Tajikistan (2008) | Saint Martin (2008) | |
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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 |
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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.) |
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Agriculture - products | cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats | - |
Airports | 26 (2007) | 1 |
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: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 8
under 914 m: 8 (2007) |
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Area | total: 143,100 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km |
total: 54.4 sq km
land: 54.4 sq km water: NEGL |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Wisconsin | more than one-third the size of Washington, DC |
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. | Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. |
Birth rate | 27.33 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $614.8 million
expenditures: $756.9 million (2007 est.) |
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Capital | name: Dushanbe
geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Marigot
geographical coordinates: 18 04 N, 63 05 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight savings: +1 hour |
Climate | midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains | temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-Novemeber is the hurricane season |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 58.9 km (for entire island) |
Constitution | 6 November 1994 | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
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: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
conventional short form: Saint Martin local long form: Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin local short form: Saint-Martin |
Death rate | 7.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $1.308 billion (31 December 2007 est.) | - |
Dependency status | - | overseas collectivity of France |
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 |
none (overseas collectivity of France) |
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 |
none (overseas collectivity of France) |
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 | - |
Economic aid - recipient | $241.4 million from US (2005) | - |
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. | The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. |
Electricity - consumption | 14.66 billion kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - exports | 4.257 billion kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - imports | 4.508 billion kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - production | 16.89 billion kWh (2005) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m |
Environment - current issues | inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides | fresh water supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Ethnic groups | Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census) | creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian |
Exchange rates | Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 3.4418 (2007), 3.3 (2006), 3.1166 (2005), 2.9705 (2004), 3.0614 (2003) | euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
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: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Louis-Constant FLEMING (since 16 July 2007) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council election: French president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term election results: Louis-Constant FLEMING unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007 |
Exports | 305.8 bbl/day (2004) | - |
Exports - commodities | aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles | - |
Exports - partners | Netherlands 40.7%, Turkey 31.7%, Iran 5.4%, Uzbekistan 4.8%, Russia 4.7% (2006) | - |
Fiscal 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 | the flag of France is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 23.6%
industry: 30.6% services: 45.8% (2007 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 15% services: 84% (2000) |
GDP - real growth rate | 7.2% (2007 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 39 00 N, 71 00 E | 18 05 N, 63 57 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 | the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the World shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 25.6% (2003) |
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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 | - |
Imports | 29,480 bbl/day (2004) | - |
Imports - commodities | electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs | crude petroleum, food, manufactured items |
Imports - partners | Russia 24.6%, Kazakhstan 10.8%, Uzbekistan 10.2%, China 8.6%, Azerbaijan 8% (2006) | US, Mexico (2006) |
Independence | 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5% (2007 est.) | - |
Industries | aluminum, zinc, lead; chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers | tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry |
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.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 9.8% (2007 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) | UPU |
Irrigated land | 7,220 sq km (2003) | - |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) | - |
Labor force | 3.7 million (2003) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 67.2%
industry: 7.5% services: 25.3% (2000 est.) |
85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry |
Land boundaries | total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km |
total: 15 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km |
Land use | arable land: 6.52%
permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.59% (2005) |
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Languages | Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business | French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles) |
Legal system | based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
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 |
unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012) election results: percent of seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%, Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir Saint-Martin 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 64.61 years
male: 61.6 years female: 67.78 years (2007 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.5% male: 99.7% female: 99.2% (2000 census) |
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Location | Central Asia, west of China | island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | - |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Force (2008) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.9% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848) |
Nationality | noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani |
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Natural hazards | earthquakes and floods | - |
Natural resources | hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold | salt |
Net migration rate | -1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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] | Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis Constant FLEMING]; Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]; Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET] |
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] | - |
Population | 7,076,598 (July 2007 est.) | 33,102 (October 2004 census) |
Population below poverty line | 64% (2004 est.) | - |
Population growth rate | 1.895% (2007 est.) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002) | FM 3 (2007) |
Railways | total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2006) |
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Religions | Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.) | Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu |
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.) |
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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: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Gudaloupe |
Telephones - main lines in use | 280,200 (2005) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 265,000 (2005) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (2006) | - |
Terrain | Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest | - |
Total fertility rate | 3.09 children born/woman (2007 est.) | - |
Transportation - note | - | nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten |
Unemployment rate | 12% (2004 est.) | - |
Waterways | 200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2006) | - |