2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty

note

administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Age structure

0-14 years: 35.2% (male 913,988/female 863,503) 15-64 years: 60.7% (male 1,501,486/female 1,557,155) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 79,227/female 127,561) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

cotton, grain; livestock

Airports

29 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

total

22

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m

4 (2006)

Area

land

488,100 sq km

total

488,100 sq km

water

NEGL

Area - comparative

slightly larger than California

Background

Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President Saparmurat 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 were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation routes in order to break Russia's pipeline monopoly. Geography Turkmenistan

Birth rate

27.61 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$2.063 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$1.803 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

37 57 N, 58 23 E

name

Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)

time difference

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

subtropical desert

Coastline

0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

Constitution

adopted 18 May 1992

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Turkmenistan

former

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

none

local short form

Turkmenistan

Currency (code)

Turkmen manat (TMM)

Currency code

TMM

Current account balance

$321.2 million (2006 est.)

Death rate

8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$2.4 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jennifer L. BRUSH

embassy

No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000

mailing address

7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070

telephone

[9] (9312) 35-00-45

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Murad Bairamovich ORAZOV

telephone

[1] (202) 588-1500

Disputes - international

cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005 but Caspian seabed delimitation remains stalled with Azerbaijan, Iran and Kazakhstan due to Turkmenistan's indecision over how to allocate the sea's waters and seabed

Distribution of family income - Gini index

40.8 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$16 million from the US (2001)

Economy - overview

Turkmenistan is a largely desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and large gas and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted in cotton; formerly it was the world's tenth-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years have led to an almost 50% decline in cotton exports. 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 1998-2005, 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 by an average of 15% per year in 2003-06, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. In 2006, Ashgabat raised its natural gas export prices to its main customer, Russia, from $66 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $100 per tcm. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, a poor educational system, government misuse of oil and gas revenues, and Ashgabat's unwillingness to adopt market-oriented reforms. Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain.

Electricity - consumption

9.03 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

10.79 billion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

99.9%

hydro

0.1%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

lowest point

Vpadina Akchanaya -81 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)

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

Ethnic groups

Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)

Exchange rates

11,100 (2006), in recent years the unofficial rate has hovered around 24,000 to 25,000 Turkmen manats to the dollar; the official rate has consistently been 5,200 manat to the dollar

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President (Acting) and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMMEDOV; note - President Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in office 21 December 2006 and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMMEDOV was named his temporary replacement; the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1992; note - President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president for life by the People's Council on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers are appointed by the president

head of government

President (Acting) and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMMEDOV

Exports

$5.421 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, cotton fiber, textiles

Exports - partners

Ukraine 42.8%, Iran 14.8%, Hungary 5.3% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 588-0697

[9] (9312) 39-26-14

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Turkmenistan

Flag description

green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon representing Islam with five white stars representing the regions or velayats of Turkmenistan appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe Economy Turkmenistan

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

24.4%

industry

33.9%

services

41.7% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$8,900 (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$16.16 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$45.11 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 60 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau People Turkmenistan

Government type

republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

Heliports

1 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

less than 200 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31.7% (1998)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Illicit drugs

transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

IMF estimate

13%

note

official government statistics show 21.4% growth, but these estimates are widely regarded as unreliable (2006 est.)

Imports

$3.936 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

UAE 12.7%, Azerbaijan 11.1%, US 9.6%, Russia 9.1%, Ukraine 7.6%, Turkey 7.3%, Iran 6.2%, Germany 5.4% (2005)

Independence

27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Industrial production growth rate

22% (2003 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

76.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

72.56 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

11% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Internet country code

.tm

Internet hosts

585 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1

Internet users

36,000 (2005) Transportation Turkmenistan

Investment (gross fixed)

28.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

18,000 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Labor force

2.32 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

48.2%

industry

13.8%

services

37% (2003 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

3,736 km

Land use

arable land

4.51%

other

95.35% (2005)

permanent crops

0.14%

Languages

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

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislative body of up to 2,500 delegates, some of whom are elected by popular vote and some of whom are appointed; meets at least yearly) and a unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); membership is scheduled to be increased to 65 seats

election results

Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note - all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV

elections

People's Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be held December 2008); Mejlis - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)

note

in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the president is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative branches of government

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.41 years (2006 est.)

male

58.43 years

total population

61.83 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.3% (1999 est.) Government Turkmenistan

male

99.3%

total population

98.8%

Location

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

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

1,162,569 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

1,132,833

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

940,179 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

759,978

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

55,413 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

56,532

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

22.7 years (2006 est.)

male

20.9 years

total

21.8 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 4, combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)

total

8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,870 GRT/25,801 DWT

Military branches

Ground Forces, Artillery and Rocket Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2006)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$90 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.4% (FY99) Transnational Issues Turkmenistan

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Nationality

adjective

Turkmen

noun

Turkmen(s)

Natural gas - consumption

16.57 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

42 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

58.57 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.01 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt

Net migration rate

-0.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

95,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

213,700 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

273 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Pipelines

gas 6,441 km; oil 1,361 km (2006)

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; the two most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT) and the United Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (UDPT); NDMT was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; UDPT is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out of Moscow

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

5,042,920 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

58% (2003 est.)

Population growth rate

1.83% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Turkmenbasy Military Turkmenistan

Radio broadcast stations

AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

1.225 million (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2005)

total

2,440 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

11,173 (Tajikistan) (2006)

Religions

Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.518 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

19,488 km

total

24,000 km

unpaved

4,512 km (1999)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

Turkmenistan's telecommunications network remains woefully underdeveloped; Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign investors, is planning to upgrade the country's telephone exchanges and install a new digital switching system

general assessment

poorly developed

international

country code - 993; 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 - main lines in use

495,000 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

52,000 (2004)

Television broadcast stations

4 (government owned and programmed) (2004)

Televisions

820,000 (1997)

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

Total fertility rate

3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

60% (2004 est.)

Waterways

1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways) (2006)