Tajikistan

Airports

NA

Civil air

NA

Highways

29,900 km total (1990); 24,400 km hard surfaced, 8,500 km earth

Inland waterways

NA km perennially navigable

Pipelines

NA

Railroads

480 km all 1.520-meter (broad) gauge (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines (1990); 258 km between Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Termez (Uzbekistan), connects with the railroad system of the other republics of the former Soviet Union at Tashkent in Uzbekistan

Telecommunications

poorly developed; telephone density NA; linked by landline or microwave with other CIS member states and by leased connections via the Moscow international gateway switch to other countries; satellite earth stations - Orbita and INTELSAT (TV receive only)

Branches

Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS Forces (Ground, Air, and Air Defense)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18) annually

Agriculture

cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, yaks

Budget

$NA

Currency

as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency

Economic aid

NA

Electricity

4,575,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced, 3,384 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

NA

Exports

$706 million (1990) commodities: aluminum, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles partners: Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

External debt

$650 million (end of 1991 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate -9% (1991 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption; status of government eradication programs unknown; used as transshipment points for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Imports

$1.3 billion (1990) commodities: chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs partners: NA

Industrial production

growth rate -2.0% (1991)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

84% (1991)

Overview

Tajikistan has had the lowest standard of living and now faces the bleakest economic prospects of the 15 former Soviet republics. Agriculture is the main economic sector, normally accounting for 38% of employment and featuring cotton and fruits. Industry is sparse, bright spots including electric power and aluminum production based on the country's sizable hydropower resources and a surprising specialty in the production of metal-cutting machine tools. In 1991 and early 1992, disruptions in food supplies from the outside have severely strained the availability of food throughout the republic. The combination of the poor food supply, the general disruption of industrial links to suppliers and markets, and political instability have meant that the republic's leadership could make little progress in economic reform in 1991 and early 1992.

Unemployment rate

25% (1991 est.)

Climate

midlatitude semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Coastline

none - landlocked

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Disputes

boundary with China under dispute

Environment

NA

Land area

142,700 km2

Land boundaries

3,651 km total; Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km

Land use

6% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; includes NA% irrigated

Maritime claims

none - landlocked

Natural resources

significant hydropower potential, petroleum, uranium, mercury, small production of petroleum, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten

Note

landlocked

Terrain

Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kafirnigan and Vakhsh Valleys in southeast

Total area

143,100 km2

Administrative divisions

3 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast') and one autonomous oblast*; Gorno-Badakhshan*; Kurgan-Tyube, Kulyab, Leninabad (Khudzhand); note - the rayons around Dushanbe are under direct republic jurisdiction; an oblast usually has the same name as its administrative center (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Capital

Dushanbe

Communists

NA

Constitution

adopted NA April 1978

Diplomatic representation

NA US: Ambassador-designate Stan ESCUDERO; Embassy at Interim Chancery, #39 Ainii Street; Residences: Oktyabrskaya Hotel, Dushanbe (mailing address is APO AE 09862); telephone [8] (011) 7-3772-24-32-23

Elections

President: last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held NA); results - Rakhman NABIYEV, Communist Party 60%; Daolat KHUDONAZAROV, Democratic Party, Islamic Rebirth Party and Rastokhoz Party 30% Supreme Soviet: last held 25 February 1990 (next to be held NA); results - Communist Party 99%, other 1%; seats - (230 total) Communist Party 227, other 3

Executive branch

president, prime minister

Flag

NA; still in the process of designing one

Independence

9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union); formerly Tajikistan Soviet Socialist Republic

Judicial branch

NA

Leaders

Chief of State: President Rakhman NABIYEV (since NA September 1991); note - a government of National Reconciliation was formed in May 1992; NABIYEV is titular head Head of Government: Prime Minister Akbar MIRZOYEV (since 10 January 1992); First Deputy Prime Minister Davlat USMON

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Supreme Soviet

Long-form name

Republic of Tajikistan

Member of

CSCE, IMF, UN

National holiday

NA

Other political or pressure groups

Kazi Kolon, Akbar TURAJON-SODA, Muslim leader

Political parties and leaders

Tajik Democratic Party, Shodmon YUSUF, chairman; Rastokhez (Rebirth), Tohir ABDULJABAR, chairman; Islamic Revival Party, Sharif HIMMOT-ZODA, chairman

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

republic

Birth rate

40 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Tajik 62%, Uzbek 24%, Russian 8%, Tatar 2%, other 4%

Infant mortality rate

74 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

1,938,000; agriculture and forestry 43%, industry and construction 22%, other 35% (1990)

Languages

Tajik (official) NA%

Life expectancy at birth

64 years male, 70 years female (1992)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write

Nationality

noun - Tajik(s); adjective - Tajik

Net migration rate

-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

NA

Population

5,680,242 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)

Religions

Sunni Muslim approximately 80%, Shi`a Muslim 5%

Total fertility rate

5.3 children born/woman (1992)