(1999)
Imports: $40 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery 29%, semi-finished goods 16%,
chemicals 14%, transport equipment 11%, fuels 8% (1998)
Imports - partners: Germany 14%, Italy 8%, US 8%, France 8%, Russia
6%, UK 5% (1999)
Debt - external: $104 billion (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $195 million (1993)
Currency: Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus (theoretical)
Exchange rates: Turkish liras (TL) per US$1 - 545,584 (January 2000),
418,783 (1999), 260,724 (1998), 151,865 (1997), 81,405 (1996),
45,845.1 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Turkey:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 17.244 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 3.2 million (1998)
Telephone system: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion,
especially cellular telephones
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid increase
in subscribers; the construction of a network of technologically
advanced intercity trunk lines, using both fiber-optic cable and
digital microwave radio relay is facilitating communication between
urban centers; remote areas are reached by a domestic satellite
system; the number of subscribers to mobile cellular telephone service
is growing rapidly
international: international service is provided by three submarine
fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, linking Turkey
with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia, by 12
Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile satellite terminals in the
Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems
Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 72, shortwave 6 (1998)
Radios: 11.3 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 69 (plus 476 low-power repeaters)
(1997)
Televisions: 20.9 million (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 24 (1999)
@Turkey:Transportation
Railways:
total: 8,607 km
standard gauge: 8,607 km 1.435-m gauge (1,524 km electrified) (1999)
Highways:
total: 382,397 km
paved: 95,599 km (including 1,726 km of expressways)
unpaved: 286,798 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: about 1,200 km
Pipelines: crude oil 1,738 km; petroleum products 2,321 km; natural
gas 708 km
Ports and harbors: Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli
(Izmit), Icel (Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon
Merchant marine:
total: 547 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,935,173 GRT/9,771,421
DWT
ships by type: bulk 155, cargo 244, chemical tanker 37, combination
bulk 5, combination ore/oil 6, container 20, liquified gas 5,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 3,
roll-on/roll-off 22, short-sea passenger 9, specialized tanker 5 (1999
est.)
Airports: 118 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 82
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 5 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 26 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1999 est.)
@Turkey:Military
Military branches: Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval
Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 18,523,950 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 11,227,922 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 664,024 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $6.737 billion (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.3% (FY97)
@Turkey:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: complex maritime, air, and territorial
disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Greece;
dispute with downstream riparian states (Syria and Iraq) over water
development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; traditional
demands regarding former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided
Illicit drugs: key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western
Europe and - to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea
routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking
organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert
imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as
well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas
of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate
______________________________________________________________________
TURKMENISTAN
@Turkmenistan:Introduction
Background: 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.
@Turkmenistan:Geography
Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and
Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 60 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total: 488,100 sq km
land: 488,100 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km,
Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Coastline: 0 km
note: Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: subtropical desert
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m (note - Sarygamysh Koli is a
lake in north eastern Turkmenistan whose water levels fluctuate
widely; at its shallowest, its level is -110 m; it is presently at -60
m, 20 m above Vpadina Akchanaya)
highest point: Ayrybaba 3,139 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 63%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 26% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 13,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
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;
desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: landlocked
@Turkmenistan:People
Population: 4,518,268 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
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.)
Population growth rate: 1.87% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 28.88 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 9.04 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
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.)
Infant mortality rate: 73.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.91 years
male: 57.29 years
female: 64.71 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.63 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen
Ethnic groups: Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other
5.1% (1995)
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%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.)
@Turkmenistan:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
local short form: Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: TX
Government type: republic
Capital: Ashgabat
Administrative divisions: 5 welayatlar (singular - welayat): Ahal
Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty
(formerly Tashauz), Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), 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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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%
Legislative branch: under the 1992 constitution, there are two
parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty
(more than 100 seats, some of which are elected by popular vote and
some of which are appointed; meets infrequently) and a unicameral
Assembly or Majlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Council - NA; Assembly - last held 12 December
1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - NA; note - all 50 elected officials preapproved by President
NIYAZOV; most are from the DPT
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries
International organization participation: CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Halil UGUR
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 588-1500
FAX: (202) 588-0697
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Steven R. MANN
embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: (9312) 35-00-45, 35-00-46, 35-00-42, 51-13-06, Tie Line
962-0000
FAX: (9312) 51-13-05
Flag description: 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
@Turkmenistan:Economy
Economy - 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
possesses 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. 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. Turkmenistan is working
hard to open new gas export channels through Iran and Turkey to
Europe, but these will take many years to realize. In 1998-99,
Turkmenistan faced revenue shortfalls due to the continued lack of
adequate export routes for natural gas and obligations on extensive
short-term external debt. Prospects in the near future are
discouraging because of widespread internal poverty and the burden of
foreign debt. IMF assistance would seem to be necessary, yet the
government is not as yet ready to accept IMF requirements.
Turkmenistan's 1999 deal to ship 20 billion cubic meters (bcm) of
natural gas through Russia's Gazprom will help alleviate the 2000
fiscal shortfall, but will not make up for the absence of meaningful
progress in economic reform.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 9% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,800 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 62%
services: 28% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 26.9% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 2.34 million (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry
and construction 19%, other 37% (1996)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $521 million
expenditures: $548 million, including capital expenditures of $83
million (1996 est.)
Industries: natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food
processing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 8.745 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.94%
hydro: 0.06%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 5.453 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 2.74 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 60 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: cotton, grain; livestock
Exports: $1.1 billion (1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: oil and gas 55%, cotton 22% (1998)
Exports - partners: Iran, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan,
Azerbaijan
Imports: $1.25 billion (1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 45%, chemicals,
foodstuffs (1998)
Imports - partners: Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Germany, US, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan
Debt - external: $2.1 billion (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $27.2 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Turkmen manat (TMM) = 100 tenesi
Exchange rates: Turkmen manats per US$1 - 5,200 (January 2000), 5,350
(January 1999), 4,070 (January 1997), 2,400 (January 1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Turkmenistan:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 320,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone 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 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 1.225 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (much programming relayed from Russia
and Turkey) (1997)
Televisions: 820,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
@Turkmenistan:Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,187 km
broad gauge: 2,187 km 1.520-m gauge (1996 est.)
Highways:
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.)
Waterways: the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km
Ports and harbors: Turkmenbashi
Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,896 GRT/3,389 DWT
ships by type: petroleum tanker 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 64 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 42
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 35 (1994 est.)
@Turkmenistan:Military
Military branches: Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense,
Navy, Border Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,141,227 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 926,160 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 46,487 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $90 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (FY99)
@Turkmenistan:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet
determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and
Illicit drugs: 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
______________________________________________________________________
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Introduction
Background: The islands were under Jamaican jurisdiction until 1962,
when they assumed the status of a crown colony. 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 are presently a British overseas territory.
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Geography
Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean,
southeast of The Bahamas
Geographic coordinates: 21 45 N, 71 35 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 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:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 98% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: frequent hurricanes
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources,
private cisterns collect rainwater
Geography - note: 30 islands (eight inhabited)
@Turks and Caicos Islands:People
Population: 17,502 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 2,889; female 2,806)
15-64 years: 63% (male 5,834; female 5,274)
65 years and over: 4% (male 313; female 386) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.55% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 25.65 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 4.57 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 14.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.28 years
male: 71.15 years
female: 75.51 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.25 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups: black
Religions: Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980)
Languages: English (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
Data code: TK
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
Government type: NA
Capital: Cockburn Town (on Grand Turk)
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution: introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored
and revised 5 March 1988
Legal system: based on laws of England and Wales, with a small number
adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953),
represented by Governor John KELLY (since NA September 1996)
head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January
1995)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and
five appointed by the governor from among the members of the
Legislative Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which
13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 1999 (next to be held by NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 52.2%, PNP 40.9%,
independent 6.9%; seats by party - PDM 9, PNP 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Movement or PDM
; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington
MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP
International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB,
Interpol (subbureau)
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
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Economy
Economy - overview: The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism,
fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food
for domestic consumption are imported. The US was the leading source
of tourists in 1996, accounting for more than half of the 87,000
visitors; tourist arrivals had risen to 93,000 by 1998. Major sources
of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities
and customs receipts.