Population: 7,163,506 (July 2005 est.)
Capital: Dushanbe
Languages: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Religions: Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
Government: republic
Climate: midlatitude continent_idal, 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
Geography: landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast;
highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR
Ethnic groups: Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census)
Economy: Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs
among the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 5% to 6% of the land area is arable. 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 civil
war (1992-97) severely damaged the already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and
agricultural production. Even though 60% of its people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has experienced steady
economic growth since 1997. Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises would further increase
productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation, however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms,
weak governance, widespread unemployment, and the external debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia
in December 2002, including an interest rate of 4%, a 3-year grace period, and a US $49.8 million credit to the Central Bank
of Tajikistan. Tajikistan ranks third in the world in terms of water resources per head. A proposed investment to finish the
hydropower dams Rogun and Sangtuda would substantially add to electricity production. If finished, Rogun will be the world's
tallest dam.
GDP per capita: purchasing power
parity - $1,200 (2005 est.)
GDP real growth: 8% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate: 50%
(2003 est.)
Internet country code: .tj
Dial code: +992
The Tajik
people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of
1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan became
independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union and has now completed its transition from the civil war that
plagued the country from 1992 to 1997. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country
remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in
Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long
term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for
Peace.