Turkmenistan

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.

• flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south;
• low mountains along border with Iran;
• borders Caspian Sea in west

• 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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

0-14 years:

38% (male 887,088; female 850,384)

15-64 years:

58% (male 1,277,176; female 1,321,465)

65 years and over:

4% (male 69,383; female 112,772) (2000 est.)

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.62 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Turkmen(s)

adjective:

Turkmen

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Turkmenistan

local long form:

none

local short form:

Turkmenistan

former:

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

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

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)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• election last held 21 June 1992 (next scheduled 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%

chief of mission:

Ambassador Halil UGUR

chancery:

2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 588-1500

FAX:

[1] (202) 588-0697

chief of mission:

Ambassador Steven R. MANN

embassy:

9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[9] (9312) 35-00-45, 35-00-46, 35-00-42, 51-13-06, Tie Line [8] 962-0000

FAX:

[9] (9312) 51-13-05

• 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

lowest 10%:

2.7%

highest 10%:

26.9% (1993)

total:

2,187 km

broad gauge:

2,187 km 1.520-m gauge (1996 est.)

total:

24,000 km

paved:

19,488 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced)

unpaved:

4,512 km (1996 est.)

total:

1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,896 GRT/3,389 DWT

ships by type:

petroleum tanker 1 (1999 est.)

• limited illicit cultivator of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption;
• limited government eradication program;
• increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe;
• also a transshipment point for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]