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, and ethnic Tajiks an even larger minority in Uzbekistan. 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 has endured several domestic security incidents since 2010, 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. In September 2015, government security forces rebuffed attacks led by a former high-ranking official in the Ministry of Defense. President Emomali RAHMON, who came to power during the civil war, used the attacks to ban the main opposition political party in Tajikistan. RAHMON further strengthened his position by having himself designated “Leader ofthe Nation” and removing term limits on himself through constitutional amendments in a referendum on May 2016. 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 opiate trade in neighboring Afghanistan.

Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan

39 00 N, 71 00 E

Asia

slightly smaller than Wisconsin

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

arable land 6.1%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 27.7%

7,420 sq km (2012)

the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west

earthquakes; floods

inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides

landlocked; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR

8,330,946 (July 2016 est.)

Tajik 84.3%, Uzbek 13.8% (includes Lakai, Kongrat, Katagan, Barlos, Yuz), other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2010 est.)

Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business

Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

1.66% (2016 est.)

23.8 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west

DUSHANBE (capital) 822,000 (2015)

22.8

32 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

2.67 children born/woman (2016 est.)

27.9% (2012)

6.9% of GDP (2014)

1.92 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

5.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)

urban: 93.1% of population

rural: 66.7% of population

total: 73.8% of population

urban: 6.9% of population

rural: 33.3% of population

total: 26.2% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 93.8% of population

rural: 95.5% of population

total: 95% of population

urban: 6.2% of population

rural: 4.5% of population

total: 5% of population (2015 est.)

0.31% (2015 est.)

16,200 (2015 est.)

800 (2015 est.)

12% (2014)

13.3% (2012)

4% of GDP (2012)

presidential republic

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)

9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)

several previous; latest adopted 6 November 1994; amended 1999, 2003, 2014 (2016)

civil law system

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Rustam LATIFZODA]

Communist Party of Tajikistan or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Democratic Party of Tajikistan or DPT [Saidjafar ISMONOV]

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]

Group 24 [Sharofiddin GADOEV] (banned)

New Tajikistan Party [Zayd SAIDOV] (unregistered, SAIDOV jailed since 2013)

Vatandor (Patriot) Movement [Dodojon ATOVULLOEV]

Youth for the Revival of Tajikistan [Maqsud IBROHIMOV] (banned, IBROHIMOV jailed in 2015)

Youth Party of Tajikistan [Izzat AMON] (unregistered)

Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan or IRPT [Muhiddin KABIRI] (banned)

ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

crown surmounted by seven, five-pointed stars; national colors: red, white, green

Tajikistan is a poor, mountainous country with an economy dominated by minerals extraction, metals processing, agriculture, and reliance on remittances from citizens working abroad. The 1992-97 civil war severely damaged an already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production, and today, Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Less than 7% of the land area is arable and cotton is the most important crop. Tajikistan imports approximately 60% of its food. Mineral resources include silver, gold, uranium, antimony, 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.

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 have been equivalent to nearly 50% of GDP. Some experts estimate the value of narcotics transiting Tajikistan is equivalent to 30-50% of GDP.

Since the end of the devastating, five-year civil war, the country has pursued half-hearted reforms and privatizations, but the poor business climate remains a hurdle to attracting investment. Tajikistan has sought to develop its substantial hydroelectricity potential through partnership with Russian and Iranian investors, and is pursuing completion of the Roghun dam - which, if built according to plan, would be the tallest dam in the world. However, the project will take at least 8 to 11 years to construct and faces financing shortfalls and opposition from downstream Uzbekistan.

Recent slowdowns in the Russian and Chinese economies, low commodity prices, and currency fluctuations are hampering economic growth in Tajikistan. By some estimates, the dollar value of remittances from Russia to Tajikistan dropped by more than 65% in 2015. The government faces challenges financing the public debt, which is equivalent to 35% of GDP, and the National Bank of Tajikistan has aggressively spent down reserves to bolster the weakening somoni, leaving little space for fiscal or monetary measures to counter any additional economic shocks.

$23.31 billion (2015 est.)

$22.63 billion (2014 est.)

$21.21 billion (2013 est.)

$7.816 billion (2015 est.)

3% (2015 est.)

6.7% (2014 est.)

7.4% (2013 est.)

$2,700 (2015 est.)

$2,700 (2014 est.)

$2,600 (2013 est.)

11.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

15.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

16.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

aluminum, cement, vegetable oil

4% (2015 est.)

2.209 million (2013 est.)

2.5% (2013 est.)

2.5% (2012 est.)

35.6% (2013 est.)

32.6 (2006)

34.7 (1998)

33.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

0.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

6.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

NA%

calendar year

10.8% (2015 est.)

6.1% (2014 est.)

4.8% (31 December 2013)

6.5% (31 December 2012)

25.84% (31 December 2015 est.)

24.53% (31 December 2014 est.)

$773 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$920.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.085 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.778 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$1.401 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.628 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

-$795 million (2015 est.)

-$892 million (2014 est.)

$572 million (2015 est.)

$526.8 million (2014 est.)

aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Turkey 19.7%, Kazakhstan 17.6%, Switzerland 13.7%, Iran 8.7%, Afghanistan 7.5%, Russia 5.1%, China 4.9%, Italy 4.8% (2015)

$2.825 billion (2015 est.)

$3.528 billion (2014 est.)

petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs

China 42.3%, Russia 17.9%, Kazakhstan 13.1%, Iran 4.7% (2015)

$494.3 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$510.8 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.938 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$4.047 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.272 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$NA

$16.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar -

6.1631 (2015 est.)

4.9376 (2014 est.)

4.9348 (2013 est.)

4.76 (2012 est.)

4.6103 (2011 est.)

16 billion kWh (2014 est.)

12 billion kWh (2014 est.)

1.3 billion kWh (2014 est.)

33 million kWh (2014 est.)

5.3 million kW (2014 est.)

9% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

91% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

181.6 bbl/day (2015 est.)

78.6 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

12 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)

445 bbl/day (2013 est.)

14,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

427.9 bbl/day (2013 est.)

12,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)

12 million cu m (2014 est.)

224 million cu m (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

212 million cu m (2014 est.)

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

3.7 million Mt (2013 est.)

state-run TV broadcasters transmit nationally on 9 TV and 10 radio stations, and regionally on 4 stations; 31 independent TV and 20 radio stations broadcast locally and regionally; many households are able to receive Russian and other foreign stations via cable and satellite (2016)

.tj

EY (2016)

24 (2013)

gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2013)

200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2011)

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Forces (2013)

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)

1.1% of GDP (2014)

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

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