Turkmenistan
presidential republicIndependence 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Turkmenistan as the 2022 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 166 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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, Turkmen territories later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik resistance in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President for Life Saparmyrat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOW won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007, and again in 2012 and in 2017 with over 97% of the vote in both instances, in elections widely regarded as undemocratic.
In February 2022, BERDIMUHAMEDOW announced that he would step down from the presidency and called for an election to replace him. His son, Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW, won the ensuing election, held in March 2022, with 73% of the vote. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, although no longer head of state, maintains an influential political position as head of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council).
Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. As of late 2021, Turkmenistan exported the majority of its gas to China and smaller levels of gas to Russia. Turkmenistan's reliance on gas exports has made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in the global energy market, and economic hardships since the drop in energy prices in 2014 have led many Turkmenistanis to emigrate, mostly to Turkey. Heavy restrictions placed by the government in 2020 on entry and exit into the country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a steep drop in emigration, however.
Geography
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
20 fieldsLand useshare of 488,100 sq km
More
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
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)
Population distribution
- the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases;
- approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
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
People and Society
37 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2020 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population(2022 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2003 est.)
Languages
Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%; major-language sample(s): Dünýä Faktlar Kitaby – esasy maglumatlaryň wajyp çeşmesidir (Turkmen); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Muslim 93%, Christian 6.4%, Buddhist <1%, folk religion <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified <1% (2020 est.)
Demographic profile
While Turkmenistan reputedly has a population of more than 5.6 million, the figure is most likely considerably less. Getting an accurate population estimate for the country is impossible because then President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW withheld the results of the last two censuses.
The 2012 census results reportedly show that nearly 2 million citizens have emigrated in the last decade, which prompted BERDIMUHAMEDOW to order another census. Results of this census, covering 2008-2018, also were not released to the public but purportedly are similar. Another census supposedly will be held in 2022.
Authorities have reacted to the dramatic population decline by preventing Turkmen from leaving the country, including removing citizens from international flights and refusing to provide necessary documents. Turkmenistan’s rise in outmigration – mainly to Turkey, Russia, and Uzbekistan – coincided with the country’s 2013-2014 economic crisis.
The outflow has been sustained by poor living standards, inflation, low income, and a lack of health care. At the same time, Ashbagat is encouraging people to have more children to make up for its shrinking population.
Population distribution
- the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases;
- approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.89 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.59 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 0.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Environment
14 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
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;
- soil erosion;
- desertification
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 19.02 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 70.63 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 52.09 megatons (2020 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 54% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 755 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- industrial:
- 839 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- agricultural:
- 26.36 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Presidential republic; President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 19 March 2022); President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 19 March 2022)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
People's Council, 48 seatsone dot, one seat
Assembly, 125 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Turkmenistan
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Turkmenistan
- former:
- Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
- etymology:
- the suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so Turkmenistan literally means the "Land of the Turkmen [people]"
Capital
- name:
- Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
- geographic coordinates:
- 37 57 N, 58 23 E
- time difference:
- UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- derived from the Persian words esh q meaning "love" and abad meaning "inhabited place" or "city," and so loosely translates as "the city of love"
Administrative divisions
5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Welayaty (Anew), Ashgabat*, Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dasoguz 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)
Constitution
- history:
- several previous; latest adopted 14 September 2016
- amendments:
- proposed by the Mejlisi;
- passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum;
- amended several times, last in 2020 (changed legislature to bicameral)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- no
- citizenship by descent only:
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan
- dual citizenship recognized:
- yes
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 7 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 19 March 2022); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 19 March 2022)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
- elections/appointments:
- president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (no term limits);
- election last held on 12 March 2022 (next to be held in 2029);
- note - on 11 February 2022, President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW announced his intent to retire setting up the early presidential election
- election results:
- ; 2017: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (DPT) 97.7%, other 2.3%
- 2022: Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW elected president;
- percent of vote - Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW 73.0%, Khydyr NUNNAYEV 11.1%, Agadzhan BEKMYRADOV 7.2%, other 8.7%;
- note - Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW is the son of previous president Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW
Legislative branch
- description:
- bicameral National Council or Milli Genesi consists of:; People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (56 seats; 48 members indirectly elected by provincial councils and 8 members appointed by the president); Assembly or Mejlisi (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms)
note: in September 2020, the Turkmenistani legislature (Milli Genesi) adopted a constitutional amendment creating an upper chamber, making the legislature bicameral; the chairperson of the Halk Maslahaty is now designated as the constitutional successor to the presidency; as of March 2022, Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW continues to serve in this position after stepping away from the presidency
- elections:
- ; Assembly - last held on 25 March 2018 (next to be held NA)
- People's Council - first held on 28 March 2021 for 48 indirectly elected members (next to be held in 2026);
- first held on 14 April 2021 for 8 presidentially appointed members (next to be held NA)
- election results:
- ;
- People's Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - DPT 3, independent 45;
- composition as of mid-2022 (55 members) - men 41, women 14, percent of women 25.5%
- Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - DPT 55, APT 11, PIE 11, independent 48 (individuals nominated by citizen groups);
- composition as of mid-2022 (116 members) - men 86, women 30, percent of women 25.9%;
- note - total percent of National Council percent of women 25.7%
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)
- judge selection and term of office:
- judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms
- subordinate courts:
- High Commercial Court;
- appellate courts;
- provincial, district, and city courts;
- military courts
Political parties and leaders
- Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or APT [Basim ANNAGURBANOW]
- Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Ata SERDAROW]
- Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs or PIE [Saparmyrat OWGANOW]
note: all of these parties support President BERDIMUHAMEDOW; a law authorizing the registration of political parties went into effect in January 2012; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Meret ORAZOV (since 14 February 2001)
- chancery:
- 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 588-1500
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 588-1500
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://usa.tmembassy.gov.tm/en
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Matthew S. KLIMOW (since 26 June 2019)
- embassy:
- 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744000
- mailing address:
- 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
- telephone:
- [993] (12) 94-00-45
- FAX:
- [993] (12) 94-26-14
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://tm.usembassy.gov/
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, five-pointed 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
National anthem
- name:
- "Garassyz, Bitarap Turkmenistanyn" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)
- lyrics/music:
- collective/Veli MUKHATOV
note: adopted 1997, lyrics revised in 2008, to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW
National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites:
- 3 (all cultural)
- selected World Heritage Site locales:
- Ancient Merv;
- Kunya-Urgench;
- Parthian Fortresses of Nisa
Economy
Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and significant natural gas and oil resources.
32 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 est.)
Economic overview
Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and significant natural gas and 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 almost 8% of GDP, it continues to employ nearly half of the country's workforce.
Hydrocarbon exports, the bulk of which is natural gas going to China, make up 25% of Turkmenistan’s GDP. Ashgabat has explored two initiatives to bring gas to new markets: a trans-Caspian pipeline that would carry gas to Europe and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Both face major financing, political, and security hurdles and are unlikely to be completed soon.
Turkmenistan’s autocratic governments under presidents NIYAZOW (1991-2006) and BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 2007) have made little progress improving the business climate, privatizing state-owned industries, combatting corruption, and limiting economic development outside the energy sector.
High energy prices in the mid-2000s allowed the government to undertake extensive development and social spending, including providing heavy utility subsidies.
Low energy prices since mid-2014 are hampering Turkmenistan’s economic growth and reducing government revenues. The government has cut subsidies in several areas, and wage arrears have increased. In January 2014, the Central Bank of Turkmenistan devalued the manat by 19%, and downward pressure on the currency continues.
There is a widening spread between the official exchange rate (3.5 TMM per US dollar) and the black market exchange rate (approximately 14 TMM per US dollar). Currency depreciation and conversion restrictions, corruption, isolationist policies, and declining spending on public services have resulted in a stagnate economy that is nearing crisis.
Turkmenistan claims substantial foreign currency reserves, but non-transparent data limit international institutions’ ability to verify this information.
Agricultural products
milk, wheat, cotton, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, grapes, sugar beet, beef, rice
Exports - commodities
natural gas, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cotton fibers, fertilizers (2019)
Imports - commodities
iron products, harvesting machinery, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, tractors (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$24.91 billion (31 December 2017 est.) · $25.05 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
Turkmenistani manat (TMM) per US dollar - 4.125 (2017 est.) · 3.5 (2016 est.) · 3.5 (2015 est.) · 3.5 (2014 est.) · 2.85 (2013 est.)
Energy
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2020)
Installed generating capacity, 5.205 million kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 235,300 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 153,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate exports:
- 59,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate imports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 600 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 83,622,908,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
- consumption:
- 45,398,541,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
- exports:
- 38,224,367,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
- imports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 11,326,720,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
109.037 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 19.977 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 89.06 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2018–22 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- the nation of Turkmenistan, which rivals only North Korea for its isolationism, continues to keep its telecom sector along with the broader populace under tight control;
- the country inched up just one point off the bottom of the world rankings for press and internet freedom in the most recent report from Reporters Without Borders;
- most social networks in the country are blocked, although locals do have access to the government-developed platform released in 2019;
- all internet users, however, need to identify themselves before logging on, and strict censorship over what can be viewed is in force;
- the end result is that Turkmenistan has one of the lowest penetration rates for internet access in the world (2022)
- domestic:
- fixed-line nearly 12 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 155 per 100 persons; first telecommunication satellite was launched in 2015 (2020)
- 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 (2018)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production;
progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
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
Transportation
12 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 27
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 2,457,474 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 16.92 million (2018) mt-km
Military and Security
Armed Forces of Turkmenistan: Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces; Federal Border Guard Service; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, national police (2022)
6 fieldsPersonnel strengthsone square, 100 people · (2022)
Military and security forces
- Armed Forces of Turkmenistan:
- Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces;
- Federal Border Guard Service;
- Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, national police (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the inventory for Turkmenistan's military is comprised largely of older Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems;
- since 2010, however, it has attempted to diversify and purchased equipment from more than a dozen countries, with Turkey as the top supplier (2022)
Military service age and obligation
- 18-30 years of age for compulsory male military service;
- 24-month conscript service obligation (30 months for the Navy);
- 20 years of age for voluntary service (including females);
- males may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2022)
Military - note
as of 2022, Turkmenistan continued to pursue a nationalist and isolationist security policy and has declined to participate in post-Soviet military groupings such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization military alliance (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO);
however, in September 2020, it participated in a Russian-led multinational military exercise held in southern Russia’s Astrakhan region alongside Russian, Chinese, Pakistani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Mongolian, Syrian, Iranian, Egyptian, Belarusian, Turkish, Armenian, and Azerbaijani contingents
as of 2022, Turkmenistan continued efforts to improve its naval capabilities on the Caspian Sea, including expanding ship building capabilities and adding larger vessels to the Navy’s inventory; in 2018, it opened its first naval shipyard and in August 2021, the Navy commissioned its largest warship, a corvette that was jointly constructed with Turkey
Transnational Issues
4 fieldsDisputes - international
- Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan :
- in January 2021, the two countries reached a preliminary agreement on the joint exploration of an undersea hydrocarbon field containing oil and natural gas in the Caspian Sea
- Turkmenistan-Iran :
- none identified
- Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan :
- Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed a treaty on the delimitation and demarcation process in 2001;
- field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005;
- Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan agreed to their border in the Caspian Sea in 2014
- Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan :
- in 2017, the three countries signed an agreement of the junction of their borders
- Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan :
- cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states;
- in 2021, the two countries reached an agreement to create a joint intergovernmental commission to oversee water management
Trafficking in persons
- tier rating:
- Tier 3 — Turkmenistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so;
- the government approved the 2020-2022 national action plan, continued anti-trafficking awareness campaigns, worked with international organizations on combating trafficking, provided training to its diplomatic corps on human trafficking, and identified potential trafficking victims at the international airport;
- however, the government used forced labor in the cotton harvest and public works projects;
- no officials were held accountable for their role in trafficking crimes;
- authorities did not prosecute or convict any traffickers;
- no victims were identified and offered protection or assistance programs (2020)
- trafficking profile:
- Turkmenistan is a source, and to a much lesser degree, destination country for men, women, and children who are 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;
- some Turkmen women and girls are sex trafficked abroad;
- Turkey is the primary trafficking destination, followed by Russia, India, and other countries in the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and Europe;
- labor trafficking occurs within Turkmenistan, particularly in the construction industry;
- government officials require employees in private sector institutions, soldiers, and public sector workers to pick cotton without payment under the threat of penalty, such as dismissal, reduced work hours, or salary deductions to meet government-imposed quotas for the cotton harvest
Illicit drugs
- transit country for Afghan opiates to Turkish, Russian, and European markets, either directly from Afghanistan or through Iran;
- not a major producer or source country for illegal drugs or precursor chemicals
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Turkmenistan.” The World Factbook 2022. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/turkmenistan/2022.