Map of Tajikistan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The Tajik people came under Russian imperial rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. At that time, bands of indigenous guerrillas (called 'basmachi') fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but in 1929 the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan, and ethnic Tajiks an even larger minority in Uzbekistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between political, regional, and religious factions from 1992 to 1997.


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Location: Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 71 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 144,100 km²
Land: 141,510 km²
Water: 2,590 km²
Rank: 96
Comparative: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries
Total: 4,130 km
Border countries: (4) Afghanistan 1357 km; , China 477 km; , Kyrgyzstan 984 km; , Uzbekistan 1312 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Terrain: mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Elevation
Mean elevation: 3,186 m
Lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
Highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 34.7% (2011 est.)
Forest: 2.9% (2011 est.)
Other: 62.4% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 7,420 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: earthquakes; floods

Geography
Note: landlocked; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR


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Population
Distribution: the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west: 8,873,669 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 96
Growth rate: 1.52% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 68
Below poverty line: 31.5% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tajikistani(s)
Adjective: Tajikistani

Ethnic groups: Tajik 84.3% (includes Pamiri and Yagnobi), Uzbek 13.8%, other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2014 est.)

Languages: Tajik (official) 84.4%, Uzbek 11.9%, Kyrgyz .8%, Russian .5%, other 2.4% (2010 est.)
Note: Russian widely used in government and business

Religions: Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 31.43% (male 1,420,271/female 1,368,445)
15-24 years: 18.13% (male 816,658/female 792,231)
25-54 years: 40.58% (male 1,789,271/female 1,811,566)
55-64 years: 6.23% (male 253,862/female 299,378)
65 years and over: 3.63% (male 132,831/female 189,156) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 67.9
Youth dependency ratio: 62.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.3
Potential support ratio: 18.7 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 25.3 years
Male: 24.6 years
Female: 26 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 162

Population growth rate: 1.52% (2020 est.)
Rank: 68

Birth rate: 21.8 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 67

Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 175

Net migration rate: -1.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 145

Population distribution: the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west

Urbanization
Urban population: 27.5% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.62% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 916,000 DUSHANBE (capital) (2020)

Environment
Current issues: areas of high air pollution from motor vehicles and industry; water pollution from agricultural runoff and disposal of untreated industrial waste and sewage; poor management of water resources; soil erosion; increasing levels of soil salinity
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.2 years (2017 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 28.8 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 32.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 24.8 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 58

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69 years
Male: 65.9 years
Female: 72.3 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 174

Total fertility rate: 2.51 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 72

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 29.3% (2017)

Drinking water source
Urban: 3.8% of population
Rural: 21.4% of population
Total: 16.5% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 7.2% (2017)

Physicians density: 2.1 physicians/1000 population (2014)

Hospital bed density: 4.7 beds/1000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0.3% of population
Rural: 0.7% of population
Total: 2% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 113
People living with hivaids: 14,000 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 94
Deaths note: <500 (2019 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 14.2% (2016)
Rank: 128

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 7.6% (2017)
Rank: 71

Education expenditures: 5.2% of GDP (2015)
Rank: 52

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.8%
Male: 99.8%
Female: 99.7% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 11 years (2013)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
Conventional short form: Tajikistan
Local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
Local short form: Tojikiston
Former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Etymology: the Persian suffix -stan means place of or country, so the word Tajikistan literally means Land of the Tajik [people]

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Dushanbe
Geographic coordinates: 38 33 N, 68 46 E
Time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: today's city was originally at the crossroads where a large bazaar occurred on Mondays, hence the name Dushanbe, which in Persian means Monday, i.e., the second day (du) after Saturday (shambe)

Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor), 1 capital region** (viloyati poytakht), and 1 area referred to as Districts Under Republic Administration***; Dushanbe**, Khatlon (Bokhtar), Kuhistoni Badakhshon [Gorno-Badakhshan]* (Khorugh), Nohiyahoi Tobei Jumhuri***, Sughd (Khujand)
Note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

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

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 6 November 1994
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by at least one third of the total membership of both houses of the Supreme Assembly; adoption of any amendment requires a referendum, which includes approval of the president or approval by at least two-thirds majority of the Assembly of Representatives; passage in a referendum requires participation of an absolute majority of eligible voters and an absolute majority of votes; constitutional articles, including Tajikistan’s form of government, its territory, and its democratic nature, cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2016

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Tajikistan
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years or 3 years of continuous residence prior to application

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
Head of government: Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term for a maximum of two terms; however, as the Leader of the Nation President RAHMON can run an unlimited number of times; election last held on 11 October 2020 (next to be held in 2,027); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 92.1%, Rustam LATIFZODA (APT) 3.1%, Rustam RAHAMATZODA (PERT) 2.2%, Abduhalim GHAFFOROV (SPT) 1.5%, Miroj ABDULLOEV (CPT) 1.2%

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, deputy chairmen, and 34 judges organized into civil, family, criminal, administrative offense, and military chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of the court chairman, deputy chairman, and 5 judges); High Economic Court (consists of 16 judicial positions)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and High Economic Court judges nominated by the president and approved by the National Assembly; judges of all 3 courts appointed for 10-year renewable terms with no term limits, but the last appointment must occur before the age of 65
Subordinate courts: regional and district courts; Dushanbe City Court; viloyat (province level) courts; Court of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Rustam LATIFZODA]Communist Party of Tajikistan or CPT [Miroj ABDULLOEV]Democratic Party of Tajikistan or DPT [Saidjafar USMONZODA]Party of Economic Reform of Tajikistan or PERT [Rustam OUDRATOV]People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON]Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOIROV]Socialist Party of Tajikistan or SPT [Abduhalim GHAFFOROV]

International organization participation: ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Farhod SALIM (since 21 May 2014)
In the us chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 223-6,090
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 223-6,091
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John Mark POMMERSHEIM (since 15 March 2019)
From the us telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00, 992-37-229-2,300 (consular direct line); EMER: 992-98-580-1032
From the us embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe 734,019
From the us mailing address: 7,090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20,189
From the us FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50

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; red represents the sun, victory, and the unity of the nation, white stands for purity, cotton, and mountain snows, while green is the color of Islam and the bounty of nature; the crown symbolizes the Tajik people; the seven stars signify the Tajik magic number 'seven' - a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of happiness

National symbols: crown surmounted by an arc of seven, five-pointed stars; snow leopard; national colors: red, white, green

National anthem
Name: Surudi milli (National Anthem)
Lyricsmusic: Gulnazar KELDI/Sulaimon YUDAKOV
Note: adopted 1991; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet republic but adopted new lyrics

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 16

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 177

Gross national saving:
Rank: 66

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 98.4% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 13.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 11.7% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2.5% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 10.7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -36.6% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 28.6% (2017 est.)
Industry: 25.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 45.9% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Industries: aluminum, cement, coal, gold, silver, antimony, textile, vegetable oil

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2017 est.)
Rank: 159

Labor force: 2.295 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 116
By occupation agriculture: 43%
By occupation industry: 10.6%
By occupation services: 46.4% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Note: official rate; actual unemployment is much higher
Rank: 28

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 31.5% (2016 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Date: (2009 est.) (2009 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 2.269 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 2.374 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 90

Taxes and other revenues: 31.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 71

Public debt:
Rank: 101

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 197

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 78

Exports:
Rank: 165
Partners: Turkey 27.5%, China 17.7%, Russia 13.4%, Switzerland 12.5%, Algeria 8.2%, Iran 7.1% (2017)
Commodities: aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Imports:
Rank: 165
Commodities: petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs
Partners: Russia 38%, Kazakhstan 19%, China 8.7%, Iran 4.4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 127

Debt external:
Rank: 130

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 17.03 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 85
Consumption: 12.96 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 85
Exports: 1.4 billion kWh
Exports note: NA (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 52
Imports: 103 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 98
Installed generating capacity: 5.508 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 78
Generation sources fossil fuels: 6% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 200
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 191
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 94% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 6
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 208

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 180 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 97
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 204
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 201
Crude oil proven reserves: 12 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 89

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 172 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 108
Products consumption: 24,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 130
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 206
Products imports: 22,460 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 114

Natural gas
Production: 19.82 million m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 89
Consumption: 19.82 million m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 114
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 197
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 197
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 91

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 6.329 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 126

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 471,090
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5.39 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 94
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 9,747,803
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 111.53 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 88

Telephone system

Broadcast media: state-run TV broadcasters transmit nationally on 9 TV and 10 radio stations, and regionally on 4 stations; 31 independent TV and 20 radio stations broadcast locally and regionally; many households are able to receive Russian and other foreign stations via cable and satellite (2016)

Internet
Country code: .tj
Users total: 1,889,632
Users percent of population: 21.96% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 123

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 6,000 (2017 est.)
Rank: 177


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 107

Military and security forces: Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan: Land Forces, Mobile Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops (reserves for Armed Forces in wartime); State Committee on National Security: Border Guard Forces (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 12-18 month conscript service obligation (2019)

Space program

Terrorist groups: Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) (2019)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in a title='Appendix-T' href='../appendix/appendix-t.html'>Appendix-T/a>


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 492,320 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2.34 million
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: EY (2016)

Airports: 24 (2013)
Rank: 131
With paved runways total: 17 (2013)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2013)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4 (2013)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2013)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2013)
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways total: 7 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: 549 km gas, 38 km oil (2013)

Railways
Total: 680 km (2014)
Broad gauge: 680 km
Note: 1.520-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 102

Roadways
Total: 30,000 km (2018)
Rank: 99

Waterways: 200 km
Note: (along Vakhsh River) (2011)
Rank: 98

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: in 2006, China and Tajikistan pledged to commence demarcation of the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; talks continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove minefields; disputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 7,151 (2019)

Illicit drugs: Tajikistan sits on one of the world's highest volume illicit drug trafficking routes, between Afghan opiate production to the south and the illicit drug markets of Russia and Eastern Europe to the north; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; significant consumer of opiates