Tajikistan (2003) | Turks and Caicos Islands (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | 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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 39.8% (male 1,376,244; female 1,353,108)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 1,896,509; female 1,915,334) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 140,993; female 181,564) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,396/female 3,277)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 6,900/female 6,220) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 342/female 421) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish |
Airports | 66 (2002) | 8 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 53
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 36 (2002) |
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 143,100 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km |
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Wisconsin | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory. |
Birth rate | 32.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 22.23 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $502 million
expenditures: $520 million, including capital expenditures of $86 million (2002 est.) |
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997-98 est.) |
Capital | Dushanbe | Grand Turk |
Climate | midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 389 km |
Constitution | 6 November 1994 | introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston local short form: Tojikiston former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands |
Currency | somoni | - |
Death rate | 8.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 4.28 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $1 billion (2002 est.) | NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Richard E. HOAGLAND
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 7-3272-58-79-68 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [992] (372) 21-03-48 (Dushanbe) FAX: [992] (372) 21-03-62 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Khamrokhon ZARIPOV
chancery: 1725 K Sreet NW, Suite 409, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090 FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; boundary agreements signed in 2002 cede 1,000 sq km of Pamir Mountain range to China in return for China relinquishing claims to 28,000 sq km of Tajikistani lands; negotiations with China resolved the longstanding boundary dispute; talks have begun with Uzbekistan to demine and delimit border; disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with Kyrgyzstan | have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder |
Economic aid - recipient | $60.7 million from US (2001) | $4.1 million (1997) |
Economy - overview | Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 8% to 10% 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 will 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. | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the annual 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. |
Electricity - consumption | 14.52 billion kWh (2001) | 4.65 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 3.909 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 5.242 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 14.18 billion kWh (2001) | 5 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 1.9%
hydro: 98.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
Environment - current issues | inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6% | black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10% |
Exchange rates | Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.37 (2001), 2.08 (2000), 1.24 (1999), 0.78 (1998)
note: the new unit of exchange was introduced on 30 October 2000, with one somoni equal to 1,000 of the old Tajikistani rubles |
the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | 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; Tajikistan held a constitutional referendum on 22 June 2003 that, among other things, set a term limit of two seven-year terms for the president election results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 97%, Davlat USMON 2% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA |
Exports - commodities | aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells |
Exports - partners | Netherlands 29.4%, Turkey 16.1%, Russia 11.9%, Uzbekistan 9.9%, Switzerland 9.3%, Hungary 5.4%, Latvia 4.2% (2002) | US, UK |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $8.476 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 19%
industry: 26% services: 55% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,500 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 9.1% (2002 est.) | 4.9% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 39 00 N, 71 00 E | 21 45 N, 71 35 W |
Geography - note | 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 | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) |
Highways | total: 27,767 km
paved: NA unpaved: NA (2000) |
total: 121 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 25.2% (1998) |
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) | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA |
Imports - commodities | electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials |
Imports - partners | Russia 22.7%, Uzbekistan 18.4%, Ukraine 11.2%, Kazakhstan 10%, Turkmenistan 6.5%, Azerbaijan 5.7%, India 4.4% (2002) | US, UK |
Independence | 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 10.3% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Industries | aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers | tourism, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | total: 113.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 126.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 99.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 15.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 18.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 12% (2001 est.) | 4% (1995) |
International organization participation | AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC, IOM, ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 4 (2002) | - |
Irrigated land | 7,200 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) | Supreme Court |
Labor force | 3.187 million (2000) | 4,848 (1990 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 67.2%, industry 7.5%, services 25.3% (2000 est.) | about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services |
Land boundaries | total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.41%
permanent crops: 0.92% other: 93.67% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001) |
Languages | Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business | English (official) |
Legal system | based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas |
Legislative branch | 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 |
unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 64.37 years
male: 61.39 years female: 67.5 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 74.51 years
male: 72.28 years female: 76.84 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4% male: 99.6% female: 99.1% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Central Asia, west of China | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti |
Map references | Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Army, Air Force and Air Defense Force, Presidential National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops) | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $35.4 million (FY01) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.9% (FY01) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,704,457 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,397,188 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 82,490 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991) | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) |
Nationality | noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani |
noun: none
adjective: none |
Natural hazards | earthquakes and floods | frequent hurricanes |
Natural resources | hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold | spiny lobster, conch |
Net migration rate | -3.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
People - note | - | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US |
Pipelines | gas 540 km; oil 38 km (2003) | - |
Political parties and leaders | 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] | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | there are two unregistered political parties with 1,000 or more members: Progressive Party [Suton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatuko SAIDOV] | NA |
Population | 6,863,752 (July 2003 est.) | 20,556 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 60% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.13% (2003 est.) | 2.9% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | Grand Turk, Providenciales |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002) | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Railways | total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2002) |
- |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5% | Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) |
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: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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 |
general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 363,000 (1997) | 5,700 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,500 (1997) | 1,700 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 13 (2001) | 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004) |
Terrain | Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps |
Total fertility rate | 4.17 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 3.08 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 40% (2002 est.) | 10% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |