Tajikistan

Tajikistan, a mountainous, landlocked country in central Asia, is a former republic of the Soviet Union. It became independent in 1991, and experienced civil war from 1992 to 1997. Although currently at peace, it remains one of the poorest countries among the former Soviet Republics: nearly half the labor force works abroad, and remittances are an import source of income. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita was $2,100 in 2008, with moderate inequality: the Gini index is 32.6 with the lowest decile earning 3.3 percent of the income, while the highest decile earns 25.6 percent.

Population in 2009 was estimated at 7.4 million, with a predominantly young population, as is typical of developing nations. The median age of the population is 21.9 years; 34.3 percent ...