| The World Factbook | ||
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Turkmenistan |
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| Introduction | Turkmenistan |
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Background:
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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. |
| Geography | Turkmenistan |
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Location:
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Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan |
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 00 N, 60 00 E |
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total: 488,100 sq km
water: 0 sq km land: 488,100 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than California |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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subtropical desert |
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Terrain:
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flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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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)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt |
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Land use:
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arable land: 3.47%
permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.39% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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17,500 sq km (2003 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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4,775,544 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 36.8% (male 899,954; female 855,293)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 1,386,606; female 1,438,333) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 74,958; female 120,400) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 21.1 years
male: 20.2 years female: 22 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.82% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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28.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.87 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 73.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 69.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 61.19 years
male: 57.72 years female: 64.84 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.5 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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less than 100 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen |
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Ethnic groups:
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Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.1% (1995) |
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Religions:
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Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2% |
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Languages:
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Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1989 est.) |
| Government | Turkmenistan |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan local long form: none former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic local short form: Turkmenistan |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Ashgabat |
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Administrative divisions:
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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) |
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Independence:
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27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 27 October (1991) |
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Constitution:
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adopted 18 May 1992 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil law system |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1992 (next 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% 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) |
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Legislative branch:
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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 at least yearly) and a unicameral Assembly or Majlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
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 elections: People's Council - NA; Assembly - last held 12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 Gundogar and Erkin; Gundogar was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHUMRADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; Erkin is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out of Moscow |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Mered Bairamovich ORAZOV
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697 telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500 chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Laura E. KENNEDY
embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45 FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14 |
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Flag description:
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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 | Turkmenistan |
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Economy - overview:
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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. The sale of Turkmen gas to Russia and other CIS countries resumed in December 1999. 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 1998-2002, 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, the burden of foreign debt, and the unwillingness of the government to adopt market-oriented reforms. However, Turkmenistan's cooperation with the international community in transporting humanitarian aid to Afghanistan may foreshadow a change in the atmosphere for foreign investment, aid, and technological support. Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $26 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $5,500 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 27%
industry: 50% services: 23% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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34.4% (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1998) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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40.8 (1998) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.34 million (1996) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 48%, industry 15%, services 37% (1998 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $588.6 million
expenditures: $658.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
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Industries:
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natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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1% (2002 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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10.18 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 99.9%
hydro: 0.1% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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8.507 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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980 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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20 million kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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162,500 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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63,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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273 million bbl (January 2002 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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1.43 trillion cu m (January 2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton, grain; livestock |
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Exports:
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$2.97 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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gas 57%, oil 26%, cotton fiber 3%, textiles 2% (2001) |
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Exports - partners:
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Ukraine 46%, Italy 18%, Iran 11%, Russia 6%, Turkey 5%, Switzerland (2001) |
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Imports:
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$2.25 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999) |
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Imports - partners:
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Turkey 17%, Ukraine 12%, Russia 11%, UAE 8%, France 6% (2001 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$2.3 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$16 million from the US (2001) |
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Currency:
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Turkmen manat (TMM) |
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Currency code:
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TMM |
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Exchange rates:
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Turkmen manats per US dollar - 5,200 (2002), 5,200 (2001), 5,200 (2000), 5,200 (1999), 4,890.17 (1998); note - the official exchange rate has not varied for the last four years; the unofficial rate has fluctuated slightly, hovering around 21,000 manats to the dollar |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
| Communications | Turkmenistan |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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363,000 (1997) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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4,300 (1998) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Radios:
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1.225 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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3 (much programming relayed from Russia and Turkey) (1997) |
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Televisions:
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820,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.tm |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 |
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Internet users:
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2,000 (2000) |
| Transportation | Turkmenistan |
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Railways:
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total: 2,440 km
broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2002) |
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Highways:
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total: 22,000 km
paved: 18,000 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads) unpaved: 4,000 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1996) |
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Waterways:
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the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan, as is the man-made Kara Kum canal |
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Pipelines:
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crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km |
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Ports and harbors:
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Turkmenbasy |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT
ships by type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.) |
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Airports:
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76 (2002) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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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 (2002) |
| Military | Turkmenistan |
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Military branches:
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Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard |
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Military manpower - military age:
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18 years of age (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49: 1,239,737 (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49: 1,005,686 (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males: 53,825 (2003 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$90 million (FY99) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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3.4% (FY99) |
| Transnational Issues | Turkmenistan |
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Disputes - international:
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prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; Turkmenistan has not committed to follow either Iran or the other littoral states in the division of the Caspian Sea seabed and water column; ICJ decision expected to resolve dispute with Azerbaijan over sovereignty over Caspian oilfields; demarcation of land boundary with Kazakhstan is underway - maritime boundary not resolved |
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Illicit drugs:
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transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; small-scale government-run eradication of illicit crops; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan |
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This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003 |