Area: 25,400 sq. km

Population: 2.23 million 

Capital: Khujand 

Overview 

Sughd Region is one of the four administrative divisions and one of the three provinces that make up Tajikistan. Centered in the historical Sogdiana, it is located in the northwest of the country. It was founded in 1924 as part of Uzbek SSR and was become part of Tajik SSR in 1929. The Syr Darya river flows through the region. Sughd is separated from the rest of Tajikistan by the Gissar Range. The southern part of the province is the east-west valley of the upper Zarafshan River. North, over the Turkestan Range, is the Ferghana Valley. The province has 30% of Tajikistan's population and one-third of its arable land. It produces two thirds of the country's GDP. 

Economy 

The economy of Sughd has been growing steadily since 2000, at the average rate of 13.2% in 2008 and 13.3% in 2009. In 2009, farming, trade and industrial production contributed 28.2%, 25.8% and 14.0% to the GRP of Sughd, respectively. Since 2000, the output of industrial production increased two-fold, at an average annual growth rate of 5–8%. A free economic zone has been established in the region called Sughd Free Economic Zone.