CISRG Database

Tadjikistan

Facts about Tajikistan from World Fact Book

• Location: Central Asia, west of China
• Area: 143,100 sq km
• Border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
• Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
• Climate: midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semi-arid to polar in Pamir Mountains
• Terrain: Pamirs and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
• Elevation extremes: lowest point: Syrdariya 300 m highest point: Qullai Kommunizm 7,495 m
• Natural resources: significant hydropower potential, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten
• Irrigated land: 6,390 sq km (1993 est.)
• Natural hazards: Earthquakes
• 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
• Population: 5,945,903 (July 1997 est.)
• Population growth rate: 1.18% (1997 est.)
• Birth rate: 27.93 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
• Death rate: 7.74 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
• Net migration rate: -8.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
• Infant mortality rate: 109.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
• Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (1997 est.)
• Ethnic groups: Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6%
• Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%
• Languages: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
• Literacy: total population: 98%
• Government type: republic
• National capital: Dushanbe
• 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
• Independence: 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
• National holiday: National Day, 9 September (1991)
• Constitution: new constitution adopted 6 November 1994
• Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
• 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%
• 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
• Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
• 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]
• 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)
• 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
• 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.
• GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.4 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
• GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $920 (1996 est.)
• 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)
• Industries: aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers
• Electricity - capacity: 4.44 million kW (1994)
• Exports: total value: $768 million (1996 est.) commodities : cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles partners: FSU 78%, Netherlands (1994)
• Imports: total value: $657 million (1996 est.) commodities: fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs partners : FSU 55%, Switzerland, UK (1994)
• Debt - external: $635 million (of which $250 million to Russia) (1995 est.)
• Currency: the Tajikistani ruble (TSR) = 100 tanga; Tajikistan introduced its own currency in May 1995
• Exchange rates: Tajikistani rubles (TJR) per US$1 - 350 (January 1997), 284 (January 1996)
• Railways: total: 480 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines (1990)
• 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)
• 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.)