e changes in government
and a five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from
the USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997,
and implementation reportedly completed by late 1999. Part of the
agreement required the legalization of opposition political parties
prior to the 1999 elections, which occurred, but such parties have
made little progress in successful participation in government.
Random criminal and political violence in the country remains a
complication impairing Tajikistan's ability to engage
internationally.

Tajikistan Geography

Location: Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 71 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area: total: 143,100 sq km

land: 142,700 sq km

water: 400 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: Syrdariya 300 m

highest point: 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%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 25%

forests and woodland: 4%

other: 65% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 6,390 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities;
increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive
pesticides; part of the basin of the shrinking Aral Sea suffers from
severe overutilization of available water for irrigation and
associated pollution

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone
Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: landlocked

Tajikistan People

Population: 6,578,681 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.18% (male 1,367,194; female 1,341,967)

15-64 years: 54.22% (male 1,773,605; female 1,793,345)

65 years a