2010 Edition

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. Much of present-day Sughd province was transferred from the Uzbek SSR to the newly formed Tajik 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 experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992-97. 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 since the beginning of the NATO intervention in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development and security assistance, which could create jobs and strengthen 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.

Area

land

141,510 sq km

total

143,100 sq km

water

2,590 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

highest point

Qullai Ismoili Somoni (Pik Imeni Ismail Samani) 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

1,837 cu m/yr (2000)

total

11.96 cu km/yr (4%/5%/92%)

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

Irrigated land

7,220 sq km (2003)

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

6.52%

other

92.59% (2005)

permanent crops

0.89%

Location

Central Asia, west of China

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

earthquakes; floods

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

99.7 cu km (1997)

Age structure

0-14 years: 34.3% (male 1,282,681/female 1,238,607) 15-64 years: 62.1% (male 2,260,552/female 2,303,034) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 112,334/female 151,937) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

26.49 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

6.72 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.3% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

10,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

34.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

44.55 deaths/1,000 live births

total

39.78 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

68.88 years (2010 est.)

male

62.63 years

total population

65.68 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.2% (2000 census)

male

99.7%

total population

99.5%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease

malaria (2009)

Median age

female

22.7 years (2010 est.)

male

21.7 years

total

22.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Tajikistani

noun

Tajikistani(s)

Net migration rate

-1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

7,487,489 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.852% (2010 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2008)

male

12 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 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 (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.94 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

26% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

38 35 N, 68 48 E

name

Dushanbe

time difference

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Kenneth GROSS

embassy

109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe 734019

FAX

[992] (37) 229-20-50

mailing address

7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189

telephone

[992] (37) 229-20-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Abdujabbor SHIRINOV

FAX

[1] (202) 223-6091

telephone

[1] (202) 223-6090

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

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

election results

Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON 79.3%, Olimjon BOBOEV 6.2%, other 14.5%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2013); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January 1999)

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; red represents the sun, victory, and the unity of the nation, white stands for purity, cotton, and mountain snows, while green is the color of Islam and the bounty of nature; the crown symbolizes the Tajik people; the seven stars signify the Tajik magic word "seven" - a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of happiness

Government type

republic

Independence

9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International organization participation

ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Legal system

based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

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; members serve five-year terms) and the Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 71%, Islamic Revival Party 8.2%, CPT 7%, APT 5.1%, PER 5.1%, other 3.6%; seats by party - PDPT 55, Islamic Revival Party 2, CPT 2, APT 2, PER 2

elections

National Assembly - last held on 28 February 2010 (next to be held in February 2015); Assembly of Representatives - last held on 28 February 2010 (next to be held in February 2015)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Gulnazar KELDI/Suleiman YUDAKOV note: adopted 1991; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet republic but adopted new lyrics

name

"Surudi milli" (National Anthem)

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir QARAQULOV]; Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV (imprisoned October 2005); Rahmatullo VALIYEV, deputy]; Islamic Revival Party [Muhiddin KABIRI]; Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimjon BOBOEV]; Party of Economic Reforms [Mahmadsharif NOZIMOV]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Mirhuseyn NARZIEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders

splinter parties recognized by the government but not by the base of

the party

Democratic Party or DPT [Masud SOBIROV] (splintered from ISKANDAROV's DPT); Socialist Party or SPT [Abduhalim GHAFFOROV] (splintered from NARZIEV's SPT)

unregistered political parties

Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Central bank discount rate

8% (31 December 2009) 13.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

22.91% (31 December 2009 est.) 23.7% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$330 million (2010 est.) -$179.9 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$1.997 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $1.771 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

32.6 (2006) 34.7 (1998)

Economy - overview

Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Because of a lack of employment opportunities in Tajikistan, nearly half of the labor force works abroad, primarily in Russia and Kazakhstan, supporting families in Tajikistan through remittances. The exact number of labor migrants is unknown, but estimated at around 1 million. Less than 7% of the land area is arable. Cotton is the most important crop, but this sector is burdened with debt and obsolete infrastructure; moreover, government has encouraged a gradual transition away from cotton and towards food cultivation due to its concerns about feeding the population. 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. Tajikistan's economic situation remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, corruption, weak governance, seasonal power shortages, and the external debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia in December 2002, including a $250 million write-off of Tajikistan's $300 million debt. Completion of the Sangtuda I hydropower dam - finished in 2009 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. The World Bank, in 2010, agreed to fund safety and feasibility studies for the Rogun Dam. Favorable reports from these studies could increase investor interest in the project, which has been stalled due to lack of funding. 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. While Tajikistan has experienced steady economic growth since 1997, more than half of the population continues to live in poverty. Economic growth reached 10.6% in 2004, but dropped below 8% in 2005-08, as the effects of higher oil prices and then the international financial crisis began to register - mainly in the form of lower prices for key export commodities and lower remittances from Tajiks working abroad, due to the global economic downturn. In 2009 GDP growth dropped to 3.4% as a result of the world recession.

Electricity - consumption

16.7 billion kWh (2009)

Electricity - exports

1 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

667.8 million kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

16.1 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Exchange rates

Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar - 4.3788 (2010), 4.1428 (2009), 3.4563 (2008), 3.4418 (2007), 3.3 (2006)

Exports

$1.318 billion (2010 est.) $1.039 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Russia 19.16%, China 18.38%, Turkey 12.09%, Iran 11.11%, Uzbekistan 7.92%, Norway 6.17%, Greece 4.32% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

19.2%

industry

22.6%

services

58.1% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,000 (2010 est.) $1,900 (2009 est.) $1,900 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

5.5% (2010 est.) 3.4% (2009 est.) 7.9% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.578 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$14.61 billion (2010 est.) $13.85 billion (2009 est.) $13.4 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 25.6% (2007 est.)

Imports

$3.301 billion (2010 est.) $2.77 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Russia 23.92%, China 23.74%, Kazakhstan 8.92%, Turkey 4.96%, Uzbekistan 4.73% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

7.5% (2010 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.8% (2010 est.) 6.4% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

20.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

2.1 million (2009)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

49.8%

industry

12.8%

services

37.4% (2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

266.1 million cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - imports

250 million cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - production

16.1 million cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

38,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

349 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

10,100 bbl/day (2008)

Oil - production

221 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

12 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

60% (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$303 million (31 December 2010 est.) $227 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.095 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $851.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$18.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $16.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$100.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $93.05 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.209 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $939.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$863 million (31 December 2010 est) $712.3 million (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

2.2% (2009 est.) 2.3% (2008 est.) note: official rates; actual unemployment is higher

Broadcast media

state-run television broadcaster transmits nationally on 4 stations and regionally on 4 stations; about 10 independent TV stations broadcast locally and regionally; some households are able to receive Russian and other foreign stations via cable and satellite; state-run radio broadcaster operates Radio Tajikistan, Voice of Dushanbe, and several regional stations; a small number of independent radio stations also broadcast (2008)

Internet country code

.tj

Internet hosts

1,504 (2010)

Internet users

700,000 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed line availability has not changed significantly since 1998 while mobile cellular subscribership, aided by competition among multiple operators, has expanded rapidly; coverage now extends to all major cities and towns

general assessment

foreign investment in the telephone system has resulted in major improvements; conversion of the existing fixed network from analogue to digital more than 90% complete by 2009

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) (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

290,000 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

4.9 million (2009)

Airports

26 (2010)

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 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

9 1,524 to 2,437: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 7 (2010)

Pipelines

gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2009)

Railways

broad gauge

680 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)

total

680 km

Roadways

total

27,767 km (2000)

Waterways

200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2010)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,980,012 females age 16-49: 1,990,084 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,461,896 females age 16-49: 1,642,240 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

75,201 (2010 est.)

male

77,585

Military branches

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Forces (2010)

Military expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2009)

Disputes - international

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

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% of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium); significant consumer of opiates page last updated on January 19, 2011 ======================================================================

Trafficking in persons

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)