| Local name: Tojikistan
Respublik |
| Surface : 143,100
sq km (55,251 sq miles) -
Tajikistan
is bordered by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the north, Afghanistan to
the south and China (PR) to the east. 93 per cent of the republic is
occupied by mountains, most notably by the sparsely populated Pamir
Mountains, which include Mount Garmo (formerly Pik Kommunizma;
7495m/24,590ft), the highest point of the former Soviet Union. |
| Population : 6,202,000
inhabitants |
| Electricity: 220
volts AC, 50Hz. Round, two-pin continental plugs are standard |
| Climate: In
Dushanbe, temperatures vary between a minimum -13°C (8°F) in
December/January to a maximum 33°C (91°F) in July/August. Humidity
is generally low. In the mountains, it can reach -45°C (-49°F) when
the wind chill factor is taken into consideration, and rise to 20°C
(68°F) in summer. In the Pamir Mountains, the climate is semi-arid to
polar. |
| PASSPORTS:
Passport valid for at least 6 months after date
of departure required by all. VISAS:
Required by all except nationals of CIS member
states (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation). Note:
Passport and Visa regulations for all the CIS states are liable
to change at short notice. All travellers are advised to contact the
nearest Tajikistan Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date details.
Countries where Tajikistan has diplomatic representation currently
include Austria, China (PR), Germany, Iran and Turkey. |
| Capital : Dushanbe.
Population: 562,000 |
| System :
Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet
Union in 1991 - Under the new
constitution agreed between the government and the UTO (see History
above), Tajikistan has an executive president who appoints a prime
minister to lead a Council of Ministers. The legislature is the
bicameral Majlisi Oli, which comprises the 63-member Assembly of
Representatives elected by popular vote and the 33-member National
Assembly, with 25 members elected by majlis deputies and 8
presidential appointees. Both houses serve a 5-year term. |
| Languages :
Tajik is the official language, an
ancient Persian language similar to the languages of Iran and
Afghanistan |
| Religions : Predominantly
Sunni Muslim (80 per cent) with a small Shi'ite Muslim minority (5 per
cent). A large Ishmaeli minority exists in the Pamirs. There is also a
smaller and shrinking Russian Orthodox minority and a small Jewish
community. |
| Money : Somoni (S) =
100 dirams. Notes are in denominations of S100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1.
Dirams, also issued as notes, are in denominations of diram50, 20, 5
and 1. |
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| Tajikistan |
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IDD
to Tajikistan is available but services are unreliable. Country
code: 992 (followed by 372 for Dushanbe). Outgoing International
code: 00 |
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+ 5 |
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