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This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


Map of Tajikistan



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Tajikistan Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Much of present-day Sughd province was transferred from the Uzbekistan SSR to newly formed Tajikistan SSR in 1929. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Sughd province. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and it is now in the process of strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free market economy after its 1992-97 civil war. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development and security assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.
   Geography    Tajikistan Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
39 00 N, 71 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Asia
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 143,100 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km
water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 6.52%
permanent crops: 0.89%
other: 92.59% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
7,220 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field Listing
99.7 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Definition Field Listing
total: 11.96 cu km/yr (4%/5%/92%)
per capita: 1,837 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
earthquakes and floods
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR
   People    Tajikistan Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,211,884 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 34.6% (male 1,270,289/female 1,226,954)
15-64 years: 61.7% (male 2,203,720/female 2,244,660)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 113,156/female 153,105) (2008 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 21.6 years
male: 21.2 years
female: 22.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.893% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
27.18 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 42.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 47.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 37.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 64.97 years
male: 61.95 years
female: 68.15 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.04 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
fewer than 100 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.5%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
Definition Field Listing
total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 10 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.4% of GDP (2006)
   Government    Tajikistan Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
local short form: Tojikiston
former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Dushanbe
geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
6 November 1994
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON 79.3%, Olimzon BOBOYEV 6.2%, other 14.5%
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (34 seats; 25 members selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president; 1 seat reserved for the former president; to serve five-year terms) and the Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 25 March 2005 (next to be held in February 2010); Assembly of Representatives 27 February and 13 March 2005 (next to be held in February 2010)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDPT 29, CPT 2, independents 3; Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 74.9%, CPT 13.6%, Islamic Revival Party 8.9%, other 2.5%; seats by party - PDPT 51, CPT 5, Islamic Revival Party 2, independents 5
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir KARAKULOV]; Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV (imprisoned October 2005); Rahmatullo VALIYEV, deputy]; Islamic Revival Party [Muhiddin KABIRI]; Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimzon BOBOYEV]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Mirhuseyn NARZIYEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV] (unregistered political party); Democratic Party or DPT [Masud SOBIROV] (splintered from Iskanderov's DPT); Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Abdualim GHAFFOROV] (splintered from Narziyev's SPT); Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]
other: splinter parties recognized by the government but not by the base of the party; unregistered political parties
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ADB, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Abdujabbor SHIRINOV
chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090
FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey Ann JACOBSON
embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe 734019
mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189
telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00
FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe
   Economy    Tajikistan Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 7% of the land area is arable. Cotton is the most important crop, but this sector is burdened with debt and an obsolete infrastructure. Mineral resources include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. While Tajikistan has experienced steady economic growth since 1997, nearly two-thirds of the population continues to live in abject poverty. Economic growth reached 10.6% in 2004, but dropped to 8% in 2005, 7% in 2006, and 7.8% in 2007. Tajikistan's economic situation remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, corruption, weak governance, widespread unemployment, seasonal power shortages, and the external debt burden. Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises could increase productivity. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia in December 2002 including a $250 million write-off of Tajikistan's $300 million debt. Tajikistan ranks third in the world in terms of water resources per head, but suffers winter power shortages due to poor management of water levels in rivers and reservoirs. Completion of the Sangtuda I hydropower dam - built with Russian investment - and the Sangtuda II and Rogun dams will add substantially to electricity output. If finished according to Tajik plans, Rogun will be the world's tallest dam. Tajikistan has also received substantial infrastructure development loans from the Chinese government to improve roads and an electricity transmission network. To help increase north-south trade, the US funded a $36 million bridge which opened in August 2007 and links Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$11.96 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$3.712 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1,600 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 23.8%
industry: 30.4%
services: 45.8% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.1 million (2007)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 67.2%
industry: 7.5%
services: 25.3% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.4% official rate; actual unemployment is higher (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 25.6% (2007 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
32.6 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $712.1 million
expenditures: $674.5 million (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
22.87% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$91.59 million (31 December 2006)
Stock of quasi money:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$161 million (31 December 2006)
Stock of domestic credit:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$417.4 million (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
aluminum, zinc, lead; chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17.4 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17.9 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
4.259 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
4.36 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
281.1 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
31,590 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
247.7 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,600 bbl/day (2007)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
32 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
842 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
810 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-$351 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.606 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Netherlands 38.9%, Turkey 32.5%, Russia 6.6%, Uzbekistan 5.9%, Iran 5.1% (2007)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.762 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Russia 32.1%, Kazakhstan 13.1%, China 10.8%, Uzbekistan 8.4% (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$242 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.56 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
somoni (TJS)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar - 3.4418 (2007), 3.3 (2006), 3.1166 (2005), 2.9705 (2004), 3.0614 (2003)
   Communications    Tajikistan Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
280,200 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
265,000 (2005)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not linked to the national network
domestic: the domestic telecommunications network has historically been under funded and poorly maintained; main line availability has not changed significantly since 1998; cellular telephone use is growing but geographic coverage remains limited
international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth stations - 3 (2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita) (2006)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
6 (2006)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.tj
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,158 (2008)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
19,500 (2005)
   Transportation    Tajikistan Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
26 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 8
under 914 m: 8 (2007)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2007)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 27,767 km (2000)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2006)
   Military    Tajikistan Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 1,897,356
females age 16-49: 1,911,594 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 1,391,287
females age 16-49: 1,561,826 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Definition Field Listing
male: 84,137
female: 81,777 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
   Transnational Issues    Tajikistan Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
in 2006, China and Tajikistan pledged to commence demarcation of the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; talks continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove minefields; disputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan
Trafficking in persons:
Definition Field Listing
current situation: Tajikistan is a source country for women trafficked through Kyrgyzstan and Russia to the UAE, Turkey, and Russia for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; men are trafficked to Russia and Kazakhstan for the purpose of forced labor, primarily in the construction and agricultural industries; boys and girls are trafficked internally for various purposes, including forced labor and forced begging
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Tajikistan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking, especially efforts to investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence traffickers; despite evidence of low- and mid-level officials' complicity in trafficking, the government did not punish any public officials for trafficking complicity during 2007; lack of capacity and poor coordination between government institutions remained key obstacles to effective anti-trafficking efforts (2008)
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistan seizes roughly 80% of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium); significant consumer of opiates

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


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