Qatar (2001) | Tajikistan (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Salal | 2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* (Khorugh), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
25.77% (male 101,155; female 97,086) 15-64 years: 71.75% (male 391,178; female 160,665) 65 years and over: 2.48% (male 13,625; female 5,443) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 40.4% (male 1,370,314; female 1,346,465)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 1,835,573; female 1,854,677) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 136,033; female 176,505) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish | cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats |
Airports | 4 (2000 est.) | 53 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 over 3,047 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 51
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 36 (2002) |
Area | total:
11,437 sq km land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 143,100 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | slightly smaller than Wisconsin |
Background | Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the amir who had ruled the country since 1972. He was overthrown by his son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe. | Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, and implemented in 2000. The central government's less than total control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise and forge alliances among factions. 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. |
Birth rate | 15.91 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 32.99 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$3.9 billion expenditures: $4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
revenues: $146 million
expenditures: $196 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.) |
Capital | Doha | Dushanbe |
Climate | desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer | midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains |
Coastline | 563 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999 Amir HAMAD issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution | 6 November 1994 |
Country name | conventional long form:
State of Qatar conventional short form: Qatar local long form: Dawlat Qatar local short form: Qatar note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar |
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston local short form: Tojikiston former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic |
Currency | Qatari rial (QAR) | somoni |
Death rate | 4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $13.1 billion (2000 est.) | $1.23 billion (2000 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Elizabeth Davenport MCKUNE embassy: 22 February Road, Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 488 4101 FAX: [974] 488 4298 note: workweek is Saturday-Wednesday |
chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin P. HUDDLE, Jr.
embassy: 10 Pavlova Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734003; note - the embassy in Dushanbe is not yet fully operational; most business is still handled in Almaty at 531 Sayfullin Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan, telephone 7-3272-58-79-61, FAX 7-3272-58079-68 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [992] (372) 21-03-48, 21-03-50, 21-03-52, 24-15-60 FAX: [992] (372) 51-00-28, 21-03-62 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Badr Umar al-DAFA chancery: 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 consulate(s) general: Houston |
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 10021, telephone - [1] (212) 472-7645, FAX - [1] (212) 628-0252; permanent representative to the UN is Khamrokhon ZARIPOV |
Disputes - international | in March of 2001, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the Hawar Islands to Bahrain and adjusted its maritime boundary with Qatar; a final border resolution was agreed to with Saudi Arabia in March of 2001 | Uzbekistan has mined much of its undemarcated southern and eastern border with Tajikistan; border demarcation negotiations continuing with Kyrgyzstan in Isfara Valley area; Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan wrestle with sharing water resources and the resulting regional environmental degradation caused by the shrinking of the Aral Sea |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $60.7 million from US (2001) |
Economy - overview | Oil accounts for more than 30% of GDP, roughly 80% of export earnings, and 66% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of the leading West European industrial countries. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 7 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total, third largest in the world. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore petroleum and the diversification of the economy. In 2000, Qatar posted its highest ever trade surplus of $6 billion, due mainly to high oil prices and increased natural gas exports. | 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 civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Even though 80% of its people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has experienced strong economic growth since 1997. Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises will further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation, however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, weak governance, and the external debt burden. Servicing of the debt, owed principally to Russia and Uzbekistan, could require as much as 50% of government revenues in 2002, thus limiting the nation's ability to meet pressing development needs. |
Electricity - consumption | 8.37 billion kWh (1999) | 12.539 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 3.909 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 3.2 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 9 billion kWh (1999) | 14.245 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 2%
hydro: 98% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m |
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities | inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14% | Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6% |
Exchange rates | Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.6400 (fixed rate) | Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 2.55 (January 2002), 2.2 (January 2001), 1550 (January 2000), 998 (January 1999), 350 (January 1997), 284 (January 1996)
note: the new unit of exchange was introduced on 30 October 2000, with one somoni equal to 1,000 of the old Tajikistani rubles |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince JASSIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, third son of the monarch (selected crown prince by the monarch 22 October 1996); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary note: in March 1999 Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council, which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services |
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 6 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 97%, Davlat USMON 2% |
Exports | $9.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $640 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
Exports - commodities | petroleum products 80%, fertilizers, steel | aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles |
Exports - partners | Japan 52%, Singapore 9%, South Korea 8%, US, UAE (1998) | Europe 43%, Russia 30%, Uzbekistan 13% (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $15.1 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $7.5 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1% industry: 49% services: 50% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 19%
industry: 25% services: 56% (2000) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,300 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,140 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2000 est.) | 8.3% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 25 30 N, 51 15 E | 39 00 N, 71 00 E |
Geography - note | strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits | 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 |
Heliports | 1 (2000 est.) | - |
Highways | total:
1,230 km paved: 1,107 km unpaved: 123 km (1996) |
total: 29,900 km
paved: 21,400 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads) unpaved: 8,500 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistan seizes roughly 80 percent of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third world-wide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium) |
Imports | $3.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $700 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals | electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | UK 10%, Japan 8%, Germany 6%, US 6%, Italy 6% (1998) | Uzbekistan 27%, Russia 16%, Europe 12% (2000) |
Independence | 3 September 1971 (from UK) | 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 10.3% (2000 est.) |
Industries | crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement | aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers |
Infant mortality rate | 21.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 114.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2000) | 33% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC, IOM, ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 4 (2002) |
Irrigated land | 80 sq km (1993 est.) | 7,200 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) |
Labor force | 233,000 (1993 est.) | 3.187 million (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 67%, industry 8%, services 25% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km |
total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km |
Land use | arable land:
1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 0% other: 94% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 5.41%
permanent crops: 0.92% other: 93.67% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language | Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business |
Legal system | discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters | based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts |
Legislative branch | unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed)
note: the constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held since 1970, when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have their terms extended every four years since |
bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (33 seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president; all serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 February and 12 March 2000 for the Assembly of Representatives (next to be held NA 2005) and 23 March 2000 for the National Assembly (next to be held NA 2005) election results: Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 65%, Communist Party 20%, Islamic Rebirth Party 7.5%, other 7.5%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
72.62 years male: 70.16 years female: 75.21 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 64.28 years
male: 61.24 years female: 67.46 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79% male: 79% female: 80% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1989 est.) |
Location | Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia | Central Asia, west of China |
Map references | Middle East | Asia |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line territorial sea: 12 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total:
25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 677,992 GRT/1,049,447 DWT ships by type: cargo 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 7, petroleum tanker 6 (2000 est.) |
- |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security | Army, Air Force and Air Defense Force, Presidential National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $723 million (FY00/01) | $35.4 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 10% (FY00/01) | 3.9% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
312,116 note: includes non-nationals (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 1,646,278 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
163,642 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 1,349,505 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
6,797 (2001 est.) |
males: 72,056 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 3 September (1971) | Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991) |
Nationality | noun:
Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari |
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani |
Natural hazards | haze, dust storms, sandstorms common | earthquakes and floods |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, fish | hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold |
Net migration rate | 20.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -3.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km | natural gas 400 km (1992) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV, chairman]; Islamic Revival Party [Said Abdullo NURI, chairman]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMONOV]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Sherali KENJAYEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | there are two unregistered political parties with 1,000 or more members: Progressive Party [Suton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatuko SAIDOV] |
Population | 769,152 (July 2001 est.) | 6,719,567 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 80% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | 3.18% (2001 est.) | 2.12% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id (Musay'id) | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002) |
Radios | 256,000 (1997) | 1.291 million (1991) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge note: includes only lines in common carrier service; lines dedicated to particular industries are excluded (2001) |
Religions | Muslim 95% | Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.43 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.5 male(s)/female total population: 1.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | suffrage is limited to municipal elections | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
modern system centered in Doha domestic: NA international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat |
general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not reached by the national network
domestic: cable and microwave radio relay international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat |
Telephones - main lines in use | 142,000 (1997) | 363,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 43,476 (1997) | 2,500 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (plus three repeaters) (1997) | 13 (2001) |
Terrain | mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel | Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest |
Total fertility rate | 3.17 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 4.23 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 20% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |