| Background: |
Annexed by Russia
between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic
in 1925. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution
of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolute
control over the country and opposition is not tolerated.
Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a
boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and
delivery projects can be worked out. |
| Location: |
Central Asia,
bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
40 00 N, 60 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Commonwealth of
Independent States |
| Area: |
total:
488,100 sq km
land: 488,100 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger
than California |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992
km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km |
| Coastline: |
0 km; note -
Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| Climate: |
subtropical
desert |
| Terrain: |
flat-to-rolling
sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south;
low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in
west |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Vpadina Akchanaya -81.00 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a lake
in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates
above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake
has dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum,
natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 63%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 26% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
13,000 sq km
(1993 est.) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
contamination of
soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals,
pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor
irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a
large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation
contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral
Sea; desertification |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked |
| Population: |
4,603,244 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
37.88% (male 891,758; female 852,104)
15-64 years: 58.09% (male 1,313,303; female
1,360,690)
65 years and over: 4.03% (male 70,800; female
114,589) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.85% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
28.55
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
8.98 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-1.04 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
73.25
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 61 years
male: 57.43 years
female: 64.76 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.58 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 100
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100
(1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Turkmen 77%,
Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.1% (1995) |
| Religions: |
Muslim 89%,
Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2% |
| Languages: |
Turkmen 72%,
Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
local short form: Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
5 welayatlar
(singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan
Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty (formerly Tashauz),
Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), Mary Welayaty
note: administrative divisions have the same
names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the
administrative center name following in parentheses) |
| Independence: |
27 October 1991
(from the Soviet Union) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
27 October (1991) |
| Constitution: |
adopted 18 May
1992 |
| Legal
system: |
based on civil
law system |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when
the first direct presidential election occurred); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President and Chairman of
the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27
October 1990, when the first direct presidential election
occurred); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended
indefinitely on 28 December 1999 by the Assembly (Majlis)
during a session of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty)
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1992 (next
scheduled to be held NA); note - President NIYAZOV was
unanimously approved as president for life by the Assembly
on 28 December 1999); deputy chairmen of the cabinet of
ministers are appointed by the president
election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected
president without opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat
NIYAZOV 99.5% |
| Legislative
branch: |
under the 1992
constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a
unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (more than 100
seats, some of which are elected by popular vote and some of
which are appointed; meets infrequently) and a unicameral
Assembly or Majlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Council - NA; Assembly -
last held 12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - all 50 elected
officials preapproved by President NIYAZOV; most are from
the DPT |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(judges are appointed by the president) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party
of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed;
unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or
in foreign countries |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
AsDB, CCC, CIS,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Mered ORAZOV
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Steven R. MANN
embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan 774000
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45
FAX: [9] (9312) 51-13-05 |
| Flag
description: |
green field with
a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five
carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stacked above
two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on
the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars
appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side
of the red stripe |
| Economy
- overview: |
Turkmenistan is
largely desert country with intensive agriculture in
irrigated oases and huge gas (fifth largest reserves in the
world) and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is
planted in cotton, making it the world's tenth largest
producer. Until the end of 1993, Turkmenistan had
experienced less economic disruption than other former
Soviet states because its economy received a boost from
higher prices for oil and gas and a sharp increase in hard
currency earnings. In 1994, Russia's refusal to export
Turkmen gas to hard currency markets and mounting debts of
its major customers in the former USSR for gas deliveries
contributed to a sharp fall in industrial production and
caused the budget to shift from a surplus to a slight
deficit. With an authoritarian ex-communist regime in power
and a tribally based social structure, Turkmenistan has
taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use
gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient economy.
Privatization goals remain limited. In 1998-2000,
Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate
export routes for natural gas and from obligations on
extensive short-term external debt. At the same time,
however, total exports rose sharply because of higher
international oil and gas prices. Prospects in the near
future are discouraging because of widespread internal
poverty and the burden of foreign debt. IMF assistance would
seem to be necessary, yet the government is not as yet ready
to accept IMF requirements. Turkmenistan's 1999 deal to ship
20 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas through
Russia's Gazprom pipeline helped alleviate the 2000 fiscal
shortfall. Inadequate fiscal restraint and the tenuous
nature of Turkmenistan's 2001 gas deals, combined with a
lack of economic reform, will limit progress in the near
term. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $19.6 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
16% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $4,300 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
25%
industry: 43%
services: 32% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
58% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
2.6%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1998) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
14% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
2.34 million
(1996) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 44%,
industry 19%, services 37% (1996) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$588.6 million
expenditures: $658.2 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
natural gas, oil,
petroleum products, textiles, food processing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
18% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
8.371 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
99.94%
hydro: 0.06%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
4.785 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
4.1 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
1.1 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, grain;
livestock |
| Exports: |
$2.4 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
gas 33%, oil 30%,
cotton fiber 18%, textiles 8% (1999) |
| Exports
- partners: |
Ukraine, Iran,
Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan |
| Imports: |
$1.65 billion
(c.i.f., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999) |
| Imports
- partners: |
Ukraine, Turkey,
Russia, Germany, US, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan |
| Debt
- external: |
$2.5 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$27.2 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
Turkmen manat (TMM) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Turkmen manats
per US dollar - 5,200 (January 2001), 5,200 (January 2000),
5,350 (January 1999), 4,070 (January 1997), 2,400 (January
1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
363,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
4,300 (1998) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: poorly developed
domestic: NA
international: linked by cable and microwave
radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by
leased connections to the Moscow international gateway
switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been
established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches
international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite
earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 16, FM 8,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Radios: |
1.225 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
3 (much
programming relayed from Russia and Turkey) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
820,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.tm |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
NA |
| Internet
users: |
2,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
2,187 km
broad gauge: 2,187 km 1.520-m gauge (1996 est.) |
| Highways: |
total:
22,000 km
paved: 18,000 km (these roads are said to be
hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally
paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other
coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)
unpaved: 4,000 km (these roads are made of
unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet
weather) (1996) |
| Waterways: |
the Amu Darya is
an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 250 km;
natural gas 4,400 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Turkmenbashi |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,459 GRT/8,865 DWT
ships by type: container 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
63
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 41 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Ministry of
Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border Troops, and
Internal Troops), National Guard |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 1,173,500 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 952,218 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
48,292 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$90 million
(FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
3.4% (FY99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Caspian Sea
boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran,
Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan |
| Illicit
drugs: |
limited illicit
cultivator of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption;
limited government eradication program; increasingly used as
transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to
Russia and Western Europe; also a transshipment point for
acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan |
|
