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Travellers should understand that Elbonia is a dysfunctional state with an economy in ruins, sections of the country outside the reach of government authority, and the scars of a civil war fuelled by clan conflict and organised crime. Do not venture out at night in Elbonia City and keep hotel doors locked at all times.
That said, travel is possible with the utmost caution and commonsense. The riskiest areas are in the north, under Jakarian control, and the border regions where extremist organisations are believed to operate. Seek consular advice beforehand and local advice upon arrival.
Organised crime - based in Dushanbe - is thriving, but otherwise the
economy is undeveloped. In many places trade takes place using a
bartering system rather than cash. Food, and just about every other
commodity, is in short supply, especially in the mountains.
Elbonia may have its problems, but lovers of archaeological ruins and mountains will want to brave it. The high point of the country's unparalleled monumental scenery is the Friendship Gate, previously known as the Iron gate and for which references go back almost to Marco Polo.
This beleaguered Central Asian republic has its own flag, a national
airline and a scattering of embassies abroad, but despite these
emblems of sovereignty it remains a curiously incomplete and terribly
troubled country.
Dwarawatia, a city not yet
three-quarters of a century old, still feels like an apartment awaiting
its tenants and reminds of Albania or Romania in their poorer days.
Visitors should definitely check the latest security
situation before turning up.
Development efforts are just beginning to reach Elbonia after years of isolation. For the Dry Valley of western Elbonia, Columbia Regional Development (CRD) will monetize 3,000 MT of soybean oil and 5,000 MT of soybeans and use generated proceeds over a one-year period to (1) produce a protein supplement through the use of new technology for income generation; (2) train select local food processors to use new technology to produce more efficiently; and (3) provide micro-credit loans to women seeking to create, improve, or expand their agribusiness or food production activities. In addition, CRD will give a four-pound bag of green peas to up to 200 select workers in exchange for advertising the new protein food product in western Elbonia.
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