Part 196
$807.2 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 20 $745.4 billion (2009 est.)
$759.8 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$427 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 -1.9% (2009 est.)
0.7% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$35,100 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 $32,400 (2009 est.)
$33,100 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 31.1%
services: 67.5% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
11.03 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 36.8%
services: 58% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 5.9% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
1.08% (2008 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: 41.1% (2002)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Public debt:
31.4% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 33% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 31 3.5% (2008)
Central bank discount rate:
1.25% (February 2009)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
2.56% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 153 4.06% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$331.7 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 14 $317.9 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$952.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 $891.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$661.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 $630.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$657.3 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 20 $354.7 billion (31 December 2008)
$654 billion (28 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish
Industries:
electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
Industrial production growth rate:
16% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Electricity - production:
238.3 billion kWh (2008) country comparison to the world: 18
Electricity - consumption:
229.8 billion kWh (2008) country comparison to the world: 15
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
276,800 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Oil - consumption:
910,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Oil - exports:
359,800 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Oil - imports:
931,300 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Oil - proved reserves:
2.8 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Natural gas - production:
360 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Natural gas - consumption:
12.44 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Natural gas - imports:
12.08 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.229 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Current account balance:
$39 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $42.92 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$277.6 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 $203.4 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electronics, flat panels, machinery; metals; textiles, plastics, chemicals; optical, photographic, measuring, and medical instruments
Exports - partners:
China 26.6%, Hong Kong 14.4%, US 11.6%, Japan 7.2%, Singapore 4.2% (2009)
Imports:
$250.2 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 $172.8 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
electronics, machinery, crude petroleum, precision instruments, organic chemicals, metals
Imports - partners:
Japan 20.7%, China 14%, US 10.3%, South Korea 6%, Saudi Arabia 4.8% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$382.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 $353 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$91.41 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $75.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$65.38 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 $107.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$122.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $145.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar - 31.864 (2010), 33.061 (2009), 31.53 (2008), 32.84 (2007), 32.534 (2006)
Communications ::Taiwan
Telephones - main lines in use:
14.596 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 19
Telephones - mobile cellular:
26.959 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 33
Telephone system:
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; roughly 15 submarine fiber cables cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2
Broadcast media:
5 free-to-air nationwide television networks operating roughly 75 TV stations; about 85% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV; national and regional radio networks with about 170 radio stations broadcasting (2008)
Internet country code:
.tw
Internet hosts:
6.336 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 15
Internet users:
16.147 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 24
Transportation ::Taiwan
Airports:
41 (2010) country comparison to the world: 104
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 38
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Heliports:
4 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 405 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,582 km country comparison to the world: 81 standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,091 km 1.067-m gauge; 146 km .762-m gauge
note: the 146 km of .762 gauge track belongs primarily to Taiwan Sugar Corporation and Taiwan Forestry Bureau, some to other entities (2008)
Roadways:
total: 41,279 km country comparison to the world: 88 paved: 40,843 km (includes 976 km of expressways)
unpaved: 436 km (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 101 country comparison to the world: 50 by type: bulk carrier 28, cargo 19, chemical tanker 2, container 27, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 2 (France 1, Vietnam 1)
registered in other countries: 574 (Cambodia 1, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 26, Indonesia 1, Italy 11, Kiribati 5, Liberia 88, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 337, Philippines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 79, Thailand 1, UK 11, unknown 8) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Chilung (Keelung), Kaohsiung, Hualian, Taichung
Military ::Taiwan
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command
Military service age and obligation:
19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service; service obligation 2 years; women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense is in the process of implementing a voluntary enlistment system over the period 2010-2015, although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 4 months of military training (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,218,009
females age 16-49: 6,038,964 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,094,111
females age 16-49: 4,980,454 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 166,141
female: 155,070 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (in 2009, the Taiwanese president pledged to maintain defense spending at 3.0% or higher; projected 2.73% for 2011) (2009) country comparison to the world: 68
Transnational Issues ::Taiwan
Disputes - international:
involved in complex dispute with Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam over the Spratly Islands, and with China and the Philippines over Scarborough Reef; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands are occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003, China and Taiwan became more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea where all parties engage in hydrocarbon prospecting
Illicit drugs:
regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs
page last updated on January 24, 2011
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@Tajikistan (Central Asia)
Introduction ::Tajikistan
Background:
The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Much of present-day Sughd province was transferred from the Uzbek SSR to the newly formed Tajik SSR in 1929. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Sughd province. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992-97. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community since the beginning of the NATO intervention in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development and security assistance, which could create jobs and strengthen stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO'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 km country comparison to the world: 95 land: 141,510 sq km
water: 2,590 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain:
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni (Pik Imeni Ismail Samani) 7,495 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold
Land use:
arable land: 6.52%
permanent crops: 0.89%
other: 92.59% (2005)
Irrigated land:
7,220 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
99.7 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 11.96 cu km/yr (4%/5%/92%)
per capita: 1,837 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; floods
Environment - current issues:
inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR
People ::Tajikistan
Population:
7,487,489 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.3% (male 1,282,681/female 1,238,607)
15-64 years: 62.1% (male 2,260,552/female 2,303,034)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 112,334/female 151,937) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.2 years
male: 21.7 years
female: 22.7 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.852% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Birth rate:
26.49 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Death rate:
6.72 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Net migration rate:
-1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Urbanization:
urban population: 26% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 39.78 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 67 male: 44.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 34.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.68 years country comparison to the world: 164 male: 62.63 years
female: 68.88 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.94 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups:
Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census)
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia 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 write
total population: 99.5%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 10 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
3.5% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 132
Government ::Tajikistan
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
local short form: Tojikiston
former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Dushanbe
geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon [Gorno-Badakhshan]* (Khorugh), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
Independence:
9 September 1991 (from the 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON 79.3%, Olimjon BOBOEV 6.2%, other 14.5%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (34 seats; 25 members selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president; 1 seat reserved for the former president; members serve five-year terms) and the Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held on 28 February 2010 (next to be held in February 2015); Assembly of Representatives - last held on 28 February 2010 (next to be held in February 2015)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 71%, Islamic Revival Party 8.2%, CPT 7%, APT 5.1%, PER 5.1%, other 3.6%; seats by party - PDPT 55, Islamic Revival Party 2, CPT 2, APT 2, PER 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir QARAQULOV]; Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV (imprisoned October 2005); Rahmatullo VALIYEV, deputy]; Islamic Revival Party [Muhiddin KABIRI]; Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimjon BOBOEV]; Party of Economic Reforms [Mahmadsharif NOZIMOV]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Mirhuseyn NARZIEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
splinter parties recognized by the government but not by the base of the party: Democratic Party or DPT [Masud SOBIROV] (splintered from ISKANDAROV's DPT); Socialist Party or SPT [Abduhalim GHAFFOROV] (splintered from NARZIEV's SPT)
unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]
International organization participation:
ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abdujabbor SHIRINOV
chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090
FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth GROSS
embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe 734019
mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189
telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00
FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50
Flag description:
three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe; red represents the sun, victory, and the unity of the nation, white stands for purity, cotton, and mountain snows, while green is the color of Islam and the bounty of nature; the crown symbolizes the Tajik people; the seven stars signify the Tajik magic word "seven" - a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of happiness
National anthem:
name: "Surudi milli" (National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Gulnazar KELDI/Suleiman YUDAKOV
note: adopted 1991; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet republic but adopted new lyrics
Economy ::Tajikistan
Economy - overview:
Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Because of a lack of employment opportunities in Tajikistan, nearly half of the labor force works abroad, primarily in Russia and Kazakhstan, 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; moreover, government has encouraged a gradual transition away from cotton and towards food cultivation due to its concerns about feeding the population. 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, 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 - finished in 2009 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. The World Bank, in 2010, agreed to fund safety and feasibility studies for the Rogun Dam. Favorable reports from these studies could increase investor interest in the project, which has been stalled due to lack of funding. 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, more than half 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 export commodities and lower remittances from Tajiks working abroad, due to the global economic downturn. In 2009 GDP growth dropped to 3.4% as a result of the world recession.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$14.61 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 $13.85 billion (2009 est.)
$13.4 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.578 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 3.4% (2009 est.)
7.9% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,000 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 189 $1,900 (2009 est.)
$1,900 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars