Turkmenistan

republicIndependence 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Turkmenistan as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 80 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAshgabat

Area488,100 sq km

LocationCentral Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and

Populationas each edition published it

4.08 million July 1995 est. · 3.84m in 1992

Population growth% a year

1.97% 1995 est. · 2.04% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

65.35 years 1995 est. · 64.93 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.72 children per woman 1995 est. · 4.5 in 1992

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

68.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 94 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$3,280 1994 est. · $3,330 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

-24% 1994 est. · -10% in 1993

Geography

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

14 fields

Land useshare of 488,100 sq km

arable land 2%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 69%forest and woodland 0%other 29%irrigated 12,450 sq km (1990)

Area

488,100sq km

land area: 488,100 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than California

Coastline

0km

note: Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Land boundaries

3,736km

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

Location

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

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian States

International disputes

Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined

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

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulphur, salt

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
natural hazards:: NA
international agreements:: party to - Ozone Layer Protection

People

15 fields

Population

4,075,316

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 1.97% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

29.93Death

7.34Net migration

-2.92

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years65.35

61.85 · 69.02

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy98%

99% · 97%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1989)

Ethnic divisions

Turkmen 73.3%Russian 9.8%Uzbek 9%Kazakh 2%other 5.9%

Religions

Muslim 87%Eastern Orthodox 11%unknown 2%

Labor force

1.642million

(January 1994)by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction 20%, other 36% (1992)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 40% (female 798,620; male 821,550)
15-64 years:: 56% (female 1,155,392; male 1,128,844)
65 years and over:: 4% (female 105,424; male 65,486) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

68.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Turkmen(s)
adjective:: Turkmen

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Saparmurad NIYAZOV (since NA October 1990); Prime Minister (vacant)

21 fields

Legislature, 50 seatsone dot, one seat

Democratic Party 45other 5

Names

conventional long form:: none
conventional short form:: Turkmenistan
local long form:: none
local short form:: Turkmenistan
former:: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

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

Independence

27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Constitution

adopted 18 May 1992

Legal system

based on civil law system

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Saparmurad NIYAZOV (since NA October 1990);
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 Orazgeldi AYDOGDIYEV (since NA), Babamurad BAZAROV (since NA), Khekim ISHANOV (since NA), Valeriy OTCHERTSOV (since NA), Yagmur OVEZOV (since NA), Matkarim RAJAPOV (since NA), Abad RIZAYEVA (since NA), Rejep SAPAROV (since NA), Boris SHIKHMURADOV (since NA), Batyr SARJAYEV (since NA)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers

Legislative branch

under 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)

Assembly (Majlis)

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

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

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

Member of

CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Khalil UGUR
chancery:: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 412, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:: [1] (202) 737-4800

FAX

[1] (202) 737-1152

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Joseph S. HULINGS III
embassy:: 6 Teheran Street, Yubilenaya Hotel, Ashgabat
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [7] (3632) 24-49-25, 24-49-22

FAX

[7] (3632) 25-53-79

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 assymetrical 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

Economy

Turkmenistan is largely desert country with nomadic cattle | raising, intensive agriculture in irrigated oases, and huge gas and | oil resources.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$3,280

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

-24%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -25% (1994)

Inflation, consumer prices

25%per month

(1994)

Installed generating capacity, 2,480,000 kW

Electricity production

10.5 billionElectricity consumption per capita

2,600 (1994)

Overview

Turkmenistan is largely desert country with nomadic cattle raising, intensive agriculture in irrigated oases, and huge gas and oil resources. Half 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 significant 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.

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. With the onset of economic hard times, even cautious moves toward economic restructuring and privatization have slowed down.

For 1995, Turkmenistan will face continuing constraints on its earnings because of its customers' inability to pay for their gas and a low average cotton crop in 1994. Turkmenistan is working hard to open new gas export channels through Iran and Turkey, but these may take many years to realize.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $13.1 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)

Unemployment rate

Budget

revenues:: $NA
expenditures:: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exports

$382 million to states outside the FSU (1994)

commodities:: natural gas, cotton, petroleum products, electricity, textiles, carpets
partners:: Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Argentina

Imports

$304 million from states outside the FSU (1994)

commodities:: machinery and parts, grain and food, plastics and rubber, consumer durables, textiles
partners:: Russia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey

External debt

NEGL

Industries

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

Agriculture

cotton, grain, animal husbandry

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

Economic aid

recipient: Turkmenistan has received about $200 million in bilateral aid credits

Currency

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

Exchange rates

manats per US$1 - multiple rate system: 10 (official) and 230 (permitted in transactions between the government and individuals)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 64 in all

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

23,000Railroads

2,120

Highways: paved and graveled: 18,300 km · unpaved: earth 4,700 km (1990) · Railroads: ; does not include industrial lines · broad gauge: 2,120 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Railroads

total:: 2,120 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge:: 2,120 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Highways

total:: 23,000 km
paved and graveled:: 18,300 km
unpaved:: earth 4,700 km (1990)

Pipelines

crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km

Ports

Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnowodsk)

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

NA telephones;
only 7.5 telephones/100 persons (1991);
poorly developed

local:: NA
intercity:: NA
international:: linked by cable and microwave 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;
1 Orbita and 1 INTELSAT earth station