Soviet republics. Because of a lack of employment opportunities in
Tajikistan, nearly half of the labor force works abroad, primarily
in Russia, supporting families in Tajikistan through remittances.
The exact number of labor migrants is unknown, but estimated at
around 1 million. Less than 7% of the land area is arable. Cotton is
the most important crop, but this sector is burdened with debt and
obsolete infrastructure. Mineral resources 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. Tajikistan's
economic situation remains fragile due to uneven implementation of
structural reforms, corruption, weak governance, widespread
unemployment, seasonal power shortages, and the external debt
burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia in
December 2002 including a $250 million write-off of Tajikistan's
$300 million debt. Completion of the Sangtuda I hydropower dam -
built with Russian investment - and the Sangtuda II and Rogun dams
will add substantially to electricity output. If finished according
to Tajik plans, Rogun will be the world's tallest dam. Tajikistan
has also received substantial infrastructure development loans from
the Chinese government to improve roads and an electricity
transmission network. To help increase north-south trade, the US
funded a $36 million bridge which opened in August 2007 and links
Tajikistan and Afghanistan. While, Tajikistan has experienced steady
economic growth since 1997, nearly two-thirds of the population
continues to live in poverty. Economic growth reached 10.6% in 2004,
but dropped below 8% in 2005-08, as the effects of higher oil prices
and then the international financial crisis began to register -
mainly in the form of lower prices for key commodities and lower
remittances from Tajiks working in Russia, due to the declining
economic conditions in that country.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$13.19 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
$12.22 billion (2007 est.)
$11.34 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.135 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.9% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
7.8% (2007 est.)
7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
$1,700 (2007 est.)
$1,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 22.7%
industry: 27.1%
services: 50.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.1 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 118
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 67.2%
industry: 7.5%
services: 25.3% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
2.4% (2007 est.)
note: official rates; actual unemployment is higher
Population below poverty line:
60% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 25.6% (2007 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.6 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 99
34.7 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
12% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Budget:
revenues: $996.8 million
expenditures: $899.6 million (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
20.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
13.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 14
15% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
23.1% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$329.2 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$544 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 107
$350.3 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$889 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 109
$NA (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries:
aluminum, zinc, lead; chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable
oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers
Industrial production growth rate:
-4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Electricity - production:
17.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Electricity - consumption:
17.8 billion kWh (2008)
country comparison to the world: 69
Electricity - exports:
1 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
4.361 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
238 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Oil - consumption:
36,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Oil - exports:
348.9 bbl/day
country comparison to the world: 126
Oil - imports:
10,100 bbl/day (2008)
country comparison to the world: 140
Oil - proved reserves:
12 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Natural gas - production:
15.3 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Natural gas - consumption:
515.3 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 106
Natural gas - imports:
500 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Current account balance:
$47.6 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
-$495.1 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.575 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
$1.557 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles
Exports - partners:
Netherlands 36.7%, Turkey 26.5%, Russia 8.6%, Iran 6.6%, China 5.7%,
Uzbekistan 5.1% (2008)
Imports:
$3.699 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
$3.115 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and
equipment, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Russia 32.3%, China 11.9%, Kazakhstan 8.8%, Uzbekistan 4.7% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$195 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
$328 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.503 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
$1.56 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$102 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
$94.76 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$10.86 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
$8.022 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar - 3.4563 (2008 est.), 3.4418
(2007), 3.3 (2006), 3.1166 (2005), 2.9705 (2004)
Communications ::Tajikistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
360,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 106
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.5 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 99
Telephone system:
general assessment: foreign investment in the telephone system has
resulted in major improvements
domestic: the domestic telecommunications network has historically
been under funded and poorly maintained; main line availability has
not changed significantly since 1998; mobile cellular use, aided by
competition among multiple operators, has expanded rapidly; coverage
now extends to all major cities and towns
international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave
radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the
Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to
international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth
stations - 3 (2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
16 (number of licensed stations with only about 10 broadcasting)
(2009)
Television broadcast stations:
24 (number of licensed stations with only about 15 active) (2009)
Internet country code:
.tj
Internet hosts:
987 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 161
Internet users:
600,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 103
Transportation ::Tajikistan
Airports:
26 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 128
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 680 km
country comparison to the world: 107
broad gauge: 680 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 27,767 km (2000)
country comparison to the world: 100
Waterways:
200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 99
Military ::Tajikistan
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Forces (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript
service obligation (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,897,356
females age 16-49: 1,911,594 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,428,218
females age 16-49: 1,603,779 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 80,819
female: 78,460 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Transnational Issues ::Tajikistan
Disputes - international:
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
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Tajikistan is a source country for women
trafficked through Kyrgyzstan and Russia to the UAE, Turkey, and
Russia for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; men are
trafficked to Russia and Kazakhstan for the purpose of forced labor,
primarily in the construction and agricultural industries; boys and
girls are trafficked internally for various purposes, including
forced labor and forced begging
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Tajikistan is on the Tier 2 Watch
List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat human trafficking, especially efforts to investigate,
prosecute, convict, and sentence traffickers; despite evidence of
low- and mid-level officials' complicity in trafficking, the
government did not punish any public officials for trafficking
complicity during 2007; lack of capacity and poor coordination
between government institutions remained key obstacles to effective
anti-trafficking efforts (2008)
Illicit drugs:
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Tanzania (Africa)
Introduction ::Tanzania
Background:
Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early
1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania
in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first
democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's
semi-autonomous status and popular opposition have led to two
contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite
international observers' claims of voting irregularities.
Geography ::Tanzania
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and
Mozambique
Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 35 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 947,300 sq km
country comparison to the world: 31
land: 885,800 sq km
water: 61,500 sq km
note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 3,861 km
border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217
km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Coastline:
1,424 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Terrain:
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones,
gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 4.23%
permanent crops: 1.16%
other: 94.61% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,840 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
91 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 5.18 cu km/yr (10%/0%/89%)
per capita: 135 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of
coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected
marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and
trade, especially for ivory
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the
largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's
second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the
world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest
People ::Tanzania
Population:
41,048,532
country comparison to the world: 30
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 8,853,529/female 8,805,810)
15-64 years: 54.1% (male 10,956,133/female 11,255,868)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 513,959/female 663,233) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 18 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.04% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Birth rate:
34.29 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
Death rate:
12.59 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Net migration rate:
-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Urbanization:
urban population: 25% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 69.28 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 26
male: 76.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 62.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.01 years
country comparison to the world: 203
male: 50.56 years
female: 53.51 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.46 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
6.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.4 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
96,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Tanzanian(s)
adjective: Tanzanian
Ethnic groups:
mainland - African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more
than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and
Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African, mixed Arab and African
Religions:
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%;
Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim
Languages:
Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in
Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce,
administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in
Zanzibar), many local languages
note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people
living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili
is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety
of sources including Arabic and English; it has become the lingua
franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most
people is one of the local languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili),
English, or Arabic
total population: 69.4%
male: 77.5%
female: 62.2% (2002 census)
Education expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (1999)
country comparison to the world: 164
Government ::Tanzania
Country name:
conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
conventional short form: Tanzania
local long form: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
local short form: Tanzania
former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Dar es Salaam
geographic coordinates: 6 48 S, 39 17 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: legislative offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is
planned as the new national capital; the National Assembly now meets
there on a regular basis
Administrative divisions:
26 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma,
Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza,
Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida,
Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar
Urban/West
Independence:
26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from
UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19
December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April
1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed
United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964
National holiday:
Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)
Constitution:
25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984
Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts
limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005);
Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001); note -
the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December
2005); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001)
note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for
matters internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME was reelected to
that office on 30 October 2005
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballot
by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for a second term);
election last held 14 December 2005 (next to be held in December
2010); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote
- Jakaya KIKWETE 80.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 11.7%, Freeman MBOWE 5.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats; 232 members
elected by popular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated by the
president, 5 to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives; to
serve five-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws that
apply to the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly enacts
laws that apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own House of
Representatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the Zanzibar
House of Representatives has 50 seats elected by universal suffrage
to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 December 2005 (next to be held in December
2010)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - CCM 206, CUF 19, CHADEMA 5, other 2, women
appointed by the president 37, Zanzibar representatives 5 Zanzibar
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - CCM 30, CUF 19; 1 seat was nullified with a rerun to take
place soon
Judicial branch:
Permanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman); Court of
Appeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court
(consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by the
president; holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts;
Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to the
higher courts)
Political parties and leaders:
Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and
Development) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM
(Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE]; Civic United Front or
CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party [Christopher MTIKLA]
(unregistered); Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Augustine Lyatonga
MREME]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Economic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF; Free Zanzibar;
Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN,
UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ombeni Yohana SEFUE
chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125
FAX: [1] (202) 797-7408
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mark GREEN
embassy: 686 Old Bagamoyo Road, Msasani, Dar es Salaam
mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam
telephone: [255] (22) 266-8001
FAX: [255] (22) 266-8238, 266-8373
Flag description:
divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower
hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the
lower triangle is blue
Economy ::Tanzania
Economy - overview:
Tanzania is in the bottom ten percent of the world's economies in
terms of per capita income. The economy depends heavily on
agriculture, which accounts for more than 40% of GDP, provides 85%
of exports, and employs 80% of the work force. Topography and
climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of
the land area. Industry traditionally featured the processing of
agricultural products and light consumer goods. The World Bank, the
IMF, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate
Tanzania's out-of-date economic infrastructure and to alleviate
poverty. Long-term growth through 2005 featured a pickup in
industrial production and a substantial increase in output of
minerals led by gold. Recent banking reforms have helped increase
private-sector growth and investment. Continued donor assistance and
solid macroeconomic policies supported real GDP growth of 7.1% in
2008.
GDP (purchasing power parity):