In Dushanbe, temperatures vary between a minimum -13°C (8°F) in December/January to a maximum 33°C (91°F) in July/August. Humidity is generally low. In the mountains, it can reach -45°C (-49°F) when the wind chill factor is taken into consideration, and rise to 20°C (68°F) in summer. In the Pamir Mountains, the climate is semi-arid to polar.

Warm clothing should be taken by anyone intending to visit the mountains. Those intending to visit the southwest in summer should bring light, loose clothing.

Tajikistan is bordered by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the north, Afghanistan to the south and China (PR) to the east. 93% of the republic is occupied by mountains, most notably by the sparsely populated Pamir Mountains, which include Mount Garmo (formerly Pik Kommunizma; 7,495m/24,590ft), the highest point of the former Soviet Union. The mountainous terrain means that in winter it is impossible to reach the east or the north of the country by road without taking a detour through Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In the fertile plains of the southwest, cotton dominates the agriculture. In the north, in the Khudzand (formerly Leninabad) region, cotton and silk are the main crops.