TOEFL Test Centers in Tajikistan

EDU February 16, 2019

Tajikistan Overview

Tajikistan, republic in southeast Central Asia, predominantly inhabited by Muslim Tajiks (80%) and Uzbeks (15%). The high mountain region, which is prone to earthquakes, has extensive ore deposits (lead, zinc, tungsten, bismuth, arsenic, antimony, tin ore). The economic basis, however, is cotton cultivation. In addition to the textile industry, there is the food industry, smelting works and metal processing.

History: The area that belonged to the Achaemenid Empire in antiquity was founded in the 4th century BC. Conquered by Alexander the Great. With the invasion of the Arabs in the 7th / 8th centuries Islamization began in the 19th century. In the 13th century, the Mongols conquered the country that had been ruled by the Uzbeks since the 16th century. From 1870 on, northern Tajikistan was under Russian sovereignty. After the establishment of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan became an autonomous Soviet republic within the Union Republic of Uzbekistan in 1924, and an independent Union republic in 1929. In 1991 the country declared itself independent. In 2013 Tajikistan became a member of the WTO. There are foreign policy tensions with neighboring Uzbekistan.

Country facts

• Official name: Republic of Tajikistan
• License plate: TJ
• ISO-3166: TJ, TJK (762)
• Internet domain:.tj
• Currency: 1 Somoni (TJS) = 100 Diram
• Area: 141 376 km²
• Population (2018): 9.1 million
• Capital: Dushanbe
• Official language (s): Tajik
• Form of government: Presidential Republic
• Administrative division: 2 provinces, 1 autonomous province, capital, 1 district subordinate to the central government
• Head of State: President Emomali Rachmon
• Head of Government: Qochir Rasulsoda
• Religion (s) (2014): 98% Muslim (95% Sunni, 3% Shiite), others
• Time zone: Central European Time +4 hours
• National holiday: September 9th

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): Central Asia
• Location (coordinates): between 36 ° 26 ‘and 41 ° 05’ north latitude and 67 ° 22 ‘and 75 ° 08’ east longitude
• Climate: high mountain climate, partly continental steppe climate
• Highest mountain: Pik Ismoil Somoni (7495 m)
• Road network (2018): 30,000 km
• Railway network (2014): 680 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2018): 1.5%
• Birth rate (2018): 22.8 per 1000 residents.
• Death rate (2018): 5.9 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2018): 24.8 years
• Average life expectancy (2018): 68.4 years (men 65.2; women 71.7)
• Age structure (2018): 32.0% younger than 15 years, 3.4% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15 year olds and older) (2015): 99.8%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 111 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 22 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2018): US $ 826
• Total GDP (2018): US $ 7.520 billion
• GNI per capita (2018): US $ 1,010
• Education expenditure (2015): 5.2% of GDP
• Military expenditure (2015): 1.2% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 10.3%

Religion

The constitution (Article 26) guarantees religious freedom and expressly excludes the establishment of a state religion (Article 8). The legal basis for religious policy is the Religion Law of the Republic of Tajikistan (in force since 1999). It imposes the obligation to state registration on the religious communities and permits religious activity that can claim the protection of the constitution only in the registered religious communities. The dominant religion is the Sunni Islam of the Hanefi school of law , to which nominally more than 90% of the population belong to the Tajiks, the Uzbeks and other Turkic-speaking nationalities. Among the Pamiri there is a Shiite minority of the Nicarite Ismailis (Nizaris) with about 5–7% of the population. In 1993 the Tajik Muslims had their own muftiate based in Dushanbe; Its place was taken in 1997 by the newly created »Council of Koran Scholars« (Ulema).

Most of the less than 2% Christians belong to the Orthodox Church. For the Orthodox Christians (Russians and Ukrainians) in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan there is the Russian Orthodox Archdiocese of Tashkent. Spiritual support for the few Catholic Christians is provided by the Church Mission Tajikistan (seat: Dushanbe; established in 1997). The Lutherans, like the Catholics predominantly members of the German minority, belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and other countries. As a result of emigration, the Jewish community has only a few members (1991: around 8,000). Furthermore, elements of pre-Islamic religiosity (especially the Zoroastrian fire symbolism) have been preserved.

National symbols

The flag was introduced in November 1992. It is horizontally streaked red over white over green in a ratio of 1: 2: 1. In the middle of the white stripe is the yellow crown with the seven stars from the coat of arms. White symbolizes cotton, green the other agricultural products, red was taken from the Soviet flag. – The coat of arms introduced in 1993 shows the rising sun behind three mountain peaks in the center. A crown hovers above her, and seven stars above it. In front of the mountains lies an open book, which in the lower part covers the wreath of cotton blossoms and ears of wheat surrounding the coat of arms. A ribbon in the national colors is looped around the wreath. Wheat and cotton indicate the most important agricultural products, the mountain peaks the landscape.

September 9th commemorates the declaration of independence in 1991.