World Country Guide

General Information

Area
143,100 sq km (55,251 sq miles).

Population
6,245,000 (official estimate 2003).

Population Density
43.6 per sq km.

Capital
Dushanbe. Population: 575,900 (2002).

Geography
Tajikistan is bordered by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the north, Afghanistan to the south and China (PR) to the east. 93 per cent of the republic is occupied by mountains, most notably by the sparsely populated Pamir Mountains, which include Mount Garmo (formerly Pik Kommunizma; 7495m/24,590ft), the highest point of the former Soviet Union. The mountainous terrain means that in winter it is impossible to reach the east or the north of the country by road without taking a detour through Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In the fertile plains of the southwest, cotton dominates the agriculture. In the north, in the Khudzand (formerly Leninabad) region, cotton and silk are the main crops.

Government
Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State: President Imamali S Rahmonov since 1992. Head of Government: Prime Minister Akil Akilov since 1999.

Language
Tajik is the official language, an ancient Persian language similar to the languages of Iran and Afghanistan. In the Pamir Mountains, there are at least five different languages, all related to an even more ancient form of Iranian. Russian is widely used (35 per cent of the population speak Russian fluently), and discrimination against Russian speakers is prohibited by law. English is sometimes spoken by those involved in tourism.

Religion
Predominantly Sunni Muslim (80 per cent) with a small Shi'ite Muslim minority (5 per cent). A large Ishmaeli minority exists in the Pamirs. There is also a smaller and shrinking Russian Orthodox minority and a small Jewish community.

Time
GMT + 5.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round, two-pin continental plugs are standard.

Communications

Telephone
IDD to Tajikistan is available but services are unreliable. Country code: 992 (followed by 372 for Dushanbe). Outgoing International code: 00. International telephone calls can be made from telephone offices which will usually be found attached to a post office (in Dushanbe, on Prospekt Rudaki). There are now also some new, private telephone offices in Dushanbe. International, operator-routed calls can also be ordered from some hotels such as the Hotel Tajikistan and the Hotel Independence. Direct-dial calls within the CIS are obtained by dialling 8 and waiting for another dial tone and then dialling the city code. Calls within the city limits are free of charge.

Mobile telephone
GSM 900/1800. Network providers include Indigo Tajikistan (website: www.indigo.tj), Josa Babilon Mobile (website: www.babilon-m.com) and TT Mobile.

Fax
Services are available from the business centre on Prospekt Rudaki in Dushanbe and from major hotels.

Internet
ISPs include InterCom (website: www.tjinter.com) and Telecomm Technology (website: www.tajnet.com). Both these ISPs offer public Internet access at their offices. The Central Asian Development Agency (website: www.tajik.net) has public e-mail centres in main towns. Access to the Internet can be problematic owing to the underdeveloped telecommunications network.

Telegram
Telegram services are available from post offices in large towns.

Post
Mail to Western Europe and the USA can take between two weeks and two months. Stamped envelopes can be bought from post offices. Addresses should be laid out in the following order: country, postcode, city, street, house number and, lastly, the person's name. Postal services available include registered mail, restricted delivery, special delivery and Express mail (in Dushanbe only). Both surface and air mail are available for parcels. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat: 0900-1700. Visitors can also use the post offices located within the major hotels.

Press
The press in Tajikistan is censored. All the main newspapers are printed in Dushanbe and include Narodnaya Gazeta (Russian), Sadoi Mardum and Tojikiston Ovozi (Tajik).

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.