central asia
I Ate Dinner in a Tajik Hellhole
Ask the average Westerner what they know about Tajikistan, and they'll probably draw a blank. (Is it a country? Isn’t there a war going on there?) Which made finding out more about qurutob, its national dish, even more interesting.
I Took a Trip Down Tajikistan's 'Heroin Highway'
The proliferation of flashy cars in one of the poorest countries in the world has led to a new local saying: “It is no longer ‘How much did it cost?’ but ‘How many kilos did it cost?’" A study released in 2007 estimated that drug money added up to 3...
These Guys Build the World's Tallest Flagpoles for Authoritarian Regimes
Marc Summers and David Chambers have a pretty unusual job. Through their company Trident Support Corporation they build the world's tallest flagpoles for authoritarian regimes in Central Asia and the Middle East, because nothing says national pride...
Kyrgyzstan Is the Latest Victim of the Global Heroin Trade
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kyrgyzstan has been a preferred route for drug traffickers sending heroin from Afghanistan to Russia. This has led to widespread addiction and an epidemic of organized crime.