Tajikistan

Branches

Army (being formed), Presidential National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Defense expenditures

180 billion rubles, 3.4% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 1,358,106 males fit for military service: 1,115,149 males reach military age (18) annually: 58,691 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note - there is one state-owned radio broadcast station

Radios

NA

Telephone system

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

Telephones

303,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 note: 1 Intelsat earth station provides TV receive-only service from Turkey

Televisions

NA Defense

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Currency

introduced its own currency, the Tajik ruble, in May 1995

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $22 million (1993) note: commitments, $885 million (disbursements $115 million) (1992-95)

Economic overview

Tajikistan had the next-to-lowest per capita GDP in the former USSR, the highest rate of population growth, and an extremely low standard of living. Agriculture dominates the economy, with cotton being the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry is limited to a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The Tajik economy has been gravely weakened by four years of civil conflict and by the loss of subsidies and markets for its products, which has left Tajikistan dependent on Russia and Uzbekistan and on international humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence needs. Moreover, constant political turmoil and the continued dominance by former communist officials have impeded the introduction of meaningful economic reforms. The regime has made only halfhearted efforts to stabilize the economy and promote reform.

Electricity

capacity: 3,800,000 kW production: 14.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,400 kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Tajik rubles per US$1 - 284 (January 1996)

Exports

$707 million (1995) commodities: cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles partners: Russia, Kazakstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan

External debt

$635 million (of which $250 million to Russia) (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $6.4 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$1,040 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-12.4% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America

Imports

$690 million (1995) commodities: fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs partners: Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan

Industrial production growth rate

-5% (1995)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

28% monthly average (1995 est.)

Labor force

1.95 million (1992) by occupation: agriculture and forestry 43%, government and services 24%, industry 14%, trade and communications 11%, construction 8% (1990)

Unemployment rate

3.3% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1995)

Area

total area: 143,100 sq km land area: 142,700 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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 natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA

Geographic coordinates

39 00 N, 71 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

International disputes

boundary with China in dispute; territorial dispute with Kyrgyzstan on northern boundary in Isfara Valley area; Afghanistan's and other foreign support to Islamic fighters in Tajikistan's civil war based in northern Afghanistan

Irrigated land

6,940 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries

total: 3,651 km border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km

Land use

arable land: 6% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 23% forest and woodland: 0% other: 71%

Location

Central Asia, west of China

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

significant hydropower potential, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten

Terrain

Pamir and Altai Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest lowest point: Syrdariya 300 m highest point: Qullai Kommunizm 7,495 m

Administrative divisions

2 oblasts (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and one autonomous oblast* (viloyati avtonomii); Viloyati Avtonomii Badakhshoni Kuni* (Khorugh - formerly Khorog), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa - formerly Kurgan-Tyube), Viloyati Leninobod (Khujand - formerly Leninabad) note: the administrative center names are in parentheses

Capital

Dushanbe

Constitution

new constitution adopted 6 November 1994

Data code

TI

Diplomatic representation in US

Tajikistan does not have an embassy in the US, but has a mission at the UN: address - 136 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10021, telephone - [1] (212) 472-7645, FAX - [1] (212) 628-0252

Executive branch

chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994; was Head of State and Assembly Chairman since NA November 1992) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 6 November 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - Emomali RAHMONOV 58%, Abdumalik ABDULLAJANOV 40% head of government: Prime Minister Yahyo AZIMOV (since 8 February 1996) was appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president who proposes them to the Supreme Assembly for approval

FAX

Telex (787) 20116

Flag

three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven five-pointed gold stars is located in the center of the white stripe

Independence

9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

International organization participation

CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan conventional short form: Tajikistan local long form: Jumhurii Tojikistan local short form: none former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

National Assembly (Majlisi Oli)

elections last held 26 February and 12 March 1995 (next to be held NA 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; estimated seats - (181 total) Communist Party and affiliates 100, People's Party 10, Party of People's Unity 6, Party of Economic and Political Renewal 1, other 64

National holiday

National Day, 9 September (1991)

Other political or pressure groups

Tajikistan Opposition Movement based in northern Afghanistan, Seyed Abdullah NURI, chairman

Political parties and leaders

People's Party of Tajikistan, Abdumajid DOSTIYEV; Party of People's Unity, Abdumalik ABDULLOJONOR; Tajik Communist Party, Shodi SHABDOLOV; Democratic Party, Jumaboy NIYAZOV, chairman; Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), Mohammed Sharif HIMMATZODA, chairman; Rebirth (Rastokhez), Takhir ABDUZHABOROV; Lali Badakhshan Society, Atobek AMIRBEK; Tajikistan Party of Economic and Political Renewal (TPEPR); Citizenship, Patriotism, Unity Party, Bobokhon MAHMADOV; Adolatho "Justices" Party, Abdurahmon KARIMOV, chairman

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador R. Grant SMITH embassy: interim chancery, Oktyabrskaya Hotel, 105A Prospect Rudaki, Dushanbe 734001 mailing address: Octyabrskaya Hotel, 105A Prospect Rudaki, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734001 telephone: [7] (3772) 21-03-56

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 1,282,846; female 1,258,302) 15-64 years: 53% (male 1,546,264; female 1,566,365) 65 years and over: 4% (male 110,705; female 151,891) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

33.78 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

8.43 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6%

Infant mortality rate

113.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.45 years male: 60.84 years female: 68.24 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97%

Nationality

noun: Tajik(s) adjective: Tajik

Net migration rate

-9.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

5,916,373 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.54% (1996 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%

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: 0.73 male(s)/female all ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.38 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 59 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 5 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 7 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 9 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 36 (1994 est.)

Highways

total: 32,752 km paved: 21,119 km unpaved: 11,633 km (1992 est.)

Pipelines

natural gas 400 km (1992)

Ports

none

Railways

total: 480 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines (1990)