Tajikistan

Radio broadcast stations

1 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

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

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

Currency

the Tajikistani ruble (TSR) = 100 tanga; Tajikistan introduced its own currency in May 1995

Debt - external

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

Economic aid

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

Economy - overview

Tajikistan had the next-to-lowest per capita GDP in the former USSR, the highest rate of population growth, an extremely low standard of living, and rampant inflation. 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 from Moscow and of 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 made initial efforts to stabilize the economy and promote reform in 1996.

Electricity - capacity

4.44 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

2,135 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

16.8 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

Tajikistani rubles (TJR) per US$1 - 350 (January 1997), 284 (January 1996)

Exports

total value: $768 million (1996 est.) commodities : cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles partners: FSU 78%, Netherlands (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $5.4 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $920 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-17% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $657 million (1996 est.) commodities: fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs partners : FSU 55%, Switzerland, UK (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

-20% (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

65% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 1.9 million (1996) by occupation: agriculture and forestry 52%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 17%, services 31% (1995)

Unemployment rate

2.4% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1996)

Area

total : 143,100 sq km land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 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

lowest point: Syrdariya 300 m highest point: Qullai Kommunizm 7,495 m

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: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

39 00 N, 71 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked

Irrigated land

6,390 sq km (1993 est.)

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% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 4% other: 65% (1993 est.)

Location

Central Asia, west of China

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

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 name follows in parentheses

Constitution

new constitution adopted 6 November 1994

Country name

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

Data code

TI

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the 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; permanent representative to the UN is Rashid ALIMOV

Executive branch

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

FAX

Telex (787) 20116

Flag description

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

Government type

republic

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, IOC, IOM, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, 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 Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli (181 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms) elections : last held 26 February and 12 March 1995 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; estimated seats by party - 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 capital

Dushanbe

National holiday

National Day, 9 September (1991)

Political parties and leaders

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

Army, Air Force, Presidential National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

180 billion rubles (1995); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.4% (1995)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,393,416 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males : 1,143,159 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 60,832 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42% (male 1,263,725; female 1,234,730) 15-64 years : 53% (male 1,578,940; female 1,599,458) 65 years and over: 5% (male 114,118; female 154,932) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

27.93 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

7.74 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

109.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.68 years male : 61.55 years female: 67.97 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Tajikistani(s) adjective: Tajikistani

Net migration rate

-8.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

5,945,903 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.18% (1997 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: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.58 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

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

Illicit drugs

limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe TANZANIA

Airports

59 (1994 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total : 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1994 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 45 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m : 36 (1994 est.)

Highways

total: 32,752 km paved: 21,119 km (note - these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced) unpaved: 11,633 km (1992 est.)

Pipelines

natural gas 400 km (1992)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

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