Background: 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.

Area
Total: 143,100 km²
Land: 142,700 km²
Comparative: 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

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Syrdariya 300 m
Extremes highest point: Qullai Kommunizm 7,495 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 23%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 71%

Irrigated land: 6,940 km² (1990)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Tajik(s)
Adjective: Tajik

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

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
Current issues Natural hazards: NA
International agreements: NA
International agreements note: Landlocked

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:

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:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1989)
Total population: 98%
Male: 99%
Female: 97%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
Conventional short form: Tajikistan
Local long form: Jumhurii Tojikistan
Local short form: Tojikistan
Former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

Government 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

International organization participation: 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 description: 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.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

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

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate -5% (1995), -31% (1994)

Labor force: 1.95 million (1992)
By occupation Agriculture and forestry: 43%
By occupation Government and services: 24%
By occupation Industry: 14%
By occupation Trade and communications: 11%
By occupation Construction: 8% (1990)

Unemployment rate:

Budget
Revenues: NA
Expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $635 million (of which $250 million to Russia) (1995 est.)

Exchange rates: Tajik rubles per US$1_400 (1997), 284 (January 1996; (In some places, such as the Pamirs, the 'economy' operates on a bartering system)

Electricity
Capacity: 3,800,000 kW
Production: 14.8 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 2,400 kWh (1995)

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

Airports: 59
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m:
With paved runways under 914 m: 36

Pipelines: Natural gas 400 km (1992)

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