Tajikistan

Geography
Area: 143,100 sq. km.
Capital: Dushanbe.
Terrain: Pamir and Alay mountains dominate landscape; western Ferghana valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest.
Climate: Mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir mountains.

People
Nationality: Tajikistani.
Population (July 2005 est.): 7,163,506.
Population growth rate (2005 est.): 2.15%.
Ethnic groups: Tajik 67%, Uzbek 23%, Russian 3.5%, other 6.5%.
Religion: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a (Ismaili) Muslim 5%, other 15%.
Language: Tajik (sole official language as of 1994); Russian widely used in government and business; 77% of the country, however, is rural and they speak mostly Tajik.
Education: Literacy (according to Tajikistan official statistics, 2003)--88%. The Tajik education system has suffered greatly since independence.
Health: Life expectancy--61.68 years men; 67.59 years women. Infant mortality rate--110.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.).
Work force (2003 est.): 3.301 million.

Government
Type: Republic.
Independence Day: September 9, 1991
Constitution Day: November 6, 1994.
Branches: Executive--chief of state: President. Head of government: Prime Minister. Legislative--bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the Assembly of Representatives or Majlisi Namoyanandagon (lower chamber; 63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlisi Milliy (upper chamber; 33 seats; members are indirectly elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms, 25 selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president; all serve 5-year terms).

Economy
GDP nominal (2005 est.): $2.3 billion.
GDP nominal per capita (2004): U.S. $252. Purchasing power parity is about $1,100.
GDP real growth rate (2004 est.): 10.5%.
Inflation rate (consumer prices, 2004 est.): 8%.
Natural resources: Hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, gold, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten.
Official unemployment rate (2003): 2.1%. The official rate is estimated based on the number of registered unemployment benefit recipients; under employment also is very high, approximately 40% of the workforce; 60% live under the poverty line (2004).
Agriculture: Products--cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats.
Industry: Types--aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, textiles, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers.
Trade: Exports (2004 est.)--$1.13 billion f.o.b.: aluminum (49%), electricity (23%), cotton (12%), gold, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles. Partners (2004)--Latvia 13.1%, Switzerland 11.5%, Uzbekistan 11.3%, Norway 9.9%, Russia 8.2%, Iran 7.9%, Turkey 7.7%, Italy 6.6%, Hungary 4.4%. Imports (2004 est.)--$1.3 billion f.o.b.: electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs. Partners (2004)--Russia 17.8%, Uzbekistan 13.4%, Kazakhstan 9.7%, Ukraine 6.3%, Azerbaijan 6.3%, U.S. 5.8%, Turkey 4.3%.

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