Tajikistan

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Internet country code

.tj

Internet users

2,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios

1.291 million (1991)

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

Telephones - main lines in use

363,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2,500 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

0 (there are, however, repeaters that relay programs from Russia, Iran, and Turkey) (1997)

Televisions

860,000 (1991)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $146 million expenditures: $196 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Currency

somoni

Currency code

SM

Debt - external

$1.3 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$64.7 million (1995)

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.

Electricity - consumption

14.729 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

3.9 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

4.1 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

15.623 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 1.9% hydro: 98.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

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

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 19.8% industry: 18.1% services: 62.1% (1998)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,140 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.1% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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)

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2000 est.)

Industries

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

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.)

Population below poverty line

80% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

5.7% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1998)

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: Pik Imeni Ismail Samani 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection 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

hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Terrain

Pamir 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 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

Capital

Dushanbe

Constitution

6 November 1994

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

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

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

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%

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

Government type

republic

Independence

9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

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)

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

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 September (1991)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$17 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.8% (FY97)

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 - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 72,056 (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.)

Birth rate

33.23 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate

8.57 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

less than 100 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

116.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.18 years male: 61.09 years female: 67.42 years (2001 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

-3.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

6,578,681 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

2.12% (2001 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: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.29 children born/woman (2001 est.)

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

Airports

53 (2000 est.)

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.)

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)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

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

Waterways

none