's location at the hub of these roads makes it a regional center for trade, reputedly including a significant trade in illicit drugs.

The city was constructed during the period of Soviet rule of Tajikistan as a rest stop along the Pamir Highway. The population is about half Tajik and half Kyrgyz.