male: 24.1 years
female: 24.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.141% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Birth rate:
19.69 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
Death rate:
6.31 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Net migration rate:
-1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Urbanization:
urban population: 49% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 45.36 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 56
male: 53.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 36.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.87 years
country comparison to the world: 153
male: 64.94 years
female: 70.95 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.22 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen
Ethnic groups:
Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)
Religions:
Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Languages:
Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.3%
female: 98.3% (1999 est.)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (1991)
country comparison to the world: 108
Government ::Turkmenistan
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
local short form: Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside
the executive branch
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)
Administrative divisions:
5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat) and 1 independent
city*: Ahal Welayaty (Anew), 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)
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 and Islamic law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14
February 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14
February 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held on 11 February 2007 (next to be held in February
2012)
election results: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW elected president;
percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 89.2%, Amanyaz ATAJYKOW
3.2%, other candidates 7.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament known as the National Assembly (Mejlis) (125
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 December 2008 (next to be held December 2013)
election results: 100% of elected officials are members of either
the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or its pseudo-civil society
parent organization, the Revival Movement, and are preapproved by
the president
note: in autumn 2008, the constitution of Turkmenistan was revised
to abolish the 2,507-member legislative body known as the People's
Council and to expand the number of deputies in the National
Assembly from 65 to 125; the powers formerly held by the People's
Council were divided up between the president and the National
Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
opposition movements exist abroad; the three most prominent
opposition groups-in-exile are the National Democratic Movement of
Turkmenistan (NDMT), the Republican Party of Turkmenistan, and the
Watan (Fatherland) Party; the NDMT was led by former Foreign
Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the
wake of the 25 November 2002 attack on President NYYAZOW's motorcade
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ADB, CIS, 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, SCO (guest),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOW
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Richard M.
MILES
embassy: No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan 744000
mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
telephone: [993] (12) 35-00-45
FAX: [993] (12) 39-26-14
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; a white crescent moon
representing Islam with five white stars representing the regions or
welayats of Turkmenistan appear in the upper corner of the field
just to the fly side of the red stripe
Economy ::Turkmenistan
Economy - overview:
Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture
in irrigated oases and sizeable gas and oil resources. One-half of
its irrigated land is planted in cotton; formerly it was the world's
10th-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years have led to an
almost 50% decline in cotton exports. 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. From 1998-2005,
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 by an
average of roughly 15% per year from 2003-08, largely because of
higher international oil and gas prices. A new pipeline to China,
set to come online in late 2009 or early 2010, will give
Turkmenistan an additional export route for its gas. Overall
prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread
internal poverty, a poor educational system, government misuse of
oil and gas revenues, and Ashgabat's reluctance to adopt
market-oriented reforms. In the past, Turkmenistan's economic
statistics were state secrets. The new government has established a
State Agency for Statistics, but GDP numbers and other figures are
subject to wide margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP
growth is uncertain. Since his election, President BERDIMUHAMEDOW
has sought to improve the health and education systems, unified the
country's dual currency exchange rate, ordered the redenomination of
the manat, reduced state subsidies for gasoline, increased Internet
access both in schools and Internet cafes, ordered an independent
audit of Turkmenistan's gas resources, and created a special tourism
zone on the Caspian Sea. Although foreign investment is encouraged,
numerous bureaucratic obstacles from the NYYZOW-era remain.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$31.28 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
$28.49 billion (2007 est.)
$25.53 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$29.16 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
9.8% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
11.6% (2007 est.)
11.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,500 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
$6,000 (2007 est.)
$5,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.1%
industry: 39%
services: 51.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
13.51 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 48.2%
industry: 14%
services: 37.8% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
60% (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
Population below poverty line:
30% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8 (1998)
country comparison to the world: 59
Investment (gross fixed):
1.2% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
Budget:
revenues: $1.667 billion
expenditures: $1.407 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
11.3% (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain; livestock
Industries:
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
Electricity - production:
13.99 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Electricity - consumption:
10.45 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Electricity - exports:
1.46 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
189,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
Oil - consumption:
112,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Oil - exports:
84,770 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Oil - imports:
2,542 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Natural gas - production:
70.5 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Natural gas - consumption:
21 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - exports:
48.5 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 7
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.662 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Current account balance:
$4.669 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
$3.285 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$11.92 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
$7.919 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber
Exports - partners:
Ukraine 51.7%, Poland 10%, Hungary 8.1% (2008)
Imports:
$5.654 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
$3.615 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
China 16.9%, Russia 15.9%, Turkey 14%, UAE 10.3%, Ukraine 7.9%,
Germany 5.6%, Iran 5.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$13.88 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
$13.19 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.4 billion (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
note: some estimates put this figure as high as $5 billion
Exchange rates:
Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar - 14,250 (as of 1 May 2008 est.)
Communications ::Turkmenistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
495,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 98
Telephones - mobile cellular:
810,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 146
Telephone system:
general assessment: telecommunications network remains
underdeveloped and progress toward improvement is slow; strict
government control and censorship inhibits liberalization and
modernization
domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign partners, has
installed high speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the
country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital
technology; mobile telephone usage is expanding with Russia's Mobile
Telesystems (MTS) the primary service provider
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
(2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (government-owned and programmed) (2004)
Internet country code:
.tm
Internet hosts:
755 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 164
Internet users:
75,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 161
Transportation ::Turkmenistan
Airports:
28 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 120
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 6,417 km; oil 1,457 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,980 km
country comparison to the world: 56
broad gauge: 2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 58,592 km
country comparison to the world: 75
paved: 47,577 km
unpaved: 11,015 km (2002)
Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal are important inland
waterways) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 56
Merchant marine:
total: 7
country comparison to the world: 127
by type: cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Turkmenbasy
Military ::Turkmenistan
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript
service obligation (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,316,698
females age 16-49: 1,331,005 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,024,884
females age 16-49: 1,147,714 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 57,021
female: 56,064 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Transnational Issues ::Turkmenistan
Disputes - international:
cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates
water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field
demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005, but
Caspian seabed delimitation remains stalled with Azerbaijan, Iran,
and Kazakhstan due to Turkmenistan's indecision over how to allocate
the sea's waters and seabed
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 11,173 (Tajikistan); less than 1,000
(Afghanistan) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western
European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound
for Afghanistan
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Turks and Caicos Islands (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Background:
The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when
they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's
independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965
to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate
governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982,
the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas
territory.
Geography ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast
of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
Geographic coordinates:
21 45 N, 71 35 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 948 sq km
country comparison to the world: 185
land: 948 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
389 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain:
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
Natural resources:
spiny lobster, conch
Land use:
arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect
rainwater
Geography - note:
about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
People ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Population:
22,942 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 3,528/female 3,401)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 7,875/female 7,164)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 475/female 499) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.9 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 27.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.563% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Birth rate:
20.79 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Death rate:
4.18 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
Net migration rate:
9.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.89 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 131
male: 16.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.42 years
country comparison to the world: 77
male: 73.12 years
female: 77.83 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.95 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups:
black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Religions:
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other
14% (1990)
Languages:
English (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
NA
People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound
for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US
Government ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
abbreviation: TCI
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution:
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order
2009, S.I. 2009/701 - effective 14 August 2009 - suspended
Ministerial government, the House of Assembly, and the
constitutional right to trial by jury, and imposed direct British
rule
Legal system:
based on laws of England and Wales with a few adopted from Jamaica
and The Bahamas
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 5 August 2008)
head of government: Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 14 August
2009); note - the office of premier is suspended by the Order in
Council, effective 14 August 2009
cabinet: under provisions of the Order in Council, the cabinet is
suspended effective 14 August 2009 and replaced by an Advisory
Council appointed by the governor
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch
note: following an investigation into allegations of widespread
corruption and misconduct within the Turks and Caicos Government,
the UK foreign minister directed the governor to bring into effect
on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council suspending Ministerial
government and the House of Assembly, and imposing direct rule for a
period of up to two years
Legislative branch:
under provisions of the Order in Council, the unicameral House of
Assembly is dissolved and all seats vacated for a period of up to
two years; in the interim, a Consultative Forum, appointed by the
governor, will be established
elections: last held 9 February 2007 (next to be held by July 2011)
election results: under provisions of the Order in Council, all
seats in the House of Assembly are vacated
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive
National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the
shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
Economy ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy - overview:
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial
services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic
consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists,
accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that
arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include
fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$216 million (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,500 (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
4,848 (1990 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
Labor force - by occupation: