Surkhandarya region is a region of Uzbekistan located in the extreme south-east of the country. It was established on March 6, 1941, and borders on Kashkadarya Region internally and Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan externally. The region is named after the river Surxondaryo that flows through it. It covers an area of 20,100 km2 with a population estimated at 1,925,100 (end of 2005 data). The population is predominantly Uzbek, with a smaller percentage of Tajiks. The region is known for its diverse languages spoken, with Persian being predominant. The highest point in the region and Uzbekistan is the KHAZRATI SULTON peak in the Gissar Range.