2015 Edition

Background

Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires, and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians. In medieval times, Merv (located in present-day Mary province) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmenistan later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited, have begun to transform the country. The Government of Turkmenistan is moving to expand its extraction and delivery projects and has attempted to diversify its gas export routes beyond Russia's 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. Subsequently, decreased Russian purchases, as well as limited purchases by Iran, have made China the dominant buyer of Turkmen gas. 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; he was reelected in February 2012 with 97% of the vote, in an election described as "a democratic sham."

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

5,752 cu m/yr (2004)

total

27.95 cu km/yr (3%/3%/94%)

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

19,910 sq km (2006)

Land boundaries

border countries (4)

Afghanistan 804 km, Iran 1,148 km, Kazakhstan 413 km, Uzbekistan 1,793 km

total

4,158 km

Land use

arable land 4.1%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 67.8%

agricultural land

72%

forest

8.8%

other

19.2% (2011 est.)

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

24.77 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

26.14% (male 692,800/female 674,638)

15-24 years

19.66% (male 517,312/female 510,945)

25-54 years

42.57% (male 1,104,066/female 1,122,896)

55-64 years

7.25% (male 178,925/female 200,502)

65 years and over

4.38% (male 99,878/female 129,460) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

19.4 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

48% (2006)

Death rate

6.13 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.1%

potential support ratio

16.3% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

47.9%

youth dependency ratio

41.7%

Drinking water source

urban: 89.1% of population

rural: 53.7% of population

total: 71.1% of population

urban: 10.9% of population

rural: 46.3% of population

total: 28.9% of population (2012 est.)

Education expenditures

3% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

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

Health expenditures

2% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

4 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

29.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

44.13 deaths/1,000 live births

total

36.82 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.93 years (2015 est.)

male

66.77 years

total population

69.78 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.6% (2015 est.)

male

99.8%

total population

99.7%

Major urban areas - population

ASHGABAT (capital) 746,000 (2015)

Median age

female

27.5 years (2015 est.)

male

26.6 years

total

27.1 years

Nationality

adjective

Turkmen

noun

Turkmen(s)

Net migration rate

-1.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.8% (2014)

Population

5,231,422 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.14% (2015 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population

rural: 98.2% of population

total: 99.1% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 1.8% of population

total: 0.9% of population (2012 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2014)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.09 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.94% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

50% of total population (2015)

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 18 May 1992; amended several times, last in 2008; note - sources disagree on whether the changes in 2008 are amendments or reflect a new constitution (2012)

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 Allan MUSTARD (since 20 January 2015)

embassy

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

FAX

[993] (12) 94-26-14

mailing address

7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070

telephone

[993] (12) 94-00-45

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mered Bairamovich ORAZOW (since 14 February 2001)

FAX

[1] (202) 588-0697

telephone

[1] (202) 588-1500

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

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

election results

Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW reelected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 97.1%, Annageldi YAZMYRADOW 1.1%, other candidates 1.8%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 February 2012 (next to be held in February 2017)

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 law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012), 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, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges)

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the president; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts

provincial, district, and city courts; High Commercial Court; military courts

Legal system

civil law system with Islamic law influences

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms); note - in September 2008, a constitutional change abolished a second, 2,507-member People's Council and expanded the membership in the National Assembly to 125 from 65 ; the powers formerly held by the People's Council were divided between the president and the National Assembly

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 47, Organization of Trade and Unions of Turkmenistan 33, Women's Union of Turkmenistan 16, Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs 14, Magtymguly Youth Organization 8, independents 7; note - all of these parties support President BERDIMUHAMIDOW

elections

last held on 15 December 2013 (next to be held in December 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

collective/Veli MUKHATOV

name

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

note

adopted 1997, lyrics revised 2008; following the death of President Saparmurat NYYAZOW, the lyrics were altered to eliminate references to him

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

National symbol(s)

Akhal-Teke horse; national colors: green, white

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Kasymguly BABAYEW]

Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs or PIE [Orazmammet MAMMEDOW] (party registered 21 August 2012)

note

a law authorizing the registration of political parties went into effect in January 2012; 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, melons; livestock

Budget

expenditures

$6.699 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$7.047 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

5% (31 December 2014)

5% (31 December 2013)

Current account balance

-$2.852 billion (2014 est.)

-$2.984 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$578.4 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$534.2 million (31 December 2013 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 significant natural gas and some 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 14% of GDP, it continues to employ nearly half of the country's workforce.

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. Additional pipelines to China, that began operation in early 2010, and increased pipeline capacity to Iran, have expanded Turkmenistan's export routes for its gas. Two other export initiatives - a trans-Caspian pipeline that would carry gas to Europe and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline - are not likely to be realized any time soon.

Since his election in 2007, President BERDIMUHAMEDOV unified the country's dual currency exchange rate, ordered the redenomination of the manat, reduced state subsidies for gasoline, electricity, natural gas, and transportation services, and initiated development of a special tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. Although foreign investment is encouraged, and some improvements in macroeconomic policy have been made, numerous bureaucratic obstacles impede international business activity.

Turkmenistan's authoritarian regime has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton export revenues to sustain its inefficient and highly corrupt economy. The government introduced a privatization plan in 2012. While some small- and medium-size enterprises have been privatized since 2013, the implementation of this initiative has been slow, and privatization goals remain limited.

Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of endemic corruption, a poor educational system, government misuse of oil and gas revenues, and Ashgabat's reluctance to adopt market-oriented reforms. The majority of Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state secrets. The GDP numbers and other figures that the government makes public are subject to wide margins of error. Based on government-provided data, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported 10.3% GDP growth in 2014. In January 2015, Turkmenistan devalued its local currency, the manat, by 19%.

Exchange rates

Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar -

2.85 (2014 est.)

2.85 (2013 est.)

2.85 (2012 est.)

2.85 (2011 est.)

2.85 (2010 est.)

Exports

$19.78 billion (2014 est.)

$18.85 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber

Exports - partners

China 69.7%, Turkey 4.6% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

45.5%

government consumption

12.9%

household consumption

50%

imports of goods and services

-38.2%

investment in fixed capital

44.3%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

13.2%

industry

49.3%

services

37.4% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,200 (2014 est.)

$12,800 (2013 est.)

$11,700 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

10.3% (2014 est.)

10.2% (2013 est.)

11.1% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$47.93 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$82.09 billion (2014 est.)

$74.41 billion (2013 est.)

$67.53 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

19.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

11.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

13.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31.7% (1998)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

$16.64 billion (2014 est.)

$16.09 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Turkey 25.1%, Russia 13%, China 10.7%, UAE 7%, US 5.1%, Ukraine 4.9% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

16.7% (2014 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (2014 est.)

6.8% (2013 est.)

Labor force

2.305 million (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

48.2%

industry

14%

services

37.8% (2004 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

0.2% (2012 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$27.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$25.85 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$5.67 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.284 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$3.061 billion (2013 est.)

$3.117 billion (2012 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$13.16 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$9.965 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.255 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$979.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

16.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

11% (2014 est.)

10.6% (2013)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

64.98 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

67,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

231,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

600 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

19.3 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - exports

2.9 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2014)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

4.275 million kW (2014 est.)

Electricity - production

22.3 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

22.3 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

46.9 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - production

69.2 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

17.5 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

132,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

64,360 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

2,542 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

143,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 7 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 removing satellite dishes (2007)

Internet country code

.tm

Internet users

percent of population

8.0% (2014 est.)

total

414,300

Radio broadcast stations

AM 12, FM 9, shortwave 2 (2008)

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; combined fixed-line and mobile teledensity is about 80 per 100 persons; Russia's Mobile Telesystems, the only foreign mobile-cellular service provider in Turkmenistan, had its operating license suspended in December 2010 but was able to resume operations in September 2012; Turkmenistan's first telecommunication satellite was launched in 2015; it is expected to greatly improve connectivity in the country

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 (2012)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

12 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

620,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

139 (2014 est.)

total

7.2 million

Television broadcast stations

4 (government-owned and programmed) (2008)

Airports

26 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

9

2,438 to 3,047 m

9

914 to 1,523 m

2 (2013)

over 3,047 m

1

total

21

Airports - with unpaved runways

4 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

total

5

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1 (2010)

total

11

Pipelines

gas 7,500 km; oil 1,501 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Caspian Sea - Turkmenbasy

Railways

broad gauge

2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)

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) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

1,387,211 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,380,794

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,185,538 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,066,649

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

52,988 (2010 est.)

male

53,829

Military branches

Turkmen Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2013)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory male military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; 20 years of age for voluntary service; males may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2015)

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; bilateral talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian

Illicit drugs

transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons

7,511 (2014)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Turkmenistan is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Turkmen in search of work in other countries are forced to work in textile sweatshops, construction, and domestic service, with women and rural inhabitants being the most vulnerable; some Turkmen women and girls are sex trafficked abroad; Turkey is the primary trafficking destination, followed by Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and, to a lesser extent, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Cyprus, the UK, Sweden, and the US; Turkmen also experience forced labor domestically in the informal construction industry; participation in the cotton harvest is still mandatory for some public sector employees

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Turkmenistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; the denial of an internal trafficking problem by some government officials, corruption, and a lack of institutional capacity continued to impede the government’s response to trafficking in 2013; the government reported detailed anti-trafficking law enforcement data for the first time and is making an effort to support anti-trafficking training; the government did not offer services to trafficking victims in 2013 and did not fund NGOs providing care; authorities punished some victims for crimes committed as a result of being trafficked (2014)