1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Introduction
Background
Tajikistan has experienced three changes of government and a civil war since it gained independence in September 1991 when the USSR collapsed. A peace agreement was signed in June 1997, but implementation is progressing slowly. Russian-led peacekeeping troops are deployed throughout the country, and Russian-commanded border guards are stationed along the Tajikistani-Afghan border.
Geography
Area
total: 143,100 sq km land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Climate
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Syrdariya 300 m highest point: Qullai Kommunizm 7,495 m
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
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
39 00 N, 71 00 E
Geography--note
landlocked
Irrigated land
6,390 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 3,651 km border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Land use
arable land: 6% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 4% other: 65% (1993 est.)
Location
Central Asia, west of China
Map references
Commonwealth of Independent States
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
NA
Natural resources
significant hydropower potential, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten
Terrain
Pamir and Alay mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 41% (male 1,250,344; female 1,224,355) 15-64 years: 55% (male 1,661,488; female 1,681,839) 65 years and over: 4% (male 122,065; female 162,763) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
27.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
7.85 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6%
Infant mortality rate
114.78 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 64.28 years male: 61.15 years female: 67.57 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1989 est.)
Nationality
noun: Tajikistani(s) adjective: Tajikistani
Net migration rate
-5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
6,102,854 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
1.43% (1999 est.)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%
Sex ratio
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: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.48 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
2 oblasts (viloyatho, singular--viloyat) and one autonomous oblast* (viloyati mukhtori); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshoni* (Khorugh--formerly Khorog), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa--formerly Kurgan-Tyube), Viloyati Leninobod (Khujand--formerly Leninabad) note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
Capital
Dushanbe
Constitution
6 November 1994
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan conventional short form: Tajikistan local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston local short form: none former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code
TI
Executive branch
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Yahyo AZIMOV (since 8 February 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly for approval elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 6 November 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent of vote--Emomali RAHMONOV 58%, Abdumalik ABDULLOJANOV 40%
FAX
NA
Flag 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
Government type
republic
Independence
9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
International organization participation
CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM, ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: Tajikistan does not have an embassy in the US, but has a mission at the UN: address--136 East ALIMOV Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert FINN embassy: temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in Almaty mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: NA
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president Political parties and leaders: Tajik Communist Party or CPT from the People's Party and Party of People's Unity; United Tajik
Legal system
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Legislative branch
unicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli (181 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26 February and 12 March 1995 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; estimated seats by party--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)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Currency
the Tajikistani ruble (TJR) = 100 tanga
Debt--external
$1 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$64.7 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the former Soviet republics. Agriculture dominates the economy, with cotton the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, 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 Tajikistani economy has been gravely weakened by five years of civil conflict and by the loss of subsidies from Moscow and of markets for its products. Tajikistan thus depends on aid from Russia and Uzbekistan and on international humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence needs. Even if the peace agreement of June 1997 is honored, the country faces major problems in integrating refugees and former combatants into the economy. Moreover, constant political turmoil and the continued dominance by former communist officials have impeded the introduction of meaningful economic reforms. Still in a post-conflict status, the future of Tajikistan's economy and the potential for attracting foreign investment depend upon stability and progress in the peace process.
Electricity--consumption
12.555 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
3.8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
2.8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
13.555 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 4.09% hydro: 95.91% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Tajikistani rubles (TJR) per US$1--998 (January 1999), 350 (January 1997), 284 (January 1996)
Exports
$740 million (1998 est.)
Exports--commodities
cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles
Exports--partners
FSU 78%, Netherlands (1994)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 25% industry: 35% services: 40% (1997)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$990 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
5.3% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$810 million (1998 est.)
Imports--commodities
fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs
Imports--partners
FSU 55%, Switzerland, UK (1994)
Industrial production growth rate
8% (1998 est.)
Industries
aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
46.3% (1998 est.)
Labor force
1.9 million (1996)
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture and forestry 52%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 17%, services 31% (1995)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
5.7% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1998)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
1 state-owned radio broadcast station of NA type
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
0 (there are, however, repeaters that relay programs from Russia, Iran, and Turkey) (1997)
Televisions
NA
Transportation
Airports
59 (1994 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1994 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 45 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 36 (1994 est.)
Highways
total: 13,700 km paved: 11,330 km (note--these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced) unpaved: 2,370 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines
natural gas 400 km (1992) Ports and harbors: none
Railways
total: 480 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines (1990)
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Presidential National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$19.3 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
1.8% (1997)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 1,478,551 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,211,514 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 65,001 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
most of the boundary with China in dispute; territorial dispute with Kyrgyzstan on northern boundary in Isfara Valley area
Illicit drugs
limited illicit cultivation of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; opium poppy cultivation negligible in 1998 because of government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe