Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAR), also known as Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) is a mountainous province (region) of Tajikistan. It makes up 40% of the land area of the country.

History

The Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region was created in January 1925. The GBAR was attached to the republic of Tajikistan after the latter was created in 1929. During the 1950s many of the local inhabitants of Gorno-Badakhshan, known as Pamiris, were forcibly relocated to southwestern Tajikistan. When Tajikistan entered a period of civil war in 1992 the local government in the GBAR declared independence from the republic of Tajikistan. During the civil war many Pamiris were targeted for killings by rival groups and Gorno-Badakshan became a bastion for the opposition. Later the GBAR backed down from their calls for independence.

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