Tajikistan

§1. Tajikistan Introduction

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 it is now in the process of
  strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free market economy
  after its 1992-1997 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 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.

§2. Tajikistan Geography

Location:
  Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates:
  39 00 N, 71 00 E

Map references:
  Asia

Area:
  total: 143,100 km²
  land: 142,700 km²
  water: 400 km²

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

Land use:
  arable land: 6.52%
  permanent crops: 0.89%
  other: 92.59% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  7,200 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  earthquakes and floods

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

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

§3. Tajikistan People

Population:
  7,320,815 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 37.9% (male 1,396,349/female 1,375,168)
  15-64 years: 57.4% (male 2,091,476/female 2,108,889)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 154,162/female 194,771) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20 years
  male: 19.7 years
  female: 20.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.19% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  32.65 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  8.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -2.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 106.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 117.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 94.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.94 years
  male: 62.03 years
  female: 68 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4 children born/woman (2006 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.)

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: 99.4%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 99.1% (2003 est.)

§4. Tajikistan Government

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:
  Dushanbe

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

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 November 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
  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 the National
  Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (34 seats; members are
  indirectly elected, 25 selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the
  president; 1 seat reserved for the former president; all serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 27 February and 13 March 2005 for the Assembly of
    Representatives (next to be held February 2010) and 25 March 2005 for the
    National Assembly (next to be held February 2010)
  election results: 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; National
    Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDPT 29, CPT
    2, independents 3

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]; Islamic Revival Party [Said Abdullo NURI];
  Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimjon BOBOYEV]; People's Democratic
  Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMONOV]; Social Democratic Party or
  SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Abdualim GHAFFOROV];
  Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV];
    Party of Justice [Abdurahim KARIMOV]; People's Unity Party [Abdumalik
    ABDULLOJONOV]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Socialist Party
    [Mirhuseyn NAZRIYEV]; note - this is the SPT that was disbanded, another
    pro-government SPT (listed above under political parties) replaced it;
    Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Hamrohon ZARIPOV
  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 Richard E. HOAGLAND
  embassy: 10 Pavlova Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734003
  mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189
  telephone: [992] (372) 21-03-48, 21-03-52, 24-15-60
  FAX: [992] (372) 21-03-62, 51-00-29

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

§5. Tajikistan Economy

Economy - overview:
  Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet
  republics. Only 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 64% of its people
  continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has experienced steady
  economic growth since 1997, but experienced a slight drop in its growth
  rate to 8% in 2005 from 10.6% in 2004. Continued privatization of medium
  and large state-owned enterprises would 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 a $250 million write-
  off of Tajikistan's $300 million debt to Russia. Tajikistan ranks third in
  the world in terms of water resources per head. A proposed investment to
  finish the hydropower dams Rogun and Sangtuda would substantially add to
  electricity production. If finished, Rogun will be the world's tallest dam.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $8.826 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $1.943 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $1,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 24%
  industry: 21%
  services: 55% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  3.7 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 67.2%, industry 7.5%, services 25.3% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  12% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  64% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 3.2%
  highest 10%: 25.2% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  34.7 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  8% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  19.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $442.3 million
  expenditures: $542.6 million; including capital expenditures of $86 million
    (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  8.2% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
  16.5 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
  15.05 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  3.874 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  4.81 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
  354.8 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  25,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  30 million m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  1.4 billion m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  1.4 billion m³ (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-92 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $950 million f.o.b. (2005 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)

Imports:
  $1.25 billion f.o.b. (2005 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)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $195 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $888 million (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $67 million from US (2005)

Currency (code):
  somoni

Exchange rates:
  Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 3.1166 (2005), 2.9705 (2004), 3.0614
  (2003), 2.7641 (2002), 2.3722 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Tajikistan Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  245,200 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  47,600 (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns
    are not linked to the national network
  domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
  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

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002)

Television broadcast stations:
  13 (2001)

Internet country code:
  .tj

Internet hosts:
  63 (2005)

Internet users:
  5,000 (2005)

§7. Tajikistan Transportation

Airports:
  45 (2005)

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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 26 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 541 km; oil 38 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 482 km
  broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 27,767 km (2000)

Waterways:
  200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2006)

§8. Tajikistan Military

Military branches:
  Ground Troops, Air and Air Defense Troops, Mobile Troops (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
  obligation - two years (2004)

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.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $35.4 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  3.9% (FY01)

§9. Tajikistan Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  boundary agreements signed in 2002 cede 1,000 km² of Pamir Mountain range
  to China in return for China relinquishing claims to 28,000 km² 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

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)


<Factbook 2006>
