2010 Edition

Background

Eastern Turkmenistan for centuries formed part of the Persian province of Khurasan; in medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country once extraction and delivery projects are expanded. The Turkmen Government is actively working to diversify its gas export routes beyond the still dominant Russian pipeline network. In 2010, new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to China and to northern Iran began operating, effectively ending the Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president.

Area

land

469,930 sq km

total

488,100 sq km

water

18,170 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than California

Climate

subtropical desert

Coastline

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

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

5,104 cu m/yr (2000)

total

24.65 cu km/yr (2%/1%/98%)

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

Irrigated land

18,000 sq km (2003)

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%

Location

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

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, 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

Total renewable water resources

60.9 cu km (1997)

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.9% (male 713,698/female 697,222) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,618,678/female 1,646,992) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 90,352/female 117,945) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

19.62 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

6.27 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

3.9% of GDP (1991)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

fewer than 200 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

35.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

52.13 deaths/1,000 live births

total

43.84 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.29 years (2010 est.)

male

65.25 years

total population

68.2 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.3% (1999 est.)

male

99.3%

total population

98.8%

Median age

female

25.3 years (2010 est.)

male

24.4 years

total

24.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Turkmen

noun

Turkmen(s)

Net migration rate

-1.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

4,940,916 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.14% (2010 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.19 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

49% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Welayaty (Anew), 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)

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)

Constitution

adopted 26 September 2008

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Turkmenistan

former

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

none

local short form

Turkmenistan

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Eileen A. MALLOY

embassy

No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 744000

FAX

[993] (12) 39-26-14

mailing address

7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070

telephone

[993] (12) 35-00-45

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOW

FAX

[1] (202) 588-0697

telephone

[1] (202) 588-1500

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW elected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 89.2%, Amanyaz ATAJYKOW 3.2%, other candidates 7.6%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 11 February 2007 (next to be held in February 2012)

head of government

President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007)

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; five white stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe; the green color and crescent moon represent Islam; the five stars symbolize the regions or welayats of Turkmenistan; the guls reflect the national identity of Turkmenistan where carpet-making has long been a part of traditional nomadic life note: the flag of Turkmenistan is the most intricate of all national flags

Government type

defines itself as a secular democracy and a presidential republic; in actuality displays authoritarian presidential rule, with power concentrated within the presidential administration

Independence

27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International organization participation

ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, 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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Legal system

transitioning to civil law system and influenced by Islamic law tradition; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral parliament known as the National Assembly (Mejlis) (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

100% of elected officials are members of either the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or its pseudo-civil society parent organization, the Revival Movement, and are preapproved by the president note: in 26 September 2008, a new constitution of Turkmenistan abolished a second, 2,507-member legislative body known as the People's Council and expanded the number of deputies in the National Assembly from 65 to 125; the powers formerly held by the People's Council were divided up between the president and the National Assembly

elections

last held on 14 December 2008 (next to be held in December 2013)

National anthem

lyrics/music

collective/Veli MUKHATOV note: adopted 1997, lyrics revised 2008; following the death of the President Saparmurat NYYAZOW, the lyrics were altered to eliminate references to the former president

name

"Garassyz, Bitarap Turkmenistanyn" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW is chairman; Kasymguly BABAYEW is DPT Political Council First Secretary] note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad; the three most prominent opposition groups-in-exile are the National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT), the Republican Party of Turkmenistan, and the Watan (Fatherland) Party; the NDMT was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 attack on President NYYAZOW's motorcade

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cotton, grain; livestock

Current account balance

$3.081 billion (2010 est.) $1.065 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$5 billion (2009 est.) $1.4 billion (2004 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

40.8 (1998)

Economy - overview

Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and sizeable gas and oil resources. The two largest crops are cotton, most of which is produced for export, and wheat, which is domestically consumed. Although agriculture accounts for roughly 10% of GDP, it continues to employ nearly half of the country's workforce. 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 export revenues to sustain its inefficient economy. Privatization goals remain limited. From 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 roughly 15% per year from 2003-08, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. New pipelines to China and Iran, that began operation in late 2009 and early 2010, have given Turkmenistan additional export routes for its gas, although these new routes have not offset the sharp drop in export revenue since early 2009 from decreased gas exports to Russia. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, endemic corruption, a poor educational system, government misuse of oil and gas revenues, and Ashgabat's reluctance to adopt market-oriented reforms. In the past, Turkmenistan's economic statistics were state secrets. The new government has established a State Agency for Statistics, but GDP numbers and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain. Since his election, President BERDIMUHAMEDOW unified the country's dual currency exchange rate, ordered the redenomination of the manat, reduced state subsidies for gasoline, and initiated development of a special tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. Although foreign investment is encouraged, numerous bureaucratic obstacles impede international business activity.

Electricity - consumption

13 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - exports

2.5 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

15.5 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Exchange rates

Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar - 2.85 (2010), 2.85 (2009), 14,250 (2008)

Exports

$9.672 billion (2010 est.) $6.737 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber

Exports - partners

Ukraine 22.3%, Turkey 10.27%, Hungary 6.75%, UAE 6.25%, Poland 6.16%, Afghanistan 5.79%, Iran 5.17% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

10.2%

industry

30%

services

59.8% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,400 (2010 est.) $6,800 (2009 est.) $6,400 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

11% (2010 est.) 6.1% (2009 est.) 10.5% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$27.96 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$36.64 billion (2010 est.) $33.01 billion (2009 est.) $31.11 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)

Imports

$4.888 billion (2010 est.) $4.109 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

China 18.03%, Turkey 16.49%, Russia 16.45%, Germany 5.91%, UAE 5.81%, Ukraine 5.67%, US 5.41%, France 4.32% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

7.3% (2010 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

12% (2010 est.) 10% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

12.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

2.3 million (2008 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

48.2%

industry

14%

services

37.8% (2004 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

20 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - exports

14 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

34 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

7.504 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

120,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

38,360 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - production

197,700 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

600 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

30% (2004 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$10.81 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $9.551 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.053 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $912.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$2.089 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $1.811 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$573 million (31 December 2010 est) $469.5 million (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

60% (2004 est.)

Broadcast media

broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 4 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes and programming provide an alternative to the state-run media; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by seizing satellite dishes (2007)

Internet country code

.tm

Internet hosts

794 (2010)

Internet users

80,400 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign partners, has installed high speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital technology; mobile telephone usage is expanding with Russia's Mobile Telesystems (MTS) the primary service provider; combined fixed-line and mobile teledensity is about 40 per 100 persons

general assessment

telecommunications network remains underdeveloped and progress toward improvement is slow; strict government control and censorship inhibits liberalization and modernization

international

country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

478,000 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.5 million (2009)

Airports

27 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

22 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2010)

Heliports

1 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1

foreign-owned

1 (Turkey 1) (2010)

total

9

Pipelines

gas 6,417 km; oil 1,457 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Turkmenbasy

Railways

broad gauge

2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)

total

2,980 km

Roadways

paved

47,577 km

total

58,592 km

unpaved

11,015 km (2002)

Waterways

1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal are important inland waterways) (2008)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,360,898 females age 16-49: 1,368,265 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,046,907 females age 16-49: 1,168,960 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

54,908 (2010 est.)

male

55,805

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2010)

Military expenditures

3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2009)

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

Illicit drugs

transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan page last updated on January 12, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

11,173 (Tajikistan); less than 1,000 (Afghanistan) (2007)