Turkmenistan
republicIndependence 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Turkmenistan as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 87 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Geography
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran | and Kazakstan
15 fieldsLand useshare of 488,100 sq km
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
- lowest point:
- Sarygamysh Koli -110 m
- highest point:
- Ayrybaba 3,139 m
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; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1996 est.)
Male · female(1996 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 39% (male 826,637; female 804,385)
- 15-64 years:
- 56% (male 1,154,415; female 1,188,173)
- 65 years and over:
- 5% (male 65,447; female 110,226) (July 1996 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.59 male(s)/female
- all ages:
- 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Government
Republic; President Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occured) was elected to a five-year term by universal suffrage; Prime Minister (vacant)
21 fieldsLegislature, 50 seatsone dot, one seat
Name of country
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Turkmenistan
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Turkmenistan
- former:
- Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Administrative divisions
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occured) was elected to a five-year term by universal suffrage;
- 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 Mukhamed ABALAKOV (since NA), Babamurad BAZAROV (since NA), Hekim ISHANOV (since NA), Valeriy OTCHERTSOV (since NA), Yagmur OVEZOV (since NA), Matkarim RAJAPOV (since NA), Pirkuly ODEYEV (since NA), Rejep SAPAROV (since NA), Boris SHIKHMURADOV (since NA), Batyr SARJAYEV (since NA), Amannazar ILAMANOV (since NA), Ilaman SHYKHYYEV (since NA) were appointed by the president
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers was appointed by the president
note: NIYAZOV has been asked by various local groups, most recently on 26 October 1995 at the annual elders meeting, to be "president for life," but that would require an amendment to the constitution
Legislative branch
under the 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 1999);
- results - percent of vote by party NA;
- seats - (50 total) Democratic Party 45, other 5;
- note - all 50 preapproved by President NIYAZOV
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat NIYAZOV;
- Party for Democratic Development, Durdymurat HOJA-MUHAMEDOV, chairman;
- Agzybirlik, Nurberdy NURMAMEDOV, cochairman, Hubayberdi HALLIYEV, cochairman
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries
International organization participation
CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Halil UGUR
- chancery:
- 1511 K Street NW, Suite 412, Washington, DC 20005
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 737-4800
US diplomatic representation
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Michael W. COTTER
- embassy:
- 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [7] (3632) 35-00-45, 35-00-46, 35-00-42, Tie Line [8] 962-0000
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 asymmetrical 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.
21 fieldsGDP composition by sector(1991 est.)
Installed generating capacity, 2,480,000 kW
Economic overview
Turkmenistan is largely desert country with nomadic cattle raising, intensive agriculture in irrigated oases, and huge gas and oil resources. One-half of 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 substantial 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.
The economy remained depressed through 1995 while inflation soared. 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.
For 1996, Turkmenistan will face continuing constraints on its earnings because of its customers' inability to pay for their gas and a below average cotton crop in 1995. Turkmenistan is working hard to open new gas export channels through Iran and Turkey, but these will take many years to realize.
GDP
purchasing power parity - $11.5 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
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
Exports
$1.9 billion to states outside the FSU (1995)
- commodities:
- natural gas, cotton, petroleum products, electricity, textiles, carpets
- partners:
- Ukraine, Russia, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Argentina
Imports
$777 million from states outside the FSU (1995)
- commodities:
- machinery and parts, grain and food, plastics and rubber, consumer durables, textiles
- partners:
- Russia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Turkey
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $10 million (1993) note: commitments, $1,830 million ($375 million drawn), 1992-95
Exchange rates
manats per US$1 - 2,400 (January 1996) note: government established a unified rate in mid-January 1996
Transportation
6 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 64 in all
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 2,120 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
- broad gauge:
- 2,120 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Communications
Army, Air and Air Defense, Republic Security Forces | (internal and border troops), National Guard
9 fieldsTelephone system
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
Radio broadcast stations
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note - there is at least one state-owned radio broadcast station of NA type
Branches
Army, Air and Air Defense, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard
Manpower availability
- males age 15-49:
- 1,024,398
- males fit for military service:
- 834,803
- males reach military age (18) annually:
- 41,697 (1996 est.)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Turkmenistan.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/turkmenistan/1996.