Background: Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a civil war since it gained independence in 1991 when the USSR collapsed. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997 but implementation has progressed slowly. Nevertheless a number of opposition political parties have been legalized and are participating in elections suggesting that the country may be stabilizing politically. Russian-led peacekeeping troops are based throughout the country and Russian-commanded border guards are stationed along the border with Afghanistan.

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N 71 00 E

Map reference: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: midlatitude continental hot summers mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Terrain: Pamir and Alay mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

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

Irrigated land: 6,390 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 6,440,732 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 2.12% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Ethnic groups: Tajik 64.9% Uzbek 25% Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration) other 6.6%

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

Religions: Sunni Muslim 80% Shi'a Muslim 5%

Population growth rate: 2.12% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 33.56 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 8.64 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.71 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate: 117.42 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.35 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Government type: republic

Capital: Dushanbe

Administrative divisions: 2 oblasts (viloyatho singular - viloyat) and one autonomous oblast* (viloyati mukhtori); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshoni* (Khorugh - formerly Khorog) Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa - formerly Kurgan-Tyube) Viloyati Leninobod (Khujand - formerly Leninabad)

Independence: 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: National Day 9 September (1991)

Constitution: 6 November 1994

Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli (181 seats; next election 96 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or TDP [Mahmadruzi ISKANDDAROV chairman]; Islamic Rebirth Party [Muhammadsharif HIMMAT-ZODA chairman]; Lali Badakhshan Movement [Atobek AMIRBEKOV]; National Unity Party - evolved from the People's Party and Party of People's Unity; Party of Justice and Development [Rahmatullo ZOIROV]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Abdulmajid DOSTIEV]; Rastokhez (Rebirth) Movement [Tohiri ABDUJABBOR]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]; Tajikistan Party of Economic and Political Renewal or TPEPR [leader NA]; United Tajik Opposition or UTO [Said Abdullo NURI] - an umbrella group including; Adolatho 'Justice' Party [Abdurahmon KARIMOV chairman]

International organization participation: AsDB CCC CIS EAPC EBRD ECE ECO ESCAP FAO IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Intelsat IOC IOM ITU OIC OPCW OSCE UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO (observer)

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 10,021 telephone - [1] (212) 472-7,645 FAX - [1] (212) 628-0252; permanent representative to the UN is Rashid ALIMOV

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

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 Tajikistani economy has been gravely weakened by six years of civil conflict and by the loss of subsidies from Moscow and of markets for its products. Tajikistan thus depends on aid from Russia and Uzbekistan and on international humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence needs. Even if the peace agreement of June 1997 is honored the country faces major problems in integrating refugees and former combatants into the economy. The future of Tajikistan's economy and the potential for attracting foreign investment depend upon stability and continued progress in the peace process.

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1020 (1999 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 1.9 million (1996)
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 50%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 30% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5.7% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (December 1998)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 22% (1999 est.)

Exports: $634 million (1999 est.)
Commodities: aluminum electricity cotton fruits vegetable oil textiles
Partners: Uzbekistan 37% Liechtenstein 26% Russia 16% Kazakhstan 6% (1997)

Imports: $770 million (1999 est.)
Commodities: electricity petroleum products aluminum oxide machinery and equipment foodstuffs
Partners: Netherlands 32% Uzbekistan 29% Switzerland 20% Russia 9% (1997)

Debt external: $1.3 billion (1999 est.)

Exchange rates: Tajikistani rubles (TJR) per US$1 - 1550 (January 2000) 998 (January 1999) 350 (January 1997) 284 (January 1996)

Electricity
Production: 13.27 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 12.561 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 3.33 billion kWh (1998)
Imports: 3.55 billion kWh (1998)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 263,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not reached by the national network

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $17 million (FY97)
Percent of gdp: 1.8% (FY97)

Airports: 59 (1994 est.)

Pipelines: natural gas 400 km (1992)

Disputes international: portions of the boundary with China are indefinite; territorial dispute with Kyrgyzstan on northern boundary in Isfara Valley area

Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivation of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption; opium poppy cultivation negligible in 1998 because of government eradication program; major transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe