[3] Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, is surrounded by the Districts under Central Government Jurisdiction, but not part of it.

[4] After the dissolution of Stalinabad Oblast in 1951, the territories of the former province became directly subordinate to the government of the Tajik SSR, which is how the name came about.

The districts are:[3] The plateau is traversed by the river Vakhsh, a right-hand tributary of the Amu Darya.

The winter climate is extremely severe: snow begins to fall in October and it is May before it disappears.

During the warmer months, however, the mountainsides are richly clothed with the foliage of maple, mountain ash, apple, pear and walnut trees; the orchards furnish not only apples and pears, but peaches, cherries, mulberries and apricots.