Country Overview
Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. It borders Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and People's Republic of China to the east. Most of Tajikistan's population belongs to the Tajik ethnic group, who share culture and history with the Iranian peoples and speak the Persian language (officially referred to as Tajiki in Tajikistan). Once part of the Samanid Empire, Tajikistan became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union in the 20th century, known as the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (Tajik SSR).
After independence, Tajikistan suffered from a devastating civil war which lasted from 1992 to 1997. During the five-year war, Tajikistan's fragile economy lost more than 50% of its GDP. Peace and stability were achieved in 1997, followed by macroeconomic and political stability achieved as a result of extensive collaboration between the Government and the donor community.
While Tajikistan has experienced steady economic growth since 1997, nearly two-thirds of the population continue to live in abject poverty. Economic growth reached 10.6% in 2004, but dropped to 8% in 2005, and to 7% in 2006. Since the end of the war, newly-established political stability and foreign aid have allowed the country's economy to grow. Trade in commodities such as cotton and aluminum wire has contributed greatly to this steady improvement, but lack of natural resources (besides hydroelectric power and strategic location) has hampered its economic recovery.
Quick Facts (from the World Factbook):
President: Emomali Rakhmon
Prime Minister: Oqil Oqilov
Government type: Republic
Geographic Coordinates: 39 00 N 71 00 E
Area: 143,100 sq km
Border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Population: 7,211,884 (July 2008 est.)
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 34.6% (male 1,270,289/female 1,226,954)
15-64 years: 61.7% (male 2,203,720/female 2,244,660)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 113,156/female 153,105) (2008 est.)
Ethnic groups: Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,600 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23.8%
industry: 30.4%
services: 45.8% (2007 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)
Principal towns: Khujand, Qurghonteppa, Kulob, Khorugh
Climate: midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains.
