This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011) Republic of Tajikistan Flag Emblem Anthem: Surudi Milli Capital (and largest city) Dushanbe 3833N 6848E / 38.55N 68.8E / 38.55; 68.8 Official language(s) Tajik12 3 Language for inter-ethnic communication Russian4 Demonym Tajikistani5 Government Unitary semi-presidential republic  -  President Emomalii Rahmon  -  Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov Independence (from the Soviet Union)  -  Establishment of the Samanid Empire 875 AD   -  Declared September 9 1991   -  Completed December 25 1991  Area  -  Total 143100 km2 (102nd) 55251 sq mi   -  Water (%) 1.8 Population  -  2010 estimate 79957545 (96th)  -  2000 census 6127000   -  Density 48.6/km2 (155th) 125.8/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2009 estimate  -  Total $13.666 billion6   -  Per capita $21036  GDP (nominal) 2009 estimate  -  Total $4.982 billion6   -  Per capita $7676  Gini (2004) 33.59 (medium)  HDI (2007) 0.6887 (medium) (127th) Currency Somoni (TJS) Time zone TJT (UTC+5) Drives on the right ISO 3166 code TJ Internet TLD .tj Calling code 992 1 Estimate from State Statistical Committee of Tajikistan 2008; rank based on UN figures for 2005.

Tajikistan (i /tdikstn/ or /tdikstn/ or ( /tdikistn/ tdikstn) officially the Republic of Tajikistan (Tajik: umhuriji Toikiston; Persian: Jomhuri-ye Tajikestan; Russian: Respublika Tadzhikistan) is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south Uzbekistan to the west Kyrgyzstan to the north and People's Republic of China to the east. Tajikistan also lies adjacent to Pakistan's Chitral and the Gilgit-Baltistan region separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor.

Most of Tajikistan's population belongs to the Persian-speaking Tajik ethnic group who share language culture and history with Afghanistan and Iran. 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). Mountains cover over 90% of this Central Asian republic.

After independence Tajikistan suffered from a devastating civil war which lasted from 1992 to 1997. 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 aluminium and uranium has contributed greatly to this steady improvement. Contents 1 Name 2 History 2.1 Early history 2.2 Russian presence 2.3 Soviet Tajikistan 2.4 Post-independence 3 Politics 4 Administrative divisions 5 Geography 6 Economy 7 Demographics 7.1 Health 8 Culture 8.1 Education 9 Religion 10 Sport 11 Government 12 Transport 13 See also 14 References and footnotes 15 Further reading 16 External links Name Main article: Tajik people

Tajikistan means the "Land of the Tajiks". The word Tajik was used by medieval Turks to refer to Iranian-speaking peoples. From the 11th century the term referred to East Iranian people but by the 15th century came to be applied to Persian speakers. In medieval Persian literature Tajik appears as a synonym of "Persian".

As a self-designation the term Tajik (Persian: Tjk; Tajik: ) has become acceptable only during the last decades of the 20th century particularly as a result of Soviet administration in Central Asia.8 The term does not denote an ethnic group in the narrow sense but remains a general designation of a variety of Persian-speaking peoples in Central Asia.

Tajikistan was frequently spelled as Tadjikistan or Tadzhikistan in English transliterated from the Russian (in Russian the phoneme /d/ is spelled that is dzh or dj.) Tadzhikistan is the most common alternate spelling and is widely used in English literature derived from Russian sources. "Tadjikistan" is the spelling in French and can occasionally be found in English language texts. History Main article: History of Tajikistan Early history See also: Samanid dynasty Modern Tajiks regard the Samanid Empire as the first Tajik state. This monument in Dushanbe honors Amir Ismail Samani.

The territory of what is now Tajikistan has been inhabited continuously since 4000 BC.citation needed It has been under the rule of various empires throughout history for the longest period being part of the Persian Empire. It was originally called Neb for a short period of time before being given the name Tajikistan.

Acharya Yaska's Nirukta9 (7th century BC) attests that the verb avati in the sense "to go" was used by only the Kambojas. It has been shown that the modern Ghalcha dialects Valkhi Shigali Sriqoli Jebaka (also called Sanglichi or Ishkashim) Munjani Yidga and Yaghnobi mainly spoken in the Pamir mountains and countries on the headwaters of the Oxus still use terms derived from ancient Kamboja avati in the sense "to go".10 The Yaghnobi language spoken by the Yaghnobis in the Sughd Province around the headwaters of Zeravshan valley also still contains a relic "u" from ancient Kamboja avati in the sense "to go".11

Further Sir George Abraham Grierson says that the speech of Badakshan was a Ghalcha until about three centuries ago when it was supplanted by a form of Persian.12 Thus the ancient Kamboja probably included the Badakshan Pamirs and northern territories including the Yaghnobi region in the doab of the Oxus and Jaxartes.13 On the east it was bounded roughly by Yarkand and/or Kashgar on the west by Bahlika (Uttaramadra) on the northwest by Sogdiana on the north by Uttarakuru on the southeast by Darada and on the south by Gandhara. Numerous Indologists locate original Kamboja in Pamirs and Badakshan and the Parama Kamboja further north in the Trans-Pamirian territories comprising Zeravshan valley north up parts of Sogdhiana/Fargana in the Sakadvipa or Scythia of the classical writers.14 Thus in the pre-Buddhist times (7th6th century BCE) the parts of modern Tajikistan including territories as far as Zeravshan valley in Sogdiana formed parts of ancient Kamboja and the Parama Kamboja kingdoms when it was ruled by the Kambojas till it became part of Persian Achaemenid Empire. After the Persian Empire was defeated by Alexander the Great the region became the northern part of Hellenistic Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. Dushanbe government building From the last quarter of 4th century BCE until the first quarter of the 2nd century BCE it was part of the Bactrian Empire from whom it was passed on to Scythian Tukharas and hence became part of Tukharistan. Contact with the Chinese Han Dynasty was made in the 2nd century BCE when envoys were sent to the area of Bactria to explore regions west of China. Arabs brought Islam in the 7th century CEcitation needed. The Samanid Empire supplanted the Arabs and enlarged the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara which became the cultural centers of Tajiks (both of which are now in Uzbekistan). The Mongols would later take partial control of Central Asia and later the land that today comprises Tajikistan became a part of the Emirate of Bukhara. A small community of Jews displaced from the Middle East after the Babylonian captivity migrated to the region and settled there after 600 BCE though the majority of the recent Jewish population did not migrate to Tajikistan until the 20th century. Russian presence See also: The Great Game In the 19th century the Russian Empire began to spread into Central Asia during the Great Game. Between 1864 and 1885 it gradually took control of the entire territory of Russian Turkestan from today's border with Kazakhstan in the north to the Caspian Sea in the west and the border with Afghanistan in the south. Tajikistan was eventually carved out of this territory which historically had a large Tajik population. After the overthrow of Imperial Russia in 1917 guerrillas throughout Central Asia known as basmachi waged a war against Bolshevik armies in a futile attempt to maintain independence. The Bolsheviks prevailed after a four-year war in which mosques and villages were burned down and the population heavily suppressed. Soviet authorities started a campaign of secularization practicing Muslims Jews and Christians were persecutedcitation needed and mosques churches and synagogues were closed. Soviet Tajikistan Main article: Tajik SSR The Palace of Unity (Vahdat Palace) In 1924 the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as a part of Uzbekistan but in 1929 the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (Tajik SSR) was made a separate constituent republic (see also Shirinsho Shotemur). The predominantly ethnic Tajik cities of Samarkand and Bukhara remained in the Uzbek SSR. Between 1926 and 1959 the proportion of Russians among Tajikistan's population grew from less than 1% to 13%.15 In terms of living conditions education and industry Tajikistan was behind the other Soviet Republics. In the 1980s it had the lowest household saving rate in the USSR16 the lowest percentage of households in the two top per capita income groups17 and the lowest rate of university graduates per 1000 people.18 By the late 1980s Tajik nationalists were calling for increased rights. Real disturbances did not occur within the republic until 1990.citation needed The following year the Soviet Union collapsed and Tajikistan declared its independence. The first nation to establish an embassy in Dushanbe was Iran which was also one of the first countries to immediately recognize Tajikistan as an independent state in 1991. Post-independence See also: Civil war in Tajikistan The nation almost immediately fell into a civil war that involved various factions fighting one another; these factions were often distinguished by clan loyalties. The non-Muslim population particularly Russians and Jews fled the country during this time because of persecution increased poverty and better economic opportunities in the West or in other former Soviet republics. Emomalii Rahmon came to power in 1994 defeating former prime minister Abdumalik Abdullajanov in a November presidential election with 58% of the vote.19 The elections took place shortly after the end of the war and Tajikistan was in a state of complete devastation. The estimated dead numbered over 100000. Around 1.2 million people were refugees inside and outside of the country.20 In 1997 a ceasefire was reached between Rahmon and opposition parties (United Tajik Opposition). Peaceful elections were held in 1999 though they were criticized by opposition parties and foreign observers. Rahmon was re-elected with 98% of the vote. Elections were held again in 2006 with Rahmon winning a third term in office with 79% of the vote in a field of five candidates. Several opposition parties boycotted the election and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was critical of it although observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States claimed the elections to be legal and transparent. Rahmon's government came under criticism from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in October 2010 for its censorship and repression of the media. The OSCE claimed that the Tajik Government censored Tajik and foreign websites and instituted tax inspections on independent printing houses that lead to the cessation of printing activities for a number of independent newspapers.21 Russian border troops were stationed along the Tajik-Afghan border until summer 2005. Since the September 11 2001 attacks French troops have been stationed at the Dushanbe Airport in support of air operations of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. U.S. Army and Marine Corps personnel periodically visit Tajikistan to conduct joint training missions of up to several weeks duration. The Government of India rebuilt the Ayni Air Base a military airport located 15 km southwest of Dushanbe at a cost of $70 million completing the repairs in September 2010.22 It is now the main base of the Tajikistan air force. There have been talks with Russia concerning use of the Ayni facility23 and Russia continues to maintain a large base on the outskirts of Dushanbe and operate at least one military hospital in the capital city. In 2010 there were concerns among Tajik officials that Islamic militarism in the east of the country was on the rise following the escape of 25 militants from a Tajik prison in August an ambush that killed 28 Tajik soldiers in the Rasht Valley in September24 and another ambush in the valley in October that killed 30 soldiers25 followed by fighting outside Gharm that left 3 militants dead.26 To date the country's Interior Ministry asserts that the central government maintains full control over the country's east and the military operation in the Rasht Valley was concluded in November 2010.27 Politics Main article: Politics of Tajikistan See also: Elections in Tajikistan Foreign relations of Tajikistan and Human rights in Tajikistan President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon Almost immediately after independence Tajikistan was plunged into a civil war that saw various factions allegedly backed by Russia and Irancitation needed fighting one another. All but 25000 of the more than 400000 ethnic Russians who were mostly employed in industry fled to Russia. By 1997 the war had cooled down and a central government began to take form with peaceful elections in 1999. "Longtime observers of Tajikistan often characterize the country as profoundly averse to risk and skeptical of promises of reform a political passivity they trace to the countrys ruinous civil war" Ilan Greenberg wrote in a news article in The New York Times just before the country's November 2006 presidential election.28 Tajikistan is officially a republic and holds elections for the Presidency and Parliament. It is however a one party dominant system where the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan routinely has a vast majority in Parliament. The parliamentary elections in 2005 aroused many accusations from opposition parties and international observers that President Emomali Rahmon corruptly manipulates the election process. The most recent elections in February 2010 saw the ruling PDPT lose 4 seats in Parliament yet still maintain a comfortable majority. OSCE election observers said the 2010 polling "failed to meet many key OSCE commitments" and that "these elections failed on many basic democratic standards."2930 The government insisted that only minor violations had occurred which would not affect the will of the Tajik people.2930 Freedom of the press is officially guaranteed by the government although independent press outlets remain restricted as does a substantial amount of web content. According to the Institute for War & Peace Reporting access is blocked to local and foreign websites including avesta.tj Tjknews.com ferghana.ru and centrasia.ru and journalists are often obstructed from reporting on controversial events. In practice no public criticism of the regime is tolerated and all direct protest is severely suppressed and does not get reported in the local media.31 The presidential election held on November 6 2006 was boycotted by "mainline" opposition parties including the 23000-member Islamic Renaissance Party. Four remaining opponents "all but endorsed the incumbent" Rahmon.28 Tajikistan has given Iran its support in Iran's membership bid to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation after a meeting between the Tajik President and the Iranian foreign minister.32 Administrative divisions Main articles: Provinces of Tajikistan and Districts of Tajikistan Tajikistan consists of 4 administrative divisions. These are the provinces (viloyat) of Sughd and Khatlon the autonomous province of Gorno-Badakhshan (abbreviated as GBAO) and the Region of Republican Subordination (RRP Raiony Respublikanskogo Podchineniya in transliteration from Russian or NTJ in Tajik; formerly known as Karotegin Province). Each region is divided into several districts (Tajik: nohiya or raion) which in turn are subdivided into jamoats (village-level self-governing units) and then villages (qyshloqs). As of 2006 there were 58 districts and 367 jamoats in Tajikistan.33 Division ISO 3166-2 Capital Area (km) Pop (2008) Sughd TJ-SU Khujand 25400 2132100 Region of Republican Subordination TJ-RR Dushanbe 28600 1606900 Khatlon TJ-KT Qurghonteppa 24800 2579300 Gorno-Badakhshan TJ-BG Khorugh 64200 218000 Source: Population and area from State Statistical Committee of Tajikistan.33 Geography Main article: Geography of Tajikistan Satellite photograph of Tajikistan Mountains of Tajikistan Fann Mountains Tajikistan is landlocked and is the smallest nation in Central Asia by area. It lies mostly between latitudes 36 and 41 N (a small area is north of 41) and longitudes 67 and 75 E (a small area is east of 75). It is covered by mountains of the Pamir range and more than fifty percent of the country is over 3000 meters (9800 ft) above sea level. The only major areas of lower land are in the north (part of the Fergana Valley) and in the southern Kofarnihon and Vakhsh river valleys which form the Amu Darya. Dushanbe is located on the southern slopes above the Kofarnihon valley. Mountain Height Location Ismoil Somoni Peak (highest) 7495 m 24590 ft     North-western edge of Gorno-Badakhshan (GBAO) south of the Kyrgyz border Ibn Sina Peak (Lenin Peak) 7134 m 23537 ft     Northern border in the Trans-Alay Range north-east of Ismoil Somoni Peak Peak Korzhenevskaya 7105 m 23310 ft     North of Ismoil Somoni Peak on the south bank of Muksu River Independence Peak (Revolution Peak) 6974 m 22881 ft     Central Gorno-Badakhshan south-east of Ismoil Somoni Peak Akademiya Nauk Range 6785 m 22260 ft     North-western Gorno-Badakhshan stretches in the north-south direction Karl Marx Peak 6726 m 22067 ft     GBAO near the border to Afghanistan in the northern ridge of the Karakoram Range Garmo Peak 6595 m 21637 ft     Northwestern Gorno-Badakhstan. Mayakovskiy Peak 6096 m 20000 ft     Extreme south-west of GBAO near the border to Afghanistan. Concord Peak 5469 m 17943 ft     Southern border in the northern ridge of the Karakoram Range Kyzylart Pass 4280 m 14042 ft     Northern border in the Trans-Alay Range The Amu Darya and Panj rivers mark the border with Afghanistan and the glaciers in Tajikistan's mountains are the major source of runoff for the Aral Sea. There are over 900 rivers in Tajikistan longer than 10 kilometers. About 2% of the country's area is covered by lakes the best known of which are the following: Kayrakum (Qairoqqum) Reservoir (Sughd) Iskanderkul (Fann Mountains) Kulikalon (Kul-i Kalon) (Fann Mountains) Nurek Reservoir (Khatlon) Karakul (Tajik: Qarokul; eastern Pamir) Sarez (Pamir) Shadau Lake (Pamir) Zorkul (Pamir) Lesser known lakes (all in the Pamir region) include Bulunkul Drumkul Rangkul Sasykkul Shorkul Turumtaikul Tuzkul Yashilkul Economy Main article: Economy of Tajikistan See also: Agriculture in Tajikistan A young man selling dried fruit at a local market Tajik children Tajikistan was the poorest republic of the Soviet Union and is the poorest country in Central Asia as well as in the former Soviet Union today. The current economic situation remains fragile largely owing to corruption uneven economic reforms and economic mismanagement. With foreign revenue precariously dependent upon remittances from migrant workers overseas exports of aluminium and cotton the economy is highly vulnerable to external shocks. In FY 2000 international assistance remained an essential source of support for rehabilitation programs that reintegrated former civil war combatants into the civilian economy thus helping keep the peace. International assistance also was necessary to address the second year of severe drought that resulted in a continued shortfall of food production. In 2006 GDP per capita of Tajikistan was 85% of 1990s level.34 while population has increased from 5.3 million in 1991 to 7.3 million in 2009. On August 21 2001 the Red Cross announced that a famine was striking Tajikistan and called for international aid for Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Tajikistan's economy grew substantially after the war. The GDP of Tajikistan expanded at an average rate of 9.6 % over the period of 20002007 according to the World Bank data. This improved Tajikistan's position among other Central Asian countries (namely Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) which seem to have degraded economically ever since.35 Tajikistan is an active member of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). The recently completed Anzab tunnel which connects the previously hard to access Northern part of the country to the capital Dushanbe has been labeled as part of the new Silk Road. It is part of a road under construction that will connect Tajikistan to Iran and the Persian Gulf through Afghanistan. A new bridge between Afghanistan and Tajikistan has been built which will help the country have access to trade lines with South Asia. The bridge was built by the United States.36 The primary sources of income in Tajikistan are aluminium production cotton growing and remittances from migrant workers.37 Aluminium industry is represented by the state-owned Tajik Aluminum Company - the biggest aluminium plant in Central Asia and one of the biggest in the world.38 Tajikistan's rivers such as the Vakhsh and the Panj have great hydropower potential and the government has focused on attracting investment for projects for internal use and electricity exports. Tajikistan is home to the Nurek the highest dam in the world.39 Lately Russia's RAO UES energy giant has been working on the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station (670 MW capacity) commenced operations on 18 January 2008.4041 Other projects at the development stage include Sangtuda-2 by Iran Zerafshan by the Chinese company SinoHydro and the Rogun power plant that at a projected height of 335 metres (1099 ft) would supersede the Nurek Dam as highest in the world if it is brought to completion4243 Other energy resources include sizable coal deposits and smaller reserves of natural gas and petroleum. Tajik family celebrating Eid Foreign remittance flows from Tajik migrant workers abroad mainly in Russia has become by far the main source of income for millions of Tajikistan's people and represents additional 36.2 % of country's GDP directly reaching the poverty-stricken population.44 According to some estimates about 20% of the population lives on less than US$1.25 per day.45 Migration from Tajikistan and the consequent remittances have been unprecedented in their magnitude and economic impact. Tajikistan has achieved transition from a planned to a market economy without substantial and protracted recourse to aid (of which it by now receives only negligible amounts) and by purely market-based means simply by exporting its main commodity of comparative advantage cheap labor.46 The World Bank Tajikistan Policy Note 2006 concludes that remittances have played an important role as one of the drivers of Tajikistan's robust economic growth during the past several years have increased incomes and as a result helped significantly reduce poverty.47 Drug trafficking is the major illegal source of income in Tajikistan as it is an important transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and to a lesser extent Western European markets; some opium poppy is also raised locally for the domestic market.48 However with the increasing assistance from international organizations such as UNODC and cooperation with the US Russian EU and Afghan authorities a level of progress on the fight against illegal drug-trafficking is being achieved.49 Tajikistan holds third place in the world for heroin and raw opium confiscations (1216.3 kg of heroin and 267.8 kg of raw opium in the first half of 2006).5051 Drug money corrupts the country's government; according to some experts the well-known personalities that fought on both sides of the civil war and have held the positions in the government after the armistice was signed are now involved in the drug trade.48 UNODC is working with Tajikistan to strengthen border crossings provide training and set up joint interdiction teams. It also helped to establish Tajikistani Drug Control Agency.52 Since the collapse of the USSR there has been a significant and growing trend of Tajiks migrating abroad for jobs and seeking refuge. In 2010 remittances from Tajik labour migrants totaled an estimated 2.1 billion US dollars an increase from 2009. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Tajikistan Demographic map of Tajikistan. Tajikistan has a population of 7349145 (July 2009 est.).5 Tajiks who speak the Tajik language (a variety of Persian) are the main ethnic group although there is a sizable minority of Uzbeks and Russians whose numbers are declining due to emigration.53 In 1989 ethnic Russians made up 7.6% of the population.54 The Pamiris of Badakhshan are considered to belong to the larger group of Tajiks. All citizens of Tajikistan are called Tajiks. 5 The official and vernacular language of Tajikistan is Tajik although Russian is routinely used in business and communication. The use of Russian in official documents has been ruled out in 2009 3 although the Constitution still mentions it as the "language for inter-ethnic communication". Despite its poverty Tajikistan has a high rate of literacy due to the old Soviet system of free education with an estimated 99.5% of the population having the ability to read and write.5 The majority of the population follow Sunni Islam. There is also a sizeable minority of Ismailis. Bukharan Jews had lived in Tajikistan since the 2nd century BC but today almost none are left. There is also a small population of Yaghnobi people who have lived in the mountainous district of Sughd Viloyat for many centuries. The German population in Tajikistan was 38853 in 1979.55 Nearly one million Tajik men worked abroad in 2009.56 Health Despite repeated efforts by the Tajik government to improve and expand health care the system remains extremely underdeveloped and poor with severe shortages of medical supplies. The state's Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare reported that 104272 disabled people are registered in Tajikistan (2000). This group of people suffers most from poverty in Tajikistan. The government of Tajikistan and the World Bank considered activities to support this part of the population described in the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.57 Public expenditure on health was at 1 % of the GDP in 2004.58 In the early 2000s there were 203 physicians per 100000 people.58 Infant mortality was 59 for 1000 live births in 2005.58 Tajikistan is the only country in world where polio is on the increase. From zero cases in 2008 and 2009 458 confirmed cases have been reported for 2010 (of 976 cases worldwide). A large part of the population have poor access to Health Care. Culture Main article: Culture of Tajikistan Tajik woman in national dress See also: Music of Tajikistan Public holidays in Tajikistan and Cuisine of Tajikistan Historically Tajiks and Persians come from very similar stock speaking variants of the same language and are related as part of the larger group of Iranian peoples. The Tajik language is the mother tongue of around 80% of the citizens of Tajikistan. The main urban centers in today's Tajikistan include Dushanbe (the capital) Khujand Kulob Panjakent and Istaravshan. There are also Uzbek Kyrgyz and Russian minorities. The Pamiri people of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in the southeast bordering Afghanistan and China though considered part of the Tajik ethnicity nevertheless are distinct linguistically and culturally from most Tajiks. In contrast to the mostly Sunni Muslim residents of the rest of Tajikistan the Pamiris overwhelmingly follow the Ismaili sect of Islam and speak a number of Eastern Iranian languages including Shughni Rushani Khufi and Wakhi. Isolated in the highest parts of the Pamir Mountains they have preserved many ancient cultural traditions and folk arts that have been largely lost elsewhere in the country. The Yaghnobi people live in mountainous areas of northern Tajikistan. The estimated number of Yaghnobis is now about 25000. Forced migrations in the 20th century decimated their numbers. They speak the Yaghnobi language which is the only direct modern descendant of the ancient Sogdian language. Tajikstan artisans created the Dushanbe Tea House which was presented in 1988 as a gift to the sister city of Boulder Colorado.59 In 2010 a Tajik citizen Nilufar Sherzod became Miss United Nations representing Tajik culture.60 Education 2002-2005 public spending on education was 3.5 % of the GDP.58 According to a UNICEF-supported survey about 25 percent of girls in Tajikistan fail to complete compulsory primary education because of poverty and gender bias although 61 literacy is generally high in Tajikistan.58 Religion See also: Religion in Tajikistan and Islam in Tajikistan A mosque in Isfara Sunni Islam of the Hanafi school is official religion in Tajikistan since 2009.62 Tajikistan considers itself a secular state with a Constitution providing for freedom of religion. The Government has declared two Islamic holidays Id Al-Fitr and Idi Qurbon as state holidays. According to a 2009 U.S. State Department release the population of Tajikistan is 98% Muslim (approximately 95% Sunni and 3% Shia).63 The remaining 2% of the population are followers of Russian Orthodoxy a variety of Protestant denominations Catholicism Zoroastrianism and Buddhism. and The great majority of Muslims fast during Ramadan although only about one third in the countryside and 10% in the cities observe daily prayer and dietary restrictions. Relationships between religious groups are generally amicable although there is some concern among mainstream Muslim leaderswho that minority religious groups undermine national unity. There is a concern for religious institutions becoming active in the political sphere. The Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP) a major combatant in the 19921997 Civil War and then-proponent of the creation of an Islamic state in Tajikistan constitutes no more than 30% of the government by statute. Membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Emancipation) a party controversial for its antisemitic views which today aims for a nonviolent overthrow of secular governments and the unification of Tajiks under one Islamic state is illegal and members are subject to arrest and imprisonment.64 Numbers of large mosques appropriate for Friday prayers are limited and some feel this is discriminatory. By law religious communities must register by the State Committee on Religious Affairs (SCRA) and with local authorities. Registration with the SCRA requires a charter a list of 10 or more members and evidence of local government approval prayer site location. As noted above religious groups who do not have a physical structure are not allowed to gather publicly for prayer. Failure to register can result in large fines and closure of place of worship. There are reports that registration on the local level is sometimes difficult to obtain.65 Sport Tajikistan's mountains provide many opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking mountain-biking and mountain-climbing. Since facilities are limited tourists must expect to be largely self-sufficient and plan carefully. Mountain-climbing tours to the Fann Mountains and the Pamirs including the 7000 m peaks in the region are seasonally organized by local and international alpine agencies. Football (soccer) is a popular sport. The Tajikistan national football team competes in the FIFA and AFC leagues. It also hosts many football clubs. Government Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Government Pres. Emomali RAHMON Prime Min. Oqil OQILOV Dep. Prime Min. Murodali ALIMARDON Dep. Prime Min. Asadullo GHULOMOV Dep. Prime Min. Ruqiya QURBANOVA Min. of Agriculture Qosim QOSIMOV Min. of Culture Mirzoshohrukh ASRORI Min. of Defense Sherali KHAYRULLOYEV Col. Gen. Min. of Economic Development & Trade Farrukh HAMRALIEV Min. of Education Abdujabbor RAHMONOV Min. of Energy & Industry Sherali GUL Min. of Finance Safarali NAJMUDDINOV Min. of Foreign Affairs Hamrokhon ZARIFI Min. of Health Nusratullo SALIMOV Min. of Internal Affairs Abdurahim QAHOROV Min. of Justice Bakhtiyor KHUDOYOROV Min. of Labor & Social Security Shukhurjon ZUHOROV Min. of Land Reclamation & Water Resources Rahmat BOBOKALONOV Min. of Transport & Communications Olimjon BOBOEV Chmn. State Committee on National Security Khayridin ABDURAHIMOV Chmn. State Committee on State Property Davlatali SAIDOV Chmn. State Committee on Statistics Mirgand SHABOZOV Prosecutor Gen. Sherhon SALIMZODA Dir. Drug Control Agency Rustam NAZAROV Lt. Gen. Chmn. National Bank Sharif RAHIMZODA Ambassador to the US Abdujabbor SHIRINOV Permanent Representative to the UN New York Sirojidin ASLOV Transport Main article: Transportation in Tajikistan Eu 733 0-10-0 locomotive in a Park near the main railway station Dushanbe Tajikistan See also Tajikistan portal Main article: Outline of Tajikistan 2006 Tajikistan earthquake Central Asian Union Communications in Tajikistan Index of Tajikistan-related articles Ittihodi Scouthoi Tojikiston Kingdom of Balhara List of cities in Tajikistan List of universities in Tajikistan Military of Tajikistan Mount Imeon Yagnob Valley References and footnotes  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies. Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan November 6 1994 Article 2. According to the law signed on Oct. 6 2009 government documents must be written only in Tajik <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jLJnxvR7y69z29eejXVylsz4UvWA>. a b Tajikistan Drops Russian As Official Language RFE/RL 7 October 2009. Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan November 6 1994 Article 4. a b c d e The World Factbook People of Tajikistan a b c d "Tajikistan". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspxsy2007&ey2010&scsm1&ssd1&sortcountry&ds.&br1&c923&sNGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp0&a&pr.x86&pr.y3. Retrieved 2010-04-21.  "Human Development Report 2009: Tajikistan". The United Nations. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/countryfactsheets/ctyfsTJK.html. Retrieved 2009-10-18.  C.E. Bosworth B.G. Fragner (1999). "TDJK". Encyclopaedia of Islam (CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0 ed.). Leiden The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV.  Nirukta II.2. Linguistic Survey of India Vol X pp 456ff 468 473 474 476 500 511 524 etc; Journal of Royal Asiatic Society of Asia 1911 pp 801-802 Sir Griersen; India as Known to Panini 1968 p 49 Dr V. S. Aggarwala; Geographical Data in the Early Puranas A Critical Study 1972 p 164 Dr M. R. Singh; Bharata Bhumi aur uske Nivasi Samvat 1987 pp 297-305 Dr J. C. Vidyalankar; Geographical and Economical Studies in the Mahabharata Upayana Parva p 37 Dr Motichandra; Ancient Kamboja People and the Country 1981 pp 127-28 167 218 Dr J. L. Kamboj; Sindhant Kaumudi Arthaprakashaka 1966 pp 20-22 Acharya R. R. Pande. Proceedings and Transactions of the ... All-India Oriental Conference 1930 p 118; Indian Culture 1934 p 193 Indian Research Institute; Linguistic Survey of India Vol X pp 455-56 Dr G. A. Grierson; cf: History and Archeology of India's Contacts with Other Countries from the... 1976 p 152 Dr Shashi P. Asthana - Social Science; Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahbhrata: Upyana Parva 1945 p 39 Dr Moti Chandra - India; Prcna Kamboja jana aura janapada : Ancient Kamboja people and country 1981 p 128 Dr Jiylla Kmboja Dr Satyavrat str - Kamboja (Pakistan). Linguistic Survey of India X p. 456 Sir G Grierson; Proceedings and Transactions of the All-India Oriental Conference 1930 pp 107-108. Dr J. C. Vidyalankara Proceedings and Transactions of 6th A.I.O. Conference 1930 p 118; cf: Linguistic Survey of India Vol X pp 455-56 Dr G. A. Grierson. See: The Deeds of Harsha: Being a Cultural Study of Ba's Harshacharita 1969 p 199 Dr Vasudeva Sharana Agrawala; Proceedings and Transactions of the All-India Oriental Conference 1930 p 118 Dr J. C. Vidyalankara; Prcna Kamboja jana aura janapada : Ancient Kamboja people and country 1981 Dr Jiylla Kmboja Dr Satyavrat str - Kamboja (Pakistan). Tajikistan - Ethnic Groups U.S. Library of Congress Boris Rumer Soviet Central Asia: A Tragic Experiment Unwin Hyman London 1989 p. 126. Statistical Yearbook of the USSR 1990 Goskomstat Moscow 1991 p. 115 (Russian). Statistical Yearbook of the USSR 1990 Goskomstat Moscow 1991 p. 210 (Russian). http://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0695/9506053.htm Tajikistan: rising from the ashes of civil war. United Nations "OSCE urges Tajikistan to stop attacks on free media". Reuters. 2010-10-18. http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE69H2FD20101018.  http://www.eurasianet.org/node/61866 http://www.eurasianet.org/node/62187 "Tajikistan says restive east is under control". BBC News. 2010-10-18. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11565443.  http://www.rferl.org/content/TajikistanSaysKillsThreeSuspectedIslamistMilitants/2193377.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jgLdqI0OO2p668hzze8vqDxO9bbw http://enews.ferghana.ru/news.phpid1903&modesnews a b Greenberg Ilan "Media Muzzled and Opponents Jailed Tajikistan Readies for Vote" The New York Times November 4 2006 (article dateline November 3 2006) page A7 New York edition a b "Change you can't believe in". The Economist. 2010-03-04. http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfmstoryid15612447&sourcehptextfeature. Retrieved 2010-03-05.  a b "Tajikistan elections criticised by poll watchdog". BBC. 2010-03-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8543214.stm. Retrieved 2010-03-05.  "Tajik Governments Fury Over Conflict Reporting". Iwpr.net. 2010-10-22. http://iwpr.net/report-news/tajik-government%E2%80%99s-fury-over-conflict-reporting. Retrieved 2011-01-14.  "Press TV - Iran makes move to join SCO". Presstv.ir. 2008-03-24. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspxid48781&sectionid351020101. Retrieved 2009-10-02.  a b Population of the Republic of Tajikistan as of 1 January 2008 State Statistical Committee Dushanbe 2008 (Russian) "GDP per capita in current US dollars per person". EarthTrends. http://earthtrends.wri.org/text/economics-business/variable-638.html. Retrieved 2006-11-01.  "BBC's Guide to Central Asia". BBC News. 2005-06-20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456938/html/nn4page1.stm. Retrieved 2006-11-01.  "US Army Corps of Engineer Afghanistan-Tajikistan Bridge". US Army Corps of Engineer. http://www.aed.usace.army.mil/Snapshots.aspPageNo2. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  "Background Note: Tajikistan". US Department of State Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. December 2007. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5775.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  " - (Tajikistani Aluminium)" (in Russian). " " (Ekspert Kazakhstan) #23. 2004-12-06. http://www.expert.ru/printissues/kazakhstan/2004/23/23ka-kpov3/. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  "Highest Dams (World and U.S.)". ICOLD World Register of Dams. 1998. http://npdp.stanford.edu/damhigh.html. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  " 18 (First stage of the Sangtuda HPS launched on 18 January)" (in Russian). Vesti. 2007-12-25. http://npdp.stanford.edu/damhigh.html. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  "Sangtuda-1 HPS launched on January 18 2008". Today Energy. 2008-01-05. http://www.energytoday.eu/articles/81528.php. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  "Iran participates in power plant project in Tajikistan". IRNA. 2007-04-24. http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-18/0704240278195019.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  "Chinese To Build Tajik Hydroelectric Plant". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. 2007-01-18. http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/01/c7eca5d9-67f9-4659-88f9-696875ac873e.html. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  Dilip Ratha Sanket Mohapatra K. M. Vijayalakshmi Zhimei Xu (2007-11-29). "Remittance Trends 2007. Migration and Development Brief 3" (PDF). World Bank. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTDECPROSPECTS/Resources/476882-1157133580628/BriefingNote3.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  "UNDP: Human development indices - Table 3: Human and income poverty (Population living below national poverty line (2000-2007))" (PDF). http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDI2008ENTables.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-02.  Alexei Kireyev (January 2006). "The Macroeconomics of Remittances: The Case of Tajikistan. IMF Working Paper WP/06/2" (PDF). IMF. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2006/wp0602.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  "Tajikistan Policy Note. Poverty Reduction and Enhancing the Development Impact of Remittances. Report No. 35771-TJ" (PDF). World Bank. June 2006. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2006/08/22/00016001620060822094201/Rendered/PDF/357710TJ.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  a b Silk Road Studies Country Factsheets Eurasian Narcotics: Tajikistan 2004 Roger McDermott (2006-01-10). "Dushanbe looks towards Afghanistan to combat drug trafficking". Eurasia Daily Monitor. Archived from the original on November 21 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061121093443/http://www.jamestown.org/publicationsdetails.phpvolumeid414&issueid3579&articleid2370646. Retrieved 2008-03-08.  CIA World Factbook. Tajikistan transnational issues Overview of the drug and crime situation in Central Asia. Factsand Figures Coordination and Analysis Unit of the UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia Fighting Drugs Crime and Terrorism in the CIS Dushanbe 4 October 2007dead link Russians left behind in Central Asia Robert Greenall BBC News 23 November 2005. Tajikistan - Ethnic Groups. Source: U.S. Library of Congress. Russian-Germans in Tajikistan. Pohl J. Otto. "Russian-Germans in Tajikistan." Neweurasia 29 March 2007. Deployment of Tajik workers gets green light. Arab News. May 21 2007. "Tajikistan - Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and joint assessment". World Bank. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/mainpagePK64193027&piPK64187937&theSitePK523679&menuPK64187510&searchMenuPK64187283&siteNameWDS&entityID00009494602112004011765. Retrieved 2006-11-01.  a b c d e "Human Development Report 2009 - Tajikistan". Hdrstats.undp.org. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/datasheets/ctydsTJK.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20.  The Dushanbe-Boulder tea house. Retrieved on 2 May 2009 Miss UN pageant website "Press centre - Tajikistan hosts education forum". UNICEF. http://www.unicef.org/media/media27308.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20.  Hanafi Islam declared official religion of Tajikistan (Russian) "Background Note: Tajikistan". State.gov. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5775.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-02.  Hizb Ut Tahrir 27 August 2003 TAJIKISTAN: Religious freedom survey November 2003 -Forum 18 News Service 20 November 2003 Further reading Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan by Kamoludin Abdullaev and Shahram Akbarzadeh Land Beyond the River: The Untold Story of Central Asia by Monica Whitlock Tajikistan: Disintegration or Reconciliation by Shirin Akiner Tajikistan: The Trials of Independence by Shirin Akiner Mohammad-Reza Djalili and Frederic Grare Tajikistan and the High Pamirs by Robert Middleton Huw Thomas and Markus Hauser Odyssey Books Hong Kong 2008 (ISBN 978-9-622177-73-4) External links Find more about Tajikistan on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Government The President of Tajikistan Travel information resource Travel To Tajikistan Chief of State and Cabinet Members Tajikistan entry at The World Factbook Tajikistan at UCB Libraries GovPubs Tajikistan at the Open Directory Project Wikimedia Atlas of Tajikistan Tajikistan travel guide from Wikitravel Tajikistan an external wiki Media Central Asian News Service news in Russian Central Asian News Service news in English Miss UN Pageant website  Geographic locale v d eProvinces and regions of Tajikistan Sughd Province  Khatlon Province  Districts of Republican Subordination  Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province v d eCountries and territories of Central Asia  Kazakhstan   Kyrgyzstan   Tajikistan   Turkmenistan   Uzbekistan Sometimes included:  Afghanistan   China (Xinjiang Province)   Iran (Khorasan Province)   Mongolia   Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gilgit Baltistan)    Russia (Siberia Tatarstan) v d eCountries and dependencies of Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan  Armenia  Azerbaijan  Bahrain  Bangladesh  Bhutan  Brunei  Burma (Myanmar)  Cambodia  People's Republic of China  Cyprus  Egypt  Georgia  India  Indonesia  Iran  Iraq  Israel  Japan  Jordan  Kazakhstan  North Korea  South Korea  Kuwait  Kyrgyzstan  Laos  Lebanon  Malaysia  Maldives  Mongolia  Nepal  Oman  Pakistan  Philippines  Qatar  Russia  Saudi Arabia  Singapore  Sri Lanka  Syria  Tajikistan  Thailand  East Timor (Timor-Leste)  Turkey  Turkmenistan  United Arab Emirates  Uzbekistan  Vietnam  Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia  Republic of China (Taiwan)  Nagorno-Karabakh  Northern Cyprus  Palestine  South Ossetia  Dependencies and Special Administrative Regions Australia Christmas Island  Cocos (Keeling) Islands People's Republic of China Hong Kong  Macau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia  British Indian Ocean Territory  International membership v d eEconomic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Members Afghanistan  Azerbaijan  Iran  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Pakistan  Tajikistan  Turkey  Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan v d eIranian-speaking nations and autonomous entities  Afghanistan   China (Tashkurgan)1   Georgia ( South Ossetia)2   Iran   Iraq ( Kurdistan)   Russia ( North Ossetia-Alania  Dagestan)  Pakistan ( Khyber Pakhtunkhwa  Balochistan)   Tajikistan   Uzbekistan (1) Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County officially recognised minority in the People's Republic of China. 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