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
Location:
Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 71 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 143,100 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km,
Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
midlatitude continental, hot
summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain:
Pamir and Alay Mountains
dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh
Valleys in southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Syr Darya
(Sirdaryo) 300 m highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, some petroleum,
uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the
selected agreements
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
total: 21.6 years
male: 21.2 years female: 22.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.893% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
27.18 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.94 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.31 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
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 (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
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:
total population: 64.97
years male: 61.95 years female: 68.15 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.04 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A,
and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups:
Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%,
Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census)
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim
5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
Languages:
Tajik (official), Russian
widely used in government and business
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 99.5%
male: 99.7% female: 99.2% (2000 census)
Government
Tajikistan
Country name:
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:
republic
Capital:
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:
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:
9 September 1991 (from Soviet
Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day (or National
Day), 9 September (1991)
Constitution:
6 November 1994
Legal system:
based on civil law system; no
judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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:
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:
Supreme Court (judges are
appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
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:
splinter parties recognized by
the government but not by the base of the party: Socialist Party or SPT
[Abdualim GHAFFOROV; splintered from Narziyev's SPT]; Democratic Party or
DPT [Masud SOBIROV; splintered from Iskanderov's DPT]; unregistered
political parties: Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV]; Progressive
Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]
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:
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:
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
Economy - overview:
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.
electricity, petroleum
products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Russia 24.6%, Kazakhstan 10.8%,
Uzbekistan 10.2%, China 8.6%, Azerbaijan 8% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$241.4 million from US (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$301 million (31 December 2007
est.)
Debt - external:
$1.308 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
somoni (TJS)
Currency code:
TJS
Exchange rates:
Tajikistani somoni per US
dollar - 3.4418 (2007), 3.3 (2006), 3.1166 (2005), 2.9705 (2004), 3.0614
(2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Tajikistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
280,200 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
265,000 (2005)
Telephone system:
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:
AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002)
Radios:
1.291 million (1991)
Television broadcast stations:
6 (2006)
Televisions:
820,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.tj
Internet hosts:
2,050 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
4 (2002)
Internet users:
19,500 (2005)
Transportation
Tajikistan
Airports:
26 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
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:
total: 8 under
914 m: 8 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 27,767 km (2000)
Waterways:
200 km (along Vakhsh River)
(2006)
Military
Tajikistan
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Air and Air
Defense Forces, Mobile Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory
military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
1,897,356 females age 16-49: 1,911,594 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49:
1,391,287 females age 16-49: 1,561,826 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 84,137
females age 16-49: 81,777 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.9% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Tajikistan
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
