1996 Edition

Description

green field, including a vertical stripe on the hoist side, with a claret vertical stripe in between containing five white, black, and orange carpet guls (an asymmetrical design used in producing rugs) associated with five different tribes; a white crescent and five white stars in the upper left corner to the right of the carpet guls

Location

40 00 N, 60 00 E -- Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakstan Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than California

land area

488,100 sq km

total area

488,100 sq km

Climate

subtropical desert

Coastline

0 km

note

Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

Environment

current issues

contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salinization, 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

international agreements

party to - Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 60 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

International disputes

Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined

Irrigated land

12,450 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries

border countries

Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km

total

3,736 km

Land use

arable land

2%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

69%

other

29%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakstan

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt

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

highest point

Ayrybaba 3,139 m

lowest point

Sarygamysh Koli -110 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 39% (male 826,637; female 804,385) 15-64 years: 56% (male 1,154,415; female 1,188,173) 65 years and over: 5% (male 65,447; female 110,226) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

29.12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

8.89 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Turkmen 73.3%, Russian 9.8%, Uzbek 9%, Kazak 2%, other 5.9%

Infant mortality rate

81.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Life expectancy at birth

female

66.52 years (1996 est.)

male

56.68 years

total population

61.48 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)

female

97%

male

99%

total population

98%

Nationality

adjective

Turkmen

noun

Turkmen(s)

Net migration rate

-2.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

4,149,283 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.82% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim 87%, Eastern Orthodox 11%, unknown 2%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

3.62 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

5 welayatlar (singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty (formerly Tashauz), Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), Mary Welayaty

note

names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from welayat name

Assembly (Majlis)

elections last held 11 December 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (50 total) Democratic Party 45, other 5; note - all 50 preapproved by President NIYAZOV

Capital

Ashgabat

Constitution

adopted 18 May 1992

Data code

TX

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

1511 K Street NW, Suite 412, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Halil UGUR

telephone

[1] (202) 737-4800

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the president

chief of state

President Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occured) was elected to a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA 2002); results - Saparmurad NIYAZOV 99.5% (ran unopposed); note - a 15 January 1994 referendum extended NIYAZOV's term an additional five years until 2002 (99.99% approval)

head of government

Prime Minister (vacant); Deputy Prime Ministers Mukhamed ABALAKOV (since NA), Babamurad BAZAROV (since NA), Hekim ISHANOV (since NA), Valeriy OTCHERTSOV (since NA), Yagmur OVEZOV (since NA), Matkarim RAJAPOV (since NA), Pirkuly ODEYEV (since NA), Rejep SAPAROV (since NA), Boris SHIKHMURADOV (since NA), Batyr SARJAYEV (since NA), Amannazar ILAMANOV (since NA), Ilaman SHYKHYYEV (since NA) were appointed by the president

note

NIYAZOV has been asked by various local groups, most recently on 26 October 1995 at the annual elders meeting, to be "president for life," but that would require an amendment to the constitution

FAX

[1] (202) 737-1152

[7] (3632) 51-13-05

Flag

green field, including a vertical stripe on the hoist side, with a claret vertical stripe in between containing five white, black, and orange carpet guls (an asymmetrical design used in producing rugs) associated with five different tribes; a white crescent and five white stars in the upper left corner to the right of the carpet guls

Independence

27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International organization participation

CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council (Halk Maslahaty - having more than 100 members and meeting infrequently) and a 50-member unicameral Assembly (Majlis)

Name of country

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Turkmenistan

former

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

none

local short form

Turkmenistan

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat NIYAZOV; Party for Democratic Development, Durdymurat HOJA-MUHAMEDOV, chairman; Agzybirlik, Nurberdy NURMAMEDOV, cochairman, Hubayberdi HALLIYEV, cochairman

note

formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael W. COTTER

embassy

9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[7] (3632) 35-00-45, 35-00-46, 35-00-42, Tie Line [8] 962-0000

Agriculture

cotton, grain; livestock

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

revenues

$NA

Currency

Turkmenistan introduced its national currency, the manat, on 1 November 1993

Economic aid

note

commitments, $1,830 million ($375 million drawn), 1992-95

recipient

ODA, $10 million (1993)

Economic overview

Turkmenistan is largely desert country with nomadic cattle raising, intensive agriculture in irrigated oases, and huge gas and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted in cotton making it the world's tenth largest producer. It also has the world's fifth largest reserves of natural gas and substantial oil resources. 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. The economy remained depressed through 1995 while inflation soared. Furthermore, 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. For 1996, Turkmenistan will face continuing constraints on its earnings because of its customers' inability to pay for their gas and a below average cotton crop in 1995. Turkmenistan is working hard to open new gas export channels through Iran and Turkey, but these will take many years to realize.

Electricity

capacity

2,480,000 kW

consumption per capita

2,400 kWh (1995)

production

9.8 billion kWh

Exchange rates

manats per US$1 - 2,400 (January 1996)

note

government established a unified rate in mid-January 1996

Exports

$1.9 billion to states outside the FSU (1995)

commodities

natural gas, cotton, petroleum products, electricity, textiles, carpets

partners

Ukraine, Russia, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Argentina

External debt

$400 million (of which $275 million to Russia) (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $11.5 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

32.5%

industry

33.4%

services

34.1% (1991 est.)

GDP per capita

$2,820 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-10% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Western Europe

Imports

$777 million from states outside the FSU (1995)

commodities

machinery and parts, grain and food, plastics and rubber, consumer durables, textiles

partners

Russia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Turkey

Industrial production growth rate

-7% (1995)

Industries

natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

25% monthly average (1994 est.)

Labor force

1.642 million (January 1994)

by occupation

agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction 20%, other 36% (1992)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

Army, Air and Air Defense, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard

Defense expenditures

4.5 billion manats, 3.0% of GDP (1995); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

1,024,398

males fit for military service

834,803

males reach military age (18) annually

41,697 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note - there is at least one state-owned radio broadcast station of NA type

Radios

NA

Telephone system

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

Telephones

NA

Television broadcast stations

NA

Televisions

NA Defense

Airports

total

64

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

8

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

13

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

7

with unpaved runways under 914 m

35 (1994 est.)

Highways

paved

NA km

total

23,000 km

unpaved

NA km (1990 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km

Ports

Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnowodsk)

Railways

broad gauge

2,120 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

total

2,120 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines

Waterways

the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway