Geography of Tajikistan has headwaters in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The other neighbors are the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan (to the west and the north) and Kyrgyzstan (to the north). The lower elevations of Tajikistan are divided into northern and southern regions by a complex of three mountain chains that constitute the westernmost extension of the massive Tian Shan system. Running essentially parallel from east to west, the chains are the Turkestan, Zeravshan (Zarafshan), and Hisor (Gissar) mountains. The last of these lies just north of the capital, Dushanbe, which is situated in west-central Tajikistan. More than half of Tajikistan lies above an
Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic The Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Karakalpak ASSR; Karakalpak: Қарақалпақстан АССР, "Qaraqalpaqstan ASSR"; , Qoraqalpog‘iston ASSR; , "Karakalpakskaya ASSR") also known as Soviet Karakalpakstan or simply Karakalpakstan was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union. Until 20 July 1932, it was called the Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast. On 5 December 1936, it was merged with the Uzbek SSR. It was the only ASSR in Soviet Central Asia. Its capital was Nukus (until 1939, Turtkul). On 14 December 1990, Karakalpak ASSR declared state sovereignty over the Soviet laws. Uzbekistan declared independence on 31 August 1991 after the