Tajikistan
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Note--Tajikistan has experienced three changes of government since it gained independence in September 1991. The current president, Emomali RAKHMONOV, was elected to the presidency in November 1994, yet has been in power since 1992. The country is suffering through its third year of a civil war, with no clear end in sight. Underlying the conflict are deeply-rooted regional and clan-based animosities that pit a government consisting of people primarily from the Kulob (Kulyab), Khujand (Leninabad), and Hisor (Hissar) regions against a secular and Islamic-led opposition from the Gharm, Gorno-Badakhshan, and Qurghonteppa (Kurgan-Tyube) regions. Government and opposition representatives have held periodic rounds of UN-mediated peace talks and agreed in September 1994 to a cease-fire. Russian-led peacekeeping troops are deployed throughout the country, and Russian border guards are stationed along the Tajik-Afghan border.
GEOGRAPHY
Location
Central Asia, west of China
Area
- Total area: 143,100 sq km
- Land area: 142,700 sq km
- Comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land Boundaries
Total 3,651 km, Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime Claims
None; 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 Tajik rebels based in northern Afghanistan
Climate
Midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain
Pamir and Altay 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
Natural Resources
- Significant hydropower potential
- Some petroleum
- Uranium
- Mercury
- Brown coal
- Lead
- Zinc
- Antimony
- Tungsten
Land Use
- Arable land: 6%
- Permanent crops: 0%
- Meadows and pastures: 23%
- Forest and woodland: 0%
- Other: 71%
Irrigated Land
6,940 sq km (1990)
Environment
- Current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides; part of the basin of the shrinking Aral Sea which suffers from severe overutilization of available water for irrigation and associated pollution
- Natural hazards: NA
- International agreements: NA
Note: Landlocked
PEOPLE
Population
5,916,373 (July 1996 est.)
6,155,474 (July 1995 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 Years
43% (male 1,282,846; female 1,258,302) (July 1996 est.)
43% (male 1,340,086; female 1,303,627) (July 1995 est.)
15-64 Years
53% (male 1,546,264; female 1,566,365) (July 1996 est.)
53% (male 1,624,379; female 1,612,429) (July 1995 est.)
65 Years and Over
4% (male 110,705; female 151,891) (July 1996 est.)
4% (male 117,112; female 157,841) (July 1995 est.)
Population Growth Rate
1.54% (1996 est.)
2.6% (1995 est.)
Birth Rate
33.78 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
34.06 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death Rate
8.43 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
6.58 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net Migration Rate
-9.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-1.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
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.)
Infant Mortality Rate
113.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
60.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Total population: 64.45 years (1996 est.), 69.03 years (1995 est.)
- Male: 60.84 years (1996 est.), 66.11 years (1995 est.)
- Female: 68.24 years (1996 est.), 72.1 years (1995 est.)
Total Fertility Rate
4.38 children born/woman (1996 est.)
4.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality
- Noun: Tajik(s)
- Adjective: Tajik
Ethnic Divisions
- Tajik 64.9%
- Uzbek 25%
- Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration)
- Other 6.6%
Religions
Languages
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Literacy
Age 15 and over that can read and write (1989)
- Total population: 98%
- Male: 99%
- Female: 97%
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)
GOVERNMENT
Names
- Conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
- Conventional short form: Tajikistan
- Local long form: Jumhurii Tojikistan
- Local short form: Tojikistan (Pronunciation)
- Former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph
TI
Type
Republic
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 Leninobad (Khujand - formerly Leninabad)
Note: The administrative center names are 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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
- Chief of state: President Emomili RAKHMONOV (since 6 November 1994; was Head of State and Assembly Chairman since NA November 1992); election last held 6 November 1994 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Emomili RAKHMONOV 58%, Abdumalik ABDULLAJANOV 40%
- Head of government: Prime Minister Yahyo AZIMOV (since 8 February 1996) was appointed by the president
- Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative Branch
Unicameral
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
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
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
Other Political or Pressure Groups
Tajikistan Opposition Movement based in northern Afghanistan, Seyed Abdullah NURI, chairman
Member of
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)
Flag
Three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a crown surmounted by seven five-pointed 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, 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.
National Product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.4 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994), $8.5 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National Product Real Growth Rate
-12.4% (1995 est.)
-12% (1994 est.)
National Product Per Capita
$1,040 (1995 est.)
$1,415 (1994 est.)
Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)
28% monthly average (1995 est.)
Unemployment Rate
3.3% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1995)
1.5% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (September 1994)
Budget
- Revenues: NA
- Expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Exports
$707 million (1995)
$320 million to outside the FSU countries (1994)
Commodities:
- Cotton
- Aluminum
- Fruits
- Vegetable oil
- Textiles
Partners:
Imports
$690 million (1995)
$318 million from outside the FSU countries (1994)
Commodities:
- Fuel
- Chemicals
- Machinery and transport equipment
- Textiles
- Foodstuffs
Partners:
- Russia
- Uzbekistan
- Kazakhstan
External Debt
$635 million (of which $250 million to Russia) (1995 est.)
Industrial Production
Growth rate -5% (1995), -31% (1994)
Electricity
- Capacity: 3,800,000 kW
- Production: 14.8 billion kWh
- Consumption per capita: 2,400 kWh (1995)
Industries
- Aluminum
- Zinc
- Lead
- Chemicals and fertilizers
- Cement
- Vegetable oil
- Metal-cutting machine tools
- Refrigerators and freezers
Agriculture
Cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep and goats
Illicit Drugs
Illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; used as transshipment points for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America
Economic Aid
- Recipient: ODA, $22 million (1993), Russia and Uzbekistan reportedly provided substantial general assistance throughout 1993 and 1994; Western aid and credits promised through the end of 1993 were $700 million but disbursements were only $104 million; large scale development loans await IMF approval of a reform and stabilization plan
Currency
Introduced its own currency, the Tajik ruble, in May 1995
Tajik rubles per US$1 - 284 (January 1996)
Fiscal Year
Calendar year
TRANSPORTATION
Railroads
- Total: 480 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways
- Total: 32,752 km
- Paved: 21,119 km
- Unpaved: earth 11,633 km (1992 est.)
Pipelines
Natural gas 400 km (1992)
Ports
None
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
COMMUNICATIONS
Telephone System
303,000 telephones (December 1991); poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not reached by the national network
- Local: NA
- Intercity: cable and microwave radio relay
- International: linked by cable and microwave to other CIS republics, and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by INTELSAT to international gateway switch in Ankara; 1 Orbita and 2 INTELSAT earth stations
Radio
- Broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
- Radios: NA
Television
- Broadcast stations: NA
- Televisions: NA
Note: 1 INTELSAT earth station provides TV receive-only service from Turkey
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches
Army (being formed), National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
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.)
Defense Expenditures
180 billion rubles, 3.4% of GDP (1995)
History
World Atlas
