Republic of Tajikistan lies in the heart of Central Asia and is bordered by Kyrgyzstan on the north, China on the east, Afghanistan on the south, and Uzbekistan on the west and northwest. The territory of the country is 143,100 square km. Tajikistan encompasses the smallest amount of land among the five Central Asian States, but in terms of elevation it surpasses them all, enclosing more and higher mountains than any other country in the region.