Backgrounder: Basic facts about Tajikistan

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, holds its 2006 summit in Shanghai Thursday.

The following is some basic information about Tajikistan.

Geography: Located in Central Asia, Tajikistan is nestled between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the north and west, China to the east, and Afghanistan to the south. It covers an area of 143, 100 square km.

Population: about 6.92 million, 67 percent of whom are Tajiks.

Capital: Dushanbe

Official language: Tajik

Natural resources: Its water resources rank eighth in the world with the Nurek hydroelectric being the biggest in Central Asia. Tajikistan's mineral resources include silver, gold, copper, uranium, and tungsten.