1996 Edition

Description

three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven five-pointed gold stars is located in the center of the white stripe

Location

39 00 N, 71 00 E -- Central Asia, west of China Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Wisconsin

land area

142,700 sq km

total area

143,100 sq km

Climate

midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues

inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides; part of the basin of the shrinking Aral Sea suffers from severe overutilization of available water for irrigation and associated pollution

international agreements

NA

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

39 00 N, 71 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

International disputes

boundary with China in dispute; territorial dispute with Kyrgyzstan on northern boundary in Isfara Valley area; Afghanistan's and other foreign support to Islamic fighters in Tajikistan's civil war based in northern Afghanistan

Irrigated land

6,940 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries

border countries

Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km

total

3,651 km

Land use

arable land

6%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

23%

other

71%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Central Asia, west of China

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

significant hydropower potential, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten

Terrain

Pamir and Altai Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

highest point

Qullai Kommunizm 7,495 m

lowest point

Syrdariya 300 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 1,282,846; female 1,258,302) 15-64 years: 53% (male 1,546,264; female 1,566,365) 65 years and over: 4% (male 110,705; female 151,891) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

33.78 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

8.43 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6%

Infant mortality rate

113.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business

Life expectancy at birth

female

68.24 years (1996 est.)

male

60.84 years

total population

64.45 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)

female

97%

male

99%

total population

98%

Nationality

adjective

Tajik

noun

Tajik(s)

Net migration rate

-9.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

5,916,373 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.54% (1996 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

4.38 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

2 oblasts (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and one autonomous oblast* (viloyati avtonomii); Viloyati Avtonomii Badakhshoni Kuni* (Khorugh - formerly Khorog), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa - formerly Kurgan-Tyube), Viloyati Leninobod (Khujand - formerly Leninabad)

note

the administrative center names are in parentheses

Capital

Dushanbe

Constitution

new constitution adopted 6 November 1994

Data code

TI

Diplomatic representation in US

Tajikistan does not have an embassy in the US, but has a mission at the UN: address - 136 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10021, telephone - [1] (212) 472-7645, FAX - [1] (212) 628-0252

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the president who proposes them to the Supreme Assembly for approval

chief of state

President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994; was Head of State and Assembly Chairman since NA November 1992) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 6 November 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - Emomali RAHMONOV 58%, Abdumalik ABDULLAJANOV 40%

head of government

Prime Minister Yahyo AZIMOV (since 8 February 1996) was appointed by the president

FAX

Telex (787) 20116

Flag

three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven five-pointed gold stars is located in the center of the white stripe

Independence

9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

International organization participation

CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president

Legal system

based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Tajikistan

conventional short form

Tajikistan

former

Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Jumhurii Tojikistan

local short form

none

National Assembly (Majlisi Oli)

elections last held 26 February and 12 March 1995 (next to be held NA 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; estimated seats - (181 total) Communist Party and affiliates 100, People's Party 10, Party of People's Unity 6, Party of Economic and Political Renewal 1, other 64

National holiday

National Day, 9 September (1991)

Other political or pressure groups

Tajikistan Opposition Movement based in northern Afghanistan, Seyed Abdullah NURI, chairman

Political parties and leaders

People's Party of Tajikistan, Abdumajid DOSTIYEV; Party of People's Unity, Abdumalik ABDULLOJONOR; Tajik Communist Party, Shodi SHABDOLOV; Democratic Party, Jumaboy NIYAZOV, chairman; Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), Mohammed Sharif HIMMATZODA, chairman; Rebirth (Rastokhez), Takhir ABDUZHABOROV; Lali Badakhshan Society, Atobek AMIRBEK; Tajikistan Party of Economic and Political Renewal (TPEPR); Citizenship, Patriotism, Unity Party, Bobokhon MAHMADOV; Adolatho "Justices" Party, Abdurahmon KARIMOV, chairman

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador R. Grant SMITH

embassy

interim chancery, Oktyabrskaya Hotel, 105A Prospect Rudaki, Dushanbe 734001

mailing address

Octyabrskaya Hotel, 105A Prospect Rudaki, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734001

telephone

[7] (3772) 21-03-56

Agriculture

cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

revenues

$NA

Currency

introduced its own currency, the Tajik ruble, in May 1995

Economic aid

note

commitments, $885 million (disbursements $115 million) (1992-95)

recipient

ODA, $22 million (1993)

Economic overview

Tajikistan had the next-to-lowest per capita GDP in the former USSR, the highest rate of population growth, and an extremely low standard of living. Agriculture dominates the economy, with cotton being the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry is limited to a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The Tajik economy has been gravely weakened by four years of civil conflict and by the loss of subsidies and markets for its products, which has left Tajikistan dependent on Russia and Uzbekistan and on international humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence needs. Moreover, constant political turmoil and the continued dominance by former communist officials have impeded the introduction of meaningful economic reforms. The regime has made only halfhearted efforts to stabilize the economy and promote reform.

Electricity

capacity

3,800,000 kW

consumption per capita

2,400 kWh (1995)

production

14.8 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Tajik rubles per US$1 - 284 (January 1996)

Exports

$707 million (1995)

commodities

cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

partners

Russia, Kazakstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan

External debt

$635 million (of which $250 million to Russia) (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $6.4 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$1,040 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-12.4% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America

Imports

$690 million (1995)

commodities

fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs

partners

Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan

Industrial production growth rate

-5% (1995)

Industries

aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

28% monthly average (1995 est.)

Labor force

1.95 million (1992)

by occupation

agriculture and forestry 43%, government and services 24%, industry 14%, trade and communications 11%, construction 8% (1990)

Unemployment rate

3.3% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1995)

Branches

Army (being formed), Presidential National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Defense expenditures

180 billion rubles, 3.4% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

1,358,106

males fit for military service

1,115,149

males reach military age (18) annually

58,691 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note - there is one state-owned radio broadcast station

Radios

NA

Telephone system

poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not reached by the national network

domestic

cable and microwave radio relay

international

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 - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

Telephones

303,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

note

1 Intelsat earth station provides TV receive-only service from Turkey

Televisions

NA Defense

Airports

total

59

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

7

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

5

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

9

with unpaved runways under 914 m

36 (1994 est.)

Highways

paved

21,119 km

total

32,752 km

unpaved

11,633 km (1992 est.)

Pipelines

natural gas 400 km (1992)

Ports

none

Railways

total

480 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines (1990)