"text":"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. Bands of indigenous guerrillas (called \"basmachi\") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic in 1929 and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992 to 1997. Tajikistan endured several domestic security incidents during 2010-12, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and criminal groups in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistanis working in Russia, pervasive corruption, and the major role narcotrafficking plays in the country's informal economy."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan"
"text":"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"
}
},
"People and Society":{
"Nationality":{
"noun":{
"text":"Tajikistani(s)"
},
"adjective":{
"text":"Tajikistani"
}
},
"Ethnic groups":{
"text":"Tajik 84.3%, Uzbek 13.8% (includes Lakai, Kongrat, Katagan, Barlos, Yuz), other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2010 est.)"
},
"Languages":{
"text":"Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business",
"note":{
"text":"different ethnic groups speak Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Pashto"
}
},
"Religions":{
"text":"Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)"
"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{
"total":{
"text":"11 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"12 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"10 years (2012)"
}
},
"Child labor - children ages 5-14":{
"total number":{
"text":"164,432"
},
"percentage":{
"text":"10% (2005 est.)"
}
},
"Unemployment, youth ages 15-24":{
"total":{
"text":"16.7%"
},
"male":{
"text":"19.2%"
},
"female":{
"text":"13.7% (2009 est.)"
}
}
},
"Government":{
"Country name":{
"conventional long form":{
"text":"Republic of Tajikistan"
},
"conventional short form":{
"text":"Tajikistan"
},
"local long form":{
"text":"Jumhurii Tojikiston"
},
"local short form":{
"text":"Tojikiston"
},
"former":{
"text":"Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic"
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"republic"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Dushanbe"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"38 33 N, 68 46 E"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
}
},
"Administrative divisions":{
"text":"2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor), 1 capital region** (viloyati poytakht), and 1 area referred to as Districts Under Republic Administration***; Dushanbe**, Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Kuhistoni Badakhshon [Gorno-Badakhshan]* (Khorugh), Nohiyahoi Tobei Jumhuri***, Sughd (Khujand)",
"note":{
"text":"the administrative center name follows in parentheses"
}
},
"Independence":{
"text":"9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)"
"text":"has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
},
"Suffrage":{
"text":"18 years of age; universal"
},
"Executive branch":{
"chief of state":{
"text":"President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for 2 terms); election last held on 6 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2020); prime minister appointed by the president"
},
"election results":{
"text":"Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 83.9%, Ismoil TALBAKOV (CPT) 5%, other 11.1%"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the National Assembly or Majlisi Milli (34 seats; 25 members indirectly elected by local representative assemblies or majlisi, 8 appointed by the president, and 1 reserved for the former president; members serve 5-year terms) and the Assembly of Representatives or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; 41 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by two-round absolute majority vote and 22 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)"
"text":"National Assembly - last held on 1 March 2015 (next to be held in 2020); Assembly of Representatives - last held on 1 March 2015 (next to be held in 2020)"
"text":"National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 65.4%, APT 11.7%, PERT 7.5%, SPT 5.5%, CPT 2.2%, DPT 1.7%, other 6%; seats by party - PDPT 51, APT 5, PERT 3, SPT 1, CPT 2, DPT 1"
"text":"Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, deputy chairmen, and 34 judges organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of the court chairman, vice-president, and 5 judges); High Economic Court (consists 16 judicial positions)"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and High Economic Court judges nominated by the president of the republic and approved by the National Assembly; judges of all 3 courts appointed for 10-year renewable terms with no limit on terms, but last appointment must occur before the age of 65"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"regional and district courts; Dushanbe City Court; viloyat (province level) courts; Court of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region"
"text":"Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir QARAQULOV] ++ Communist Party of Tajikistan or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV] ++ Democratic Party of Tajikistan or DPT [Saidjafar ISMONOV] ++ Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan or IRPT [Muhiddin KABIRI] ++ Party of Economic Reform of Tajikistan or PERT [Olimjon BOBOEV] ++ People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON] ++ Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOIROV] ++ Socialist Party of Tajikistan or SPT [Abduhalim GHAFOROV]"
"text":"influential religious leader Akbar TURAJONZODA ++ New Tajikistan party [Zayd SAIDOV] (unregistered) ++ Guruhi-24 (Group-24) [Umarali QUVVATOV] (unregistered opposition group) ++ presidential candidate of Union of Reformist Forces of Tajikistan Oynihol BOBONAZAROVA (unregistered) ++ Vatandor (Patriot) Movement [Dodojon ATOVULLOEV] ++ Youth Party of Tajikistan [Izzat AMON] (unregistered)"
"text":"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; red represents the sun, victory, and the unity of the nation, white stands for purity, cotton, and mountain snows, while green is the color of Islam and the bounty of nature; the crown symbolizes the Tajik people; the seven stars signify the Tajik magic number \"seven\" - a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of happiness"
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"crown surmounted by seven, five-pointed stars; national colors: red, white, green"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Surudi milli\" (National Anthem)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Gulnazar KELDI/Suleiman YUDAKOV"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1991; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet republic but adopted new lyrics"
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"Tajikistan's economic situation remains fragile due to the uneven implementation of structural reforms, corruption, weak governance, seasonal power shortages, and its large external debt burden. Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. The 1992-97 civil war severely damaged an already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Because of a lack of employment opportunities in Tajikistan, more than one million Tajik citizens work abroad - roughly 90% in Russia - supporting families back home through remittances that amount to nearly 50% of GDP. Less than 7% of the land area is arable and cotton is the most important crop. Tajikistan imports approximately 60% of its food, mostly by rail. Mineral resources include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry consists mainly of small obsolete factories in food processing and light industry, substantial hydropower facilities, and a large aluminum plant - currently operating well below its capacity. Some experts estimate the value of narcotics transiting Tajikistan is equivalent to 30-50% of GDP. Tajikistan has sought to develop its substantial hydroelectricity potential through partnership with Russian and Iranian investors. The government is pinning its drive for energy independence on completion of the Roghun dam, which will take at least 8 to 11 years to construct, according to a World Bank feasibility study that was published in July 2014. If built according to plan, Roghun would be the tallest dam in the world and would significantly expand Tajikistan’s electricity output. However, Uzbekistan opposes the project, which has damaged relations between the two countries. Uzbekistan closed one of the rail lines into Tajikistan in late 2011, hampering the transit of goods to and from the southern part of the country. As a result, food and fuel prices in Tajikistan have increased to the highest levels since 2002. "
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"2.618 million Mt (2013 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"440,000"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"5 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"8 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"99 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"foreign investment in the telephone system has resulted in major improvements; conversion of the existing fixed network from analogue to digital was completed in 2012"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"fixed line availability has not changed significantly since 1998, while mobile cellular subscribership, aided by competition among multiple operators, has expanded rapidly; coverage now extends to all major cities and towns"
},
"international":{
"text":"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 - 3 (2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita) (2011)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"state-run TV broadcaster transmits nationally on 4 stations and regionally on 4 stations; 11 independent TV stations broadcast locally and regionally; some households are able to receive Russian and other foreign stations via cable and satellite; state-run radio broadcaster operates Radio Tajikistan, Voice of Dushanbe, and several regional stations; a small number of independent radio stations (2010)"
},
"Radio broadcast stations":{
"text":"16 (number of licensed stations with only about 10 broadcasting) (2009)"
},
"Television broadcast stations":{
"text":"24 (number of licensed stations with only about 15 active) (2009)"
},
"Internet country code":{
"text":".tj"
},
"Internet users":{
"total":{
"text":"1.3 million"
},
"percent of population":{
"text":"16.1% (2014 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transportation":{
"Airports":{
"text":"24 (2013)"
},
"Airports - with paved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"17"
},
"over 3,047 m":{
"text":"2"
},
"2,438 to 3,047 m":{
"text":"4"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"5"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"3"
},
"under 914 m":{
"text":"3 (2013)"
}
},
"Airports - with unpaved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"7"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"1"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"1"
},
"under 914 m":{
"text":" ++ 5 (2013)"
}
},
"Pipelines":{
"text":"gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2013)"
},
"Railways":{
"total":{
"text":"680 km"
},
"broad gauge":{
"text":"680 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)"
}
},
"Roadways":{
"total":{
"text":"27,767 km (2000)"
}
},
"Waterways":{
"text":"200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2011)"
}
},
"Military":{
"Military branches":{
"text":"Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Forces (2013)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; males required to undergo compulsory military training between ages 16 and 55; males can enroll in military schools from at least age 15 (2012)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"2,012,790"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"2,020,618 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"1,490,267"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"1,675,083 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"76,430"
},
"female":{
"text":"74,038 (2010 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"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"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons":{
"stateless persons":{
"text":"1,364 (2014)"
}
},
"Illicit drugs":{
"text":"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"
