Legislative branch:unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popularvote, 41 elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes receivedby participating political parties, 8 elected from overseas Chineseconstituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes receivedby participating political parties, 8 elected by popular vote amongaboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) andunicameral National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegatesnominated by parties and elected by proportional representation sixto nine months after Legislative Yuan calls to amend Constitution,impeach president, or change national borders)election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%;seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7,independents 4elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to beheld in December 2007) according to proposed constitutional amendmentnote: the number of seats in the legislature may be reduced from 225to 113 beginning with the election in 2007 if a proposedconstitutional amendment is approved
Judicial branch:Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent ofthe Legislative Yuan)
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [SU Tseng-chang, chairman];Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; PeopleFirst Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu), chairman]; TaiwanSolidarity Union or TSU [SU Chin-chiang, chairman]; other minorparties including the Chinese New Party or CNP
Political pressure groups and leaders:Taiwan independence movement, various business and environmentalgroupsnote: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within themainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalizationand the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan'slegislature have opened public debate on the island's nationalidentity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwancurrently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimateoutcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan'speople must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwanindependence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unifywith mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movementinclude establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering theUN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include theWorld United Formosans for Independence and the Organization forTaiwan Nation Building
International organization participation:APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities
Diplomatic representation from the US: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan; US office at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2162-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2162-2251; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kao-hsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 238-7744, FAX: [886] (7) 238-5237; and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2) 2757-7162
Flag description:red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side cornerbearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
Economy Taiwan
Economy - overview:Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasingguidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities.In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks andindustrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided theprimary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus issubstantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest.Agriculture contributes 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. WhileTaiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia, China hasbecome the largest destination for investment and has overtaken theUS to become Taiwan's largest export market. Because of itsconservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths,Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from theAsian financial crisis in 1998. The global economic downturn,combined with problems in policy coordination by the administrationand bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemploymentalso reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 inthe face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence,and bad bank loans. Growing economic ties with China are a dominantlong-term factor. Exports to China - mainly parts and equipment forthe assembly of goods for export to developed countries - droveTaiwan's economic recovery in 2002. Although the SARS epidemic,Typhoon Maemi, corporate scandals, and a drop in consumer spendingcaused GDP growth to contract to 3.2% in 2003, increasingly strongexport performance kept Taiwan's economy on track, and thegovernment expects Taiwan's economy to grow 4.1% in 2004.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $528.6 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:3.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $23,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 30.3% services: 67.9% (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):17.5% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:1% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 6.7% highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices):-0.3% (2003 est.)
Labor force:10.08 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 7.5%, industry 35%, services 57% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:5% (2003 est.)
Budget:revenues: $56.58 billionexpenditures: $69.21 billion, including capital expenditures of$14.4 billion (2003 est.)
Public debt:30.5% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk, fish
Industries:electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron andsteel, machinery, cement, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:8.4% (2003)
Electricity - production:151.1 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:140.5 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:1,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:2 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:750 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:6.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:410 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:6.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:38.23 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$28.57 billion (2003)
Exports:$143 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles,plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)
Exports - partners:China 25.3%, US 20.5%, Japan 9.2% (2002)
Imports:$119.6 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precisioninstruments (2002)
Imports - partners:Japan 24.2%, US 16.1%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.9% (2002)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:$207.1 billion (2003)
Debt - external:$53.44 billion (2003)
Currency:new Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Currency code:TWD
Exchange rates:new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 34.418 (2003), 34.575 (2002),33.8 (2001), 33.09 (2000), 31.6 (1999)
Fiscal year:1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)
Communications Taiwan
Telephones - main lines in use:13.355 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:25,089,600 (2003)
Telephone system:general assessment: provides telecommunications service for everybusiness and private needdomestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalizedinternational: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables toJapan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)
Radios:16 million (1994)
Television broadcast stations:29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:8.8 million (1998)
Internet country code:.tw
Internet hosts:2,777,085 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):8 (2000)
Internet users:8.83 million (2003)
Transportation Taiwan
Railways:total: 2,544 kmnarrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified)note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan SugarCorporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul productsand limited numbers of passengers (2003)
Highways:total: 35,931 kmpaved: 31,583 km (including 608 km of expressways)unpaved: 4,348 km (2000)
Pipelines:condensate 25 km; gas 435 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung
Merchant marine:total: 130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,417,768 GRT/5,617,318 DWTby type: bulk 36, cargo 23, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 3,container 37, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 10, rollon/roll off 2registered in other countries: 457 (2004 est.)foreign-owned: Cuba 1, Hong Kong 4
Airports:40 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 37 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 31,524 to 2,437 m: 1under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Heliports:3 (2003 est.)
Military Taiwan
Military branches:Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast GuardAdministration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined ServiceForces Command, Armed Forces Police Command
Military manpower - military age and obligation:19-40 years of age for military service (being lowered to 35 yearsof age in July 2005); service obligation 22 months (being shortenedto 18 months in July 2005 and 12 months in 2008) (January 2005)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 6,556,484 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 4,992,737 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 182,677 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$7,611.7 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.7% (2003)
Transnational Issues Taiwan
Disputes - international:involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia, Philippines,Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" haseased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code ofconduct" desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands areoccupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003, Chinaand Taiwan asserted claims to the Japanese-administered SenkakuIslands (Diaoyu Tai) with increased media coverage and protestactions
Illicit drugs:regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; majorproblem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin;renewal of domestic methamphetamine production is a problem
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Tajikistan
Introduction Tajikistan
Background:Tajikistan has completed its transition from the civil war thatplagued the country from 1992 to 1997. There have been no majorsecurity incidents in more than two years, although the countryremains the poorest in the region. Attention by the internationalcommunity in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has broughtincreased economic development assistance, which could create jobsand increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the earlystages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joinedNATO's Partnership for Peace.
Geography Tajikistan
Location:Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates:39 00 N, 71 00 E
Map references:Asia
Area:total: 143,100 sq kmwater: 400 sq kmland: 142,700 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:total: 3,651 kmborder countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline:0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:none (landlocked)
Climate:midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid topolar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain:Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valleyin north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 mhighest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m
Natural resources:hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead,zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold
Land use: arable land: 6.61% permanent crops: 0.92% other: 92.47% (2001)
Irrigated land:7,200 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:earthquakes and floods
Environment - current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range inthe north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, QullaiIsmoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountainin the former USSR
People Tajikistan
Population:7,011,556 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 39.2% (male 1,384,035; female 1,361,137)15-64 years: 56.1% (male 1,957,712; female 1,976,488)65 years and over: 4.7% (male 145,717; female 186,467) (2004 est.)
Median age:total: 19.5 yearsmale: 19.2 yearsfemale: 19.8 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:2.14% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:32.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:-2.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 112.1 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 99.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)male: 124.47 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 64.47 yearsmale: 61.53 yearsfemale: 67.55 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:4.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:less than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:noun: Tajikistani(s)adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups:Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because ofemigration), other 6.6%
Religions:Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
Languages:Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99.4%male: 99.6%female: 99.1% (2003 est.)
Government Tajikistan
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistanconventional short form: Tajikistanlocal short form: Tojikistonformer: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republiclocal long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
Government type:republic
Capital:Dushanbe
Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand) note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
Independence:9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)
Constitution:6 November 1994
Legal system:based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994;head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January1999)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approvedby the Supreme Assemblyelection results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent ofvote - Emomali RAHMONOV 97%, Davlat USMON 2%elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;election last held 6 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2006); primeminister appointed by the president; Tajikistan held aconstitutional referendum on 22 June 2003 that, among other things,set a term limit of two seven-year terms for the president
Legislative branch:bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the Assemblyof Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)and the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (33seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by localdeputies, 8 appointed by the president; all serve five-year terms)election results: Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote byparty - PDPT 65%, Communist Party 20%, Islamic Revival Party 7.5%,other 7.5%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of voteby party - NA; seats by party - NAelections: last held 27 February and 12 March 2000 for the Assemblyof Representatives (next to be held NA 2005) and 23 March 2000 forthe National Assembly (next to be held NA 2005)
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV]; Islamic RevivalParty [Said Abdullo NURI]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistanor PDPT [Emomali RAHMONOV]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT[Rahmatullo ZOIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Mirhuseyn NAZRIYEV];Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]
Political pressure groups and leaders:there are three unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party orAPT [Hikmatullo Nasriddinov]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV];Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]
International organization participation:AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO(subscriber), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Hamrohon ZARIPOVchancery: 1725 K Street NW, Suite 409, Washington, DC 20006FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard E. HOAGLAND embassy: 10 Pavlova Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734003; note - the embassy in Dushanbe is not yet fully operational; most business is still handled in Almaty at: 531 Sayfullin Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan, telephone 7-3272-58-79-61, FAX 7-3272-58-79-68 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [992] (372) 21-03-48, 21-03-52, 24-15-60 FAX: [992] (372) 21-03-62, 51-00-28
Flag description:three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, andgreen; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars islocated in the center of the white stripe
Economy Tajikistan
Economy - overview:Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the 15 former Sovietrepublics. Only 5% to 6% of the land area is arable. Cotton is themost important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited inamount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industryconsists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, andsmall obsolete factories mostly in light industry and foodprocessing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the alreadyweak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline inindustrial and agricultural production. Even though 60% of itspeople continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan hasexperienced steady economic growth since 1997. Continuedprivatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises willfurther increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation,however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structuralreforms, weak governance, widespread unemployment, and the externaldebt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russiain December 2002, including an interest rate of 4%, a 3-year graceperiod, and a US $49.8 million credit to the Central Bank ofTajikistan.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $6.812 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:7% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30.8% industry: 29.1% services: 40.1% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):7.5% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:60% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 25.2% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:34.7 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):16.3% (2003 est.)
Labor force:3.187 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 67.2%, industry 7.5%, services 25.3% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:40% (2002 est.)
Budget:revenues: $253.5 millionexpenditures: $238.5 million, including capital expenditures of $86million (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products:cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries:aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetableoil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers
Industrial production growth rate:10.3% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:14.18 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:14.52 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:3.909 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:5.242 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:250 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Natural gas - production:50 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:1.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance:$-50 million (2003)
Exports:$750 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles
Exports - partners:Netherlands 25.4%, Turkey 24.4%, Latvia 9.9%, Switzerland 9.7%,Uzbekistan 8.5%, Russia 6.6%, Iran 6.4% (2003)
Imports:$890 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery andequipment, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:Russia 20.2%, Uzbekistan 15.1%, Kazakhstan 10.9%, Azerbaijan 7%,Ukraine 7%, Romania 4.4% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:$117.6 million (2003)
Debt - external:$1 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$60.7 million from US (2001)
Currency:somoni
Currency code:TJS
Exchange rates:Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 3.0614 (2003), 2.7641 (2002),2.3722 (2001), 2.0763 (2000), 1.2378 (1999)note: the new unit of exchange was introduced on 30 October 2000,with one somoni equal to 1,000 of the old Tajikistani rubles
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Tajikistan
Telephones - main lines in use:242,100 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:47,600 (2003)
Telephone system:general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; manytowns are not reached by the national networkdomestic: cable and microwave radio relayinternational: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwaveradio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to theMoscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat tointernational gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earthstations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations:AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002)
Radios:1.291 million (1991)
Television broadcast stations:13 (2001)
Televisions:820,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.tj
Internet hosts:69 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):4 (2002)
Internet users:4,100 (2003)
Transportation Tajikistan
Railways: total: 482 km broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2003)
Highways: total: 27,767 km paved: NA unpaved: NA (2000)
Waterways:200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2003)
Pipelines:gas 541 km; oil 38 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:none
Airports:66 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 40 (2003 est.)
Military Tajikistan
Military branches:Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Presidential National Guard
Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 1,762,730 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 1,444,325 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 86,761 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$35.4 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:3.9% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Tajikistan
Disputes - international:prolonged regional drought created water-sharing difficulties forAmu Darya river states; boundary agreements signed in 2002 cede1,000 sq km of Pamir Mountain range to China in return for Chinarelinquishing claims to 28,000 sq km of Tajikistani lands butdemarcation has not yet commenced; talks continue with Uzbekistan todelimit border and remove minefields; disputes in Isfara Valleydelay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan
Illicit drugs:major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and,to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicitcultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistanseizes roughly 80 percent of all drugs captured in Central Asia andstands third world-wide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium)
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Tanzania
Introduction Tanzania
Background:Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to formthe nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country sincethe 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular oppositionhave led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the rulingparty won despite international observers' claims of votingirregularities.
Geography Tanzania
Location:Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya andMozambique
Geographic coordinates:6 00 S, 35 00 E
Map references:Africa
Area:total: 945,087 sq kmnote: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibarwater: 59,050 sq kmland: 886,037 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly larger than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:total: 3,861 kmborder countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217km, 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 mhighest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
Natural resources:hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones,gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use: arable land: 4.52% permanent crops: 1.08% other: 94.4% (2001)
Irrigated land:1,550 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
Environment - current issues:soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction ofcoral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affectedmarginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting andtrade, especially for ivory
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Lawof the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of thelargest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world'ssecond-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (theworld's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest
People Tanzania
Population:36,588,225note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lowerpopulation and growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2004 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 44.2% (male 8,102,692; female 8,055,370)15-64 years: 53.2% (male 9,646,342; female 9,834,925)65 years and over: 2.6% (male 410,477; female 538,419) (2004 est.)
Median age:total: 17.6 yearsmale: 17.3 yearsfemale: 17.8 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:1.95% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:39 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:17.45 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:-2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 102.13 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 92.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)male: 111.62 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 44.39 yearsmale: 43.2 yearsfemale: 45.61 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:5.15 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:8.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:1.6 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:160,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:typhoid fever, malaria, Rift Valley fever, plague, schistosomiasisoverall degree of risk: very high (2004)
Nationality:noun: Tanzanian(s)adjective: Tanzanian
Ethnic groups:mainland - native African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting ofmore than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, andArab); Zanzibar - Arab, native African, mixed Arab and native African
Religions:mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%;Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim
Languages:Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguju (name for Swahili inZanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce,administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken inZanzibar), many local languagesnote: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu peopleliving in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahiliis Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a varietyof sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become thelingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language ofmost people is one of the local languages
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili),English, or Arabictotal population: 78.2%male: 85.9%female: 70.7% (2003 est.)
Government Tanzania
Country name:conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzaniaconventional short form: Tanzaniaformer: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Government type:republic
Capital:Dar es Salaam; note - legislative offices have been transferred toDodoma, which is planned as the new national capital; the NationalAssembly now meets there on 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, ZanzibarUrban/West
Independence:26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (fromUK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamedUnited 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 actslimited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsoryICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Benjamin William MKAPA (since 23 November1995); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001);note - the president is both chief of state and head of governmenthead of government: President Benjamin William MKAPA (since 23November 1995); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July2001); note - the president is both chief of state and head ofgovernmentnote: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government formatters internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME was elected to thatoffice on 29 October 2000cabinet: Cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, areappointed by the president from among the members of the NationalAssemblyelection results: Benjamin William MKAPA reelected president;percent of vote - Benjamin William MKAPA 71.7%, Ibrahim HarunaLIPUMBA 16.3%, Augustine Lyatonga MREME 7.8%, John Momose CHEYO 4.2%elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballotby popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 29 October2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister appointed bythe president
Legislative branch:unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats - 232 elected bypopular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated by the president, fiveto members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives; members servefive-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws that apply tothe entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly enacts lawsthat apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own House ofRepresentatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the ZanzibarHouse of Representatives has 50 seats, directly elected by universalsuffrage to serve five-year terms)election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;seats by party - CCM 244, CUF 16, CHADEMA 4, TLP 3, UDP 2, Zanzibarrepresentatives 5; Zanzibar House of Representatives - percent ofvote by party - NA; seats by party - CCM 34, CUF 16elections: last held 29 October 2000 (next to be held NA October2005)
Judicial branch:Permanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman); Court ofAppeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court(consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by thepresident; holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts;Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to thehigher courts)
Political parties and leaders:Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy andDevelopment) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM(Revolutionary Party) [Benjamin William MKAPA]; Civic United Frontor CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party (unregistered)[Christopher MTIKLA]; Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [AugustineLyatonga MREMA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EADB, FAO, G- 6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UN Security Council(temporary), UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Mhando DARAJA chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: [1] (202) 797-7408 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert V. ROYALL embassy: 140 Msese Road, Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam telephone: [255] (22) 2666-010 through 2666-015 FAX: [255] (22) 2666-701, 2668-501
Flag description:divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lowerhoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and thelower triangle is blue
Economy Tanzania
Economy - overview:Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economydepends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for about half ofGDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force.Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated cropsto only 4% of the land area. Industry traditionally featured theprocessing of agricultural products and light consumer goods. TheWorld Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donorshave provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's out-of-date economicinfrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Growth in 1991-2002featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantialincrease in output of minerals, led by gold. Oil and gas explorationand development played an important role in this growth. Recentbanking reforms have helped increase private sector growth andinvestment. Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomicpolicies supported real GDP growth of more than 5.2% in 2004.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $21.58 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $600 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 43.6% industry: 16.5% services: 40% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):17.2% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:36% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 30.1% (1993)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:38.2 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):4.4% (2003 est.)
Labor force:18.56 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:NA
Budget:revenues: $1.879 billionexpenditures: $1.873 billion, including capital expenditures of NA(2003 est.)
Public debt:6.1% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made fromchrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava(tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries:agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine),diamond and gold mining, oil refining, shoes, cement, textiles, woodproducts, fertilizer, salt
Industrial production growth rate:8.4% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production:2.906 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:2.752 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:50 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:17,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:0 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - proved reserves:11.33 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$-617 million (2003)
Exports:$978 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton
Exports - partners:Japan 9.5%, India 8.6%, Netherlands 8.2%, Germany 5.3%, UK 5.3%,Kenya 4.8% (2003)
Imports:$1.674 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrialraw materials, crude oil
Imports - partners:South Africa 10.1%, China 9.3%, Zambia 6.4%, India 5.8%, UAE 5.4%,Kenya 5.1%, UK 4.5%, Germany 4% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:$2.064 billion (2003)
Debt - external:$6.549 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$1.2 billion (2001)
Currency:Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
Currency code:TZS
Exchange rates:Tanzanian shillings per US dollar - NA (2003), 966.583 (2002),876.412 (2001), 800.409 (2000), 744.759 (1999)
Fiscal year:1 July - 30 June
Communications Tanzania
Telephones - main lines in use:149,100 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:891,200 (2003)
Telephone system:general assessment: fair system operating below capacity and beingmodernized for better service; VSAT (very small aperture terminal)system under constructiondomestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radiorelay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links beingmade digitalinternational: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 12, FM 11, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios:8.8 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:3 (1999)
Televisions:103,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.tz
Internet hosts:5,534 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):6 (2000)
Internet users:250,000 (2003)
Transportation Tanzania
Railways: total: 3,690 km narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
Highways: total: 88,200 km paved: 3,704 km unpaved: 84,496 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principal avenues ofcommerce with neighboring countries; rivers not navigable (2004)
Pipelines:gas 29 km; oil 866 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:Bukoba, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Kilwa Masoko, Lindi, Mtwara, Mwanza,Pangani, Tanga, Wete, Zanzibar
Merchant marine:total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 25,481 GRT/31,011 DWTregistered in other countries: 5 (2004 est.)by type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, rollon/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1
Airports:123 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 112 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 60 under 914 m: 33 (2004 est.)
Military Tanzania
Military branches:Tanzanian People's Defense Force: Army, Naval Wing, and Air DefenseCommand; National Service
Military manpower - military age and obligation: 15 years of age for voluntary military service; 18 years of age for compulsory military service upon graduation from secondary school; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 8,687,477 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 5,031,621 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$20.3 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:0.2% (2003)
Transnational Issues Tanzania
Disputes - international:disputes with Malawi over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant
Refugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): 447,877 (Burundi), 153,155(Democratic Republic of the Congo), 3,036 (Somalia) (2004)
Illicit drugs:growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asianheroin and South American cocaine destined for South African,European, and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound forSouthern Africa; money laundering remains a problem
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Thailand
Introduction Thailand
Background:A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century.Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asiancountry never to have been taken over by a European power. Abloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. Inalliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US allyfollowing the conflict. Thailand is currently facing armed violencein its three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces.
Geography Thailand
Location:Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf ofThailand, southeast of Burma
Geographic coordinates:15 00 N, 100 00 E
Map references:Southeast Asia
Area:total: 514,000 sq kmwater: 2,230 sq kmland: 511,770 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Land boundaries:total: 4,863 kmborder countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km,Malaysia 506 km
Coastline:3,219 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May toSeptember); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);southern isthmus always hot and humid
Terrain:central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 mhighest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m
Natural resources:tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish,gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land
Land use: arable land: 29.36% permanent crops: 6.46% other: 64.18% (2001)
Irrigated land:47,490 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of thewater table; droughts
Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
People Thailand
Population:64,865,523note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lowerpopulation and growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2004 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 24.1% (male 7,985,724; female 7,631,337)15-64 years: 68.7% (male 21,998,552; female 22,538,765)65 years and over: 7.3% (male 2,167,421; female 2,543,724) (2004est.)
Median age: total: 30.5 years male: 29.7 years female: 31.2 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:0.91% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:16.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)