Akademii Nauk Range, mountain range, western Pamirs, central Tajikistan. The mountains, extending north-south, are approximately 68 miles (110 km) in length and are composed mostly of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, together with some granite. Glaciation from permanent snowcaps extends over an area of 580 square miles (1,500 square km). The highest peak in Tajikistan, Imeni Ismail Samani Peak (formerly Communism Peak; 24,590 feet [7,495 metres]), is located in the range; there are 24 peaks above 19,700 feet (6,000 metres). The mountains were named in 1927 in honour of the Soviet (now Russian) Academy of Sciences.