Tajikistan

Country	Tajikistan
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Capital	name: Dushanbe geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Population	7,349,145 (July 2009 est.)
GMT	+5
Location	Central Asia, west of China
Area	total: 143,100 sq km land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km
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
Government type	republic
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
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 Uzbekistan SSR to newly formed Tajikistan 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 it is now in the process of strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free market economy after its 1992-97 civil war. 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 in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development and security assistance, which could create jobs and increase 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.
Internet country code	.tj