| Background: |
Tajikistan has
experienced three changes in government and a five-year
civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the
USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in
1997, and implementation reportedly completed by late 1999.
Part of the agreement required the legalization of
opposition political parties prior to the 1999 elections,
which occurred, but such parties have made little progress
in successful participation in government. Random criminal
and political violence in the country remains a complication
impairing Tajikistan's ability to engage internationally. |
| Location: |
Central Asia,
west of China |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
39 00 N, 71 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Commonwealth of
Independent States |
| 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:
Syrdariya 300 m
highest point: Pik Imeni Ismail Samani 7,495 m |
| Natural
resources: |
hydropower, some
petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc,
antimony, tungsten, silver, gold |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
6%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 65% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
6,390 sq km (1993
est.) |
| 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, Environmental
Modification, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked |
| Population: |
6,578,681 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
41.18% (male 1,367,194; female 1,341,967)
15-64 years: 54.22% (male 1,773,605; female
1,793,345)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 131,009; female
171,561) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.12% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
33.23
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
8.57 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-3.49 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 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: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
116.09
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 64.18 years
male: 61.09 years
female: 67.42 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.29 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
less than 0.01%
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 100
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100
(1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Tajik 64.9%,
Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration),
other 6.6% |
| Religions: |
Sunni Muslim 80%,
Shi'a Muslim 5% |
| Languages: |
Tajik (official),
Russian widely used in government and business |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.) |
| 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 |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
2 oblasts (viloyatho,
singular - viloyat) and one autonomous oblast* (viloyati
mukhtori); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* (Khorugh
- formerly Khorog), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa -
formerly Kurgan-Tyube), Viloyati Leninobod (Khujand -
formerly Leninabad)
note: the administrative center name follows in
parentheses |
| Independence: |
9 September 1991
(from Soviet Union) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
9 September (1991) |
| Constitution: |
6 November 1994 |
| Legal
system: |
based on civil
law system; no judicial review of legislative acts |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| 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 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; election last held 6 November 1999
(next to be held NA 2006); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected
president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 97%, Davlat
USMON 2% |
| 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 National Assembly (upper chamber) or
Majlisi Milliy (33 seats; members are indirectly elected, 25
selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president;
all to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 February and 12 March
2000 for the Assembly of Representatives (next to be held NA
2005) and 23 March 2000 for the National Assembly (next to
be held NA 2005)
election results: Assembly of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - PDPT 65%, Communist Party 20%,
Islamic Rebirth Party 7.5%, other 7.5%; seats by party - NA;
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NA |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(judges are appointed by the president) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Congress of
People's Unity of Tajikistan [Saiffidin TURAYEV]; Democratic
Party or TDP [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV, chairman]; Islamic
Rebirth Party [Muhammadsharif HIMMAT-ZODA, chairman]; Lali
Badakhshan Movement [Atobek AMIRBEKOV]; National Movement
Party [Hakim MUHHABATOV]; Party of Justice and Development [Rahmatullo
ZOIROV]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali
RAHMONOV]; Rastokhez (Rebirth) Movement [Tohiri ABDUJABBOR];
Socialist Party [Sherali KENJAEV]; Tajik Communist Party or
CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]; Adolatho "Justice" Party [Abdurahmon
KARIMOV, chairman] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
AsDB, CCC, CIS,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
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 does have a permanent
mission to the UN: address - 136 East 67th Street, New York,
NY 10021, telephone - [1] (212) 472-7645, FAX - [1] (212)
628-0252; permanent representative to the UN is Rashid
ALIMOV |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Robert P. J. FINN
embassy: temporarily collocated with the US
Embassy in Almaty (Kazakhstan)
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: NA
FAX: NA |
| 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
- overview: |
Tajikistan has
the lowest per capita GDP among the 15 former Soviet
republics. 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 Tajikistani economy has been gravely
weakened by six years of civil conflict and by the loss of
subsidies from Moscow and of markets for its products. Most
of its people live in abject poverty. Tajikistan depends on
aid from Russia and Uzbekistan and on international
humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence
needs. The future of Tajikistan's economy and the potential
for attracting foreign investment depend upon stability and
continued progress in the peace process. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $7.3 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5.1% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $1,140 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
19.8%
industry: 18.1%
services: 62.1% (1998) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
80% (2000 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
33% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.9 million
(1996) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 50%,
industry 20%, services 30% (1997 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
5.7% includes
only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of
underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people
(December 1998) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$146 million
expenditures: $196 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
aluminum, zinc,
lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil,
metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
10% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
15.623 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
1.9%
hydro: 98.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
14.729 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
3.9 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
4.1 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, grain,
fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats |
| Exports: |
$761 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
aluminum,
electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles |
| Exports
- partners: |
Liechtenstein
26%, Uzbekistan 20%, Russia 8% (1998) |
| Imports: |
$782 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
electricity,
petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment,
foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
Europe 32.3%,
Uzbekistan 29%, Russia 13.6% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$1.3 billion
(1999 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$64.7 million
(1995) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Tajikistani
somoni per US dollar - 2.2 (January 2001), 1550 (January
2000), 998 (January 1999), 350 (January 1997), 284 (January
1996)
note: the new unit of exchange was introduced
on 30 October 2000, with one somoni equal to 1,000 of the
old Tajikistani rubles |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
363,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
2,500 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: 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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 9, FM 6,
shortwave 5 (1998) |
| Radios: |
1.291 million
(1991) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
0 (there are,
however, repeaters that relay programs from Russia, Iran,
and Turkey) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
860,000 (1991) |
| Internet
country code: |
.tj |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
NA |
| Internet
users: |
2,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
480 km in common carrier service; does not include
industrial lines (1990) |
| Highways: |
total:
29,900 km
paved: 21,400 km (these roads are said to be
hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally
paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other
coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)
unpaved: 8,500 km (these roads are made of
unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet
weather) (1990) |
| Pipelines: |
natural gas 400
km (1992) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
51
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Air Force,
Air Defense Forces, Presidential National Guard, Security
Forces (internal and border troops) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 1,586,700 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,300,252 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
72,056 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$17 million
(FY97) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.8% (FY97) |
| Disputes
- international: |
portions of
Tajikistan's northern and western border with Uzbekistan and
its eastern border with China have not been officially
demarcated; territorial dispute with Kyrgyzstan on northern
boundary in Isfara Valley area |
| Illicit
drugs: |
major
transshipment zone for heroin and opiates from Afghanistan
going to Russia and Western Europe; limited illicit
cultivation of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption |
|
