Tajikistan (2008) | Belize (2004) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses |
6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 35% (male 1,261,247/female 1,218,686)
15-64 years: 61.2% (male 2,145,300/female 2,184,519) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 113,186/female 153,660) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 40.6% (male 56,530; female 54,322)
15-64 years: 55.8% (male 77,118; female 75,309) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,674; female 4,992) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats | bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments |
Airports | 26 (2007) | 43 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 18
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 8
under 914 m: 8 (2007) |
total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 143,100 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km |
total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Wisconsin | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
Background | 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. Much of present-day Sughd province was transferred from the Uzbekistan SSR to newly formed Tajikistan SSR in 1929. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Sughd province. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and it is now in the process of strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free market economy after its 1992-97 civil war. 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 and security 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. | Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime. |
Birth rate | 27.33 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 29.89 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $614.8 million
expenditures: $756.9 million (2007 est.) |
revenues: $222 million
expenditures: $300 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (2003 est.) |
Capital | name: Dushanbe
geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Belmopan |
Climate | midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 386 km |
Constitution | 6 November 1994 | 21 September 1981 |
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: Belize former: British Honduras |
Currency | - | Belizean dollar (BZD) |
Death rate | 7.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.308 billion (31 December 2007 est.) | $475 million (2001 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey Ann JACOBSON
embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe 734019 mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189 telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00 FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN
embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163 FAX: [501] 2-30802 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Abdujabbor SHIRINOV
chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090 FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles |
Disputes - international | in 2006, China and Tajikistan pledged to commence demarcation of the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; talks continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove minefields; disputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan | Guatemalan squatters continue to settle along the border region; an OAS brokered Differendum in 2002 created a small adjustment to the land boundary, a large Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, a joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and a substantial US-UK financial package, but agreement was not brought to popular referendum leaving Guatemala to continue to claim the southern half of Belize |
Economic aid - recipient | $241.4 million from US (2005) | NA |
Economy - overview | Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 7% of the land area is arable; cotton is the most important crop. Mineral resources 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. While Tajikistan has experienced steady economic growth since 1997, nearly two-thirds of the population continues to live in abject poverty. Economic growth reached 10.6% in 2004, but dropped to 8% in 2005, 7% in 2006, and 7.2% in 2007. Tajikistan's economic situation remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, weak governance, widespread unemployment, and the external debt burden. Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises could increase productivity. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia in December 2002 including a $250 million write-off of Tajikistan's $300 million debt. Tajikistan ranks third in the world in terms of water resources per head. Russian investment in the Sangtuda I hydropower dam, set to go online late 2007 or early 2008, will increase production of electricity for domestic consumption. The completion of Sangtuda II and Rogun dams would substantially add to electricity output, which could also be exported for profit. If finished, Rogun will be the world's tallest dam. Tajikistan was also the recipient of substantial infrastructure development credits from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to improve roads and an electricity transmission network. To help increase north-south trade, the US funded a $36 million bridge which opened in August 2007 and links Tajikistan and Afghanistan. | In this small, essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by cane sugar, citrus, marine products, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth of 6.5% in 1999, 10.8% in 2000, 4.6% in 2001, and 3.7% in 2002. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors. |
Electricity - consumption | 14.66 billion kWh (2005) | 185.5 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 4.257 billion kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 4.508 billion kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 16.89 billion kWh (2005) | 199.5 million kWh (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: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
Environment - current issues | inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census) | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% |
Exchange rates | Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 3.4418 (2007), 3.3 (2006), 3.1166 (2005), 2.9705 (2004), 3.0614 (2003) | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000), 2 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 6 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2013); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Emomali RAHMONOV reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 79.3%, Olimzon BOBOYEV 6.2%, other 14.5% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Said Wilbert MUSA (since 28 August 1998); Deputy Prime Minister John BRICENO (since 1 September 1998) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
Exports | 305.8 bbl/day (2004) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
Exports - partners | Netherlands 40.7%, Turkey 31.7%, Iran 5.4%, Uzbekistan 4.8%, Russia 4.7% (2006) | US 39.1%, UK 25%, France 4% (2003) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
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 a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $1.28 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 23.6%
industry: 30.6% services: 45.8% (2007 est.) |
agriculture: 22.7%
industry: 24.5% services: 52.8% (2003 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 7.2% (2007 est.) | 3.7% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 39 00 N, 71 00 E | 17 15 N, 88 45 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 | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean |
Highways | - | total: 2,872 km
paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 25.6% (2003) |
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% of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium); significant consumer of opiates | major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector |
Imports | 29,480 bbl/day (2004) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco |
Imports - partners | Russia 24.6%, Kazakhstan 10.8%, Uzbekistan 10.2%, China 8.6%, Azerbaijan 8% (2006) | US 41.9%, Mexico 12.4%, UK 5.9%, Cuba 5.5% (2003) |
Independence | 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) | 21 September 1981 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5% (2007 est.) | 4.6% (1999) |
Industries | aluminum, zinc, lead; chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction |
Infant mortality rate | total: 43.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 48.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 26.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 9.8% (2007 est.) | 2.6% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | ADB, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 7,220 sq km (2003) | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) |
Labor force | 3.7 million (2003) | 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 67.2%
industry: 7.5% services: 25.3% (2000 est.) |
agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km |
total: 516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
Land use | arable land: 6.52%
permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.59% (2005) |
arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 1.71% other: 95.44% (2001) |
Languages | Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
Legal system | based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English law |
Legislative branch | bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (34 seats; 25 members selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president; 1 seat reserved for the former president; to serve five-year terms) and the Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 March 2005 for the National Assembly (next to be held in February 2010) and 27 February and 13 March 2005 for the Assembly of Representatives (next to be held in February 2010) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDPT 29, CPT 2, independents 3; Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 74.9%, CPT 13.6%, Islamic Revival Party 8.9%, other 2.5%; seats by party - PDPT 51, CPT 5, Islamic Revival Party 2, independents 5 |
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 members appointed by the governor general - six on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; members are appointed for five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 64.61 years
male: 61.6 years female: 67.78 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 67.43 years
male: 65.11 years female: 69.86 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.5% male: 99.7% female: 99.2% (2000 census) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 94.1% female: 94.1% (2003 est.) |
Location | Central Asia, west of China | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico |
Map references | Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 336 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,015,270 GRT/1,336,890 DWT
by type: bulk 13, cargo 240, chemical tanker 11, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 10, multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 27, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: Bahamas 2, Belgium 1, British Virgin Islands 11, Cambodia 6, China 67, Cuba 2, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Estonia 8, Germany 5, Greece 2, Grenada 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 27, Indonesia 4, Italy 2, Japan 5, Jordan 1, South Korea 13, Latvia 5, Liberia 2, Malaysia 4, Malta 1, Isle of Man 1, Marshall Islands 16, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Nigeria 2, Panama 15, Philippines 4, Portugal 1, Russia 9, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore 9, Spain 6, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 3, Tunisia 1, Turkey 2, Ukraine 3, United Kingdom 1, United States 3, Yemen 1 registered in other countries: 25 (2004 est.) |
Military branches | Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Force (2008) | Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $18 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.9% (2005 est.) | 2% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 68,518 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 40,619 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 3,122 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991) | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) |
Nationality | noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani |
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
Natural hazards | earthquakes and floods | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) |
Natural resources | hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
Net migration rate | -1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2007) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir KARAKULOV]; Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV (imprisoned October 2005); Rahmatullo VALIYEV, deputy]; Islamic Revival Party [Muhiddin KABIRI]; Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimzon BOBOYEV]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Abdualim GHAFFOROV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV] | People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV]; Party of Justice [Abdurahim KARIMOV]; People's Unity Party [Abdumalik ABDULLOJONOV]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Mirhuseyn NAZRIYEV]; note - this is a SPT that was disbanded, another pro-government SPT (listed above under political parties) replaced it; Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV] | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] |
Population | 7,076,598 (July 2007 est.) | 272,945 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 64% (2004 est.) | 33% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.895% (2007 est.) | 2.39% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002) | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2006) |
- |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.) | Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%, Methodist 3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14% (2000) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.035 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.982 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.737 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 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 linked to the national network
domestic: the domestic telecommunications network has historically been under funded and poorly maintained; main line availability has not changed significantly since 1998; cellular telephone use is growing but coverage remains limited international: country code - 992; 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 (2006) |
general assessment: above-average system
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 280,200 (2005) | 33,300 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 265,000 (2005) | 60,400 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (2006) | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south |
Total fertility rate | 3.09 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 3.77 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 12% (2004 est.) | 9.1% (2002) |
Waterways | 200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2006) | 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2004) |