PEOPLE
Contemporary Tajiks are the descendants of ancient Eastern Iranian inhabitants of Central Asia, in particular the Soghdians and the Bactrians, and possibly other groups, with an admixture of western Iranian Persians, Mongols, and Turkic peoples. Until the 20th century, people in the region used two types of distinction to identify themselves: way of life--either nomadic or sedentary--and place of residence. By the late 19th century, the Tajik and Uzbek peoples had lived in proximity for centuries and often used--and continue to use--each other's languages. The division of Central Asia into five Soviet Republics in the 1920s imposed artificial divisions on a region in which many different peoples lived intermixed.
Nationality: Tajikistani.
Population (July 2009): 7,455,800.
Population growth rate (2009): 2.3%.
Ethnic groups: Tajik 74%, Uzbek 23%, Russian and others 3%.
Religion (2003 est.): Sunni Muslim 95%, Shi'a Muslim 3%, other 2%.
Language: Tajik (the official state language as of 1994); Russian is recognized as "the language of international communication" and is widely used in government and business; 77% of the population lives in rural communities where mostly Tajik is spoken.
Education: Literacy (according to Tajikistan official statistics, 2003)--88%. The Tajik education system is still struggling through a period of decline since independence.
Health: Life expectancy--61.95 years men; 68.15 years women. Infant mortality rate--110.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.).
Work force (2009): The official work force is 2.1 million; estimated 3-4 million. As many as half of all working age males seek jobs outside of the country, primarily in Russia.
