Tajikistan

Background: Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, and implemented in 2000. The central government's less than total control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise and forge alliances among factions. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development 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.
Location: Location: Central Asia, west of China. Area: Total: 143,100 sq km, water: 400 sq km, land: 142,700 sq km. Area - comparative: Slightly smaller than Wisconsin. Land boundaries: Total: 3,651 km, border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km. Coastline: 0 km (landlocked).

Climate and Terrain: Climate: Mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains. Terrain: Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest. Natural resources: Hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold.
People: Population: 6,863,752. Ethnic groups: Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6%. Religions: Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%. Languages: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business.
Government: Government type: Republic. Capital: Dushanbe. Independence: 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union).

Economy overview: Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 8% to 10% of the land area is arable. Cotton is the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, 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.
Statistics: Telephones - main lines in use: 363,000. Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,500. Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2. Radios: 1.291 million. Television broadcast stations: 13. Televisions: 820,000. Internet users: 5,000. Railways: Total: 482 km. Highways: Total: 27,767 km. Airports - with paved runways: 13, with unpaved runways: 53.