,163,506 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.5% (male 1,390,220/female 1,368,268)
15-64 years: 56.7% (male 2,022,764/female 2,040,524)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 150,372/female 191,358) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.73 years
male: 19.45 years
female: 20.02 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.15% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
32.58 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
8.39 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 110.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 122.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 98.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.56 years
male: 61.68 years
female: 67.59 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani

Ethnic groups:
Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6%
(2000 census)

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

Languages:
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.1% (2003 est.)

Government Tajikistan

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
local short form: Tojikiston
former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Dushanbe

Administrative divisions:
2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous
province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni
Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Khatlon
(Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Independence:
9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day (or Natio