Mission, 3; parishes, 2; priests, 4 (1 dioc., 3 rel.); srs., 4; bap., 65; Cath., 2000; tot. pop. 6,290,000.
Independent republic (1992) in Asia; formerly part of the USSR; capital, Dushanbe. The majority of the population is Sunni Muslim. When the Vatican established diplomatic relations in 1996, Church officials estimated most of the country's Catholics had fled. In 1997, the Vatican decided to establish a mission in the country.
(The above exert comes from Our Sunday Visitor's 2004 Catholic Almanac and is used on this web site with the publisher's permission.)

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