Tajikistan

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

4 (2002)

Internet country code

.tj

Internet users

5,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002)

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

13 (2001)

Televisions

820,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

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

Currency

somoni

Currency code

TJS

Debt - external

$1.23 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$60.7 million from US (2001)

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 civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Even though 80% of its people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has experienced strong economic growth since 1997. Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises will further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation, however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, weak governance, and the external debt burden. Servicing of the debt, owed principally to Russia and Uzbekistan, could require as much as 50% of government revenues in 2002, thus limiting the nation's ability to meet pressing development needs.

Electricity - consumption

12.539 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

3.909 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

3.2 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

14.245 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 2% hydro: 98% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 2.55 (January 2002), 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

$640 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Exports - partners

Europe 43%, Russia 30%, Uzbekistan 13% (2000)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 19% industry: 25% services: 56% (2000)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,140 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

8.3% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$700 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Uzbekistan 27%, Russia 16%, Europe 12% (2000)

Industrial production growth rate

10.3% (2000 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

33% (2001 est.)

Labor force

3.187 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 67%, industry 8%, services 25% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line

80% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate

20% (2001 est.)

Area

total: 143,100 sq km water: 400 sq km land: 142,700 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: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

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

Geographic coordinates

39 00 N, 71 00 E

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

Irrigated land

7,200 sq km (1998 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: 5.41% permanent crops: 0.92% other: 93.67% (1998 est.)

Location

Central Asia, west of China

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

earthquakes and floods

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 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* (Khorugh), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand) 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 short form: Tojikiston former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin P. HUDDLE, Jr. embassy: 10 Pavlova Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734003; note - the embassy in Dushanbe is not yet fully operational; most business is still handled in Almaty at 531 Sayfullin Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan, telephone 7-3272-58-79-61, FAX 7-3272-58079-68 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [992] (372) 21-03-48, 21-03-50, 21-03-52, 24-15-60 FAX: [992] (372) 51-00-28, 21-03-62

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 Khamrokhon ZARIPOV

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 election results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 97%, Davlat USMON 2% 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

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, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, 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 the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (33 seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president; all serve five-year terms) 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 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)

National holiday

Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV, chairman]; Islamic Revival Party [Said Abdullo NURI, chairman]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMONOV]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Sherali KENJAYEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders

there are two unregistered political parties with 1,000 or more members: Progressive Party [Suton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatuko SAIDOV]

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 implemented in 2000. The central government's less than total control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise and forge alliances among factions. 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.

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$35.4 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.9% (FY01)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,646,278 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,349,505 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 72,056 (2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.4% (male 1,370,314; female 1,346,465) 15-64 years: 54.9% (male 1,835,573; female 1,854,677) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 136,033; female 176,505) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

32.99 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2002 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

114.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.28 years female: 67.46 years (2002 est.) male: 61.24 years

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

-3.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

6,719,567 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

2.12% (2002 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 85%, 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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.23 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

Uzbekistan has mined much of its undemarcated southern and eastern border with Tajikistan; border demarcation negotiations continuing with Kyrgyzstan in Isfara Valley area; Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan wrestle with sharing water resources and the resulting regional environmental degradation caused by the shrinking of the Aral Sea

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 percent of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third world-wide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium)

Airports

53 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

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 (2002)

Highways

total: 29,900 km paved: 21,400 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads) 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: 482 km broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge note: includes only lines in common carrier service; lines dedicated to particular industries are excluded (2001)

Waterways

none