2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand) note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Age structure

0-14 years: 38.5% (male 1,390,220/female 1,368,268) 15-64 years: 56.7% (male 2,022,764/female 2,040,524) 65 years and over: 4.8% (male 150,372/female 191,358) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

55 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

17 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

38 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.) Military Tajikistan

Area

land

142,700 sq km

total

143,100 sq km

water

400 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Background

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. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union and has now completed its transition from the civil war that plagued the country from 1992 to 1997. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the region. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development 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

Birth rate

32.58 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$321.5 million, including capital expenditures of $86 million (2004 est.)

revenues

$311.2 million

Capital

Dushanbe

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

6 November 1994

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Tajikistan

conventional short form

Tajikistan

former

Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Jumhurii Tojikiston

local short form

Tojikiston

Currency (code)

somoni

Currency code

TJS

Current account balance

$-52 million (2004 est.)

Death rate

8.39 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$888 million (2004 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Richard E. HOAGLAND

embassy

10 Pavlova Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734003; note - the embassy in Dushanbe is not yet fully operational; most business is

FAX

[992] (372) 21-03-62, 51-00-28

mailing address

use embassy street address

still handled in Almaty at

531 Sayfullin Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan, telephone 7-3272-58-79-61, FAX 7-3272-58-79-68

telephone

[992] (372) 21-03-48, 21-03-52, 24-15-60

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1725 K Street NW, Suite 409, Washington, DC 20006

chief of mission

Ambassador Hamrohon ZARIPOV

FAX

[1] (202) 223-6091

telephone

[1] (202) 223-6090

Disputes - international

boundary agreements signed in 2002 cede 1,000 sq km of Pamir Mountain range to China in return for China relinquishing claims to 28,000 sq km of Tajikistani lands but neither state has published maps of ceded areas and demarcation has not yet commenced; talks continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove minefields; disputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan

Distribution of family income - Gini index

34.7 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$60.7 million from US (2001)

Economy - overview

Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 5% to 6% of the land area is arable. Cotton is 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 civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Even though 60% of its people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has experienced steady economic growth since 1997. Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises will further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation, however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, weak governance, widespread unemployment, and the external debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia in December 2002, including an interest rate of 4%, a 3-year grace period, and a US $49.8 million credit to the Central Bank of Tajikistan.

Electricity - consumption

14.41 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

3.974 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

4.359 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

15.08 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

1.9%

hydro

98.1%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

lowest point

Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m

Environment - current issues

inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census)

Exchange rates

Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 2.9705 (2004), 3.0614 (2003), 2.7641 (2002), 2.3722 (2001), 2.0763 (2000) note: the new unit of exchange was introduced on 30 October 2000, with one somoni equal to 1,000 of the old Tajikistani rubles

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly

chief of state

President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)

election results

Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 97%, Davlat USMON 2%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 6 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2006); prime minister appointed by the president; Tajikistan held a constitutional referendum on 22 June 2003 that, among other things, set a limit of two seven-year terms for the president

head of government

Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January 1999)

Exports

$1.13 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Exports - partners

Netherlands 41.4%, Turkey 15.3%, Uzbekistan 7.2%, Latvia 7.1%, Switzerland 6.9%, Russia 6.6% (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Tajikistan

Flag description

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

23.7%

industry

24.3%

services

52% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

10.5% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$7.95 billion (2004 est.)

Geographic coordinates

39 00 N, 71 00 E

Geography - note

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

Government type

republic

Highways

paved

NA

total

27,767 km

unpaved

NA (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

less than 200 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 25.2% (1998)

Illicit drugs

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 percent of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium) This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$1.3 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Russia 20.2%, Uzbekistan 14.2%, Kazakhstan 12.8%, Azerbaijan 7.2%, US 6.7%, China 4.8%, Ukraine 4.5% (2004)

Independence

9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Industrial production growth rate

8.2% (2002 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

98.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

122.35 deaths/1,000 live births

total

110.76 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Internet country code

.tj

Internet hosts

69 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

4 (2002)

Internet users

4,100 (2003) Transportation Tajikistan

Investment (gross fixed)

22% of GDP (2004 est.)

Irrigated land

7,200 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Labor force

3.187 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 67.2%, industry 7.5%, services 25.3% (2000 est.)

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

6.61%

other

92.47% (2001)

permanent crops

0.92%

Languages

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

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (33 seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president; all serve five-year terms)

election results

Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 74%, CPT 13%, Islamic Revival Party 8%, other 5%; seats by party - PDPT 49, CPT 4, Islamic Revival Party 2, independents 5, vacant 3; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

elections

last held 27 February and 13 March 2000 for the Assembly of Representatives (next to be held NA 2010) and 23 March 2000 for the National Assembly (next to be held NA 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female

67.59 years (2005 est.)

male

61.68 years

total population

64.56 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.1% (2003 est.) Government Tajikistan

male

99.6%

total population

99.4%

Location

Central Asia, west of China

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 1,556,415 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,244,941 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males

87,846 (2005 est.)

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

20.02 years (2005 est.)

male

19.45 years

total

19.73 years

Military branches

Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$35.4 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.9% (FY01) Transnational Issues Tajikistan

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

National holiday

Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)

Nationality

adjective

Tajikistani

noun

Tajikistani(s)

Natural gas - consumption

1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

50 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural hazards

earthquakes and floods

Natural resources

hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Net migration rate

-2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

250 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Pipelines

gas 541 km; oil 38 km (2004)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV]; Islamic Revival Party [Said Abdullo NURI]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMONOV]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Mirhuseyn NAZRIYEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders

there are three unregistered political parties

Agrarian Party or APT [Hikmatullo NASRIDDINOV]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]

Population

7,163,506 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

60% (2004 est.)

Population growth rate

2.15% (2005 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002)

Radios

1.291 million (1991)

Railways

broad gauge

482 km 1.520-m gauge (2004)

total

482 km

Religions

Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$145.3 million (2004 est.)

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: 0.79 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

cable and microwave radio relay

general assessment

poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not linked to the national network

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 - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

Telephones - main lines in use

242,100 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

47,600 (2003)

Television broadcast stations

13 (2001)

Televisions

820,000 (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

4.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

40% (2002 est.)

Waterways

200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2003)