Tajikistan is a small country with low population density, sharing borders with China, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan. It became independent in 1991 after being part of the Soviet Union. The country suffered from a civil war and has a citizen-elected central government. Tajiks are the major ethnic group, with Sunni Islam as the predominant religion. The country’s per capita income is low, and major industries include aluminum and cotton.
Tajikistan is a small country with a total land area of 55,251 square miles (143,100 km²). Tajikistan shares international borders with China (east), Uzbekistan (west), Afghanistan (south), and Kyrgyzstan (north). With a population that reached 7,320,000 in 2006, Tajikistan has one of the lowest population densities in the world. Dushanbe became the capital city in 1929, although there hasn’t been any major development in the area until the past thirty years. Even now Dushanbe looks more like a mountain village than a capital city, with buildings rarely exceeding three stories.
The Republic of Tajikistan, formerly the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, has existed as an independent country only since 1991. Before that, Tajikistan was part of the Soviet Union. However, the area of present-day Tajikistan has been inhabited for at least 6,000 years, first by the Persians, then by the Arabs and finally by the Mongols. All three empires had total control over the region at some point and used it as a secondary trade route and expansion for their overcrowded cities.
Under the rule of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan remained one of the poorest and least developed Soviet republics. Even after their independence in 1991, Tajikistan lacked a real development opportunity, as the country suffered from a nearly eight-year civil war. Tajikistan is now a unitary state, with a citizen-elected central government that has complete power over all political offices.
Tajiks are the major ethnic group in Tajikistan, with the majority of the population adhering to the beliefs of Sunni Islam. About ten percent of the total population is of Russian or Uzbek origin, a much lower percentage than just a decade ago, as more and more people are returning to their home countries in search of a better economic prospect for their families. As of 2006, per capita income in Tajikistan was only US$1,388, which ranks the country 156th in the world, behind many African countries. For comparison, Russia ranks 60th and Belarus ranks 72nd. Major industries include aluminum and cotton, but the private sector is still underdeveloped and Tajikistan has depended mainly on foreign aid to support local industry.
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