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 northern Turkmenistan with a
water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina
Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Land use:
arable land: 4.51%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 95.35% (2005)
Irrigated land:
18,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
60.9 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 24.65 cu km/yr (2%/1%/98%)
per capita: 5,104 cu m/yr (2000)
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; 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 ::Turkmenistan
Population:
4,940,916 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.9% (male 713,698/female 697,222)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,618,678/female 1,646,992)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 90,352/female 117,945) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.8 years
male: 24.4 years
female: 25.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.14% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
Birth rate:
19.62 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Death rate:
6.27 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Net migration rate:
-1.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
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 (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.84 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 60
male: 52.13 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 35.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.2 years
country comparison to the world: 151
male: 65.25 years
female: 71.29 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.19 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
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 (official) 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: 110
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:
defines itself as a secular democracy and a presidential republic;
in actuality displays authoritarian presidential rule, with power
concentrated within the presidential administration
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 26 September 2008
Legal system:
transitioning to civil law system and influenced by Islamic law
tradition; 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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 14 December 2008 (next to be held in
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 26 September 2008, a new constitution of Turkmenistan
abolished a second, 2,507-member legislative body known as the
People's Council and expanded 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
is chairman; Kasymguly BABAYEW is DPT Political Council First
Secretary]
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:
none
International organization participation:
ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter
although it participates in meetings), 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, 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 Eileen A. MALLOY
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; five white 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 2008; following the death of the
President Saparmurat NYYAZOW, the lyrics were altered to eliminate
references to the former president
Economy ::Turkmenistan
Economy - overview:
Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture
in irrigated oases and sizeable 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 roughly 10% of GDP, it continues to employ nearly half of the
country's workforce. 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
export revenues 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. New pipelines to China and Iran, that began operation in
late 2009 and early 2010, have given Turkmenistan additional export
routes for its gas, although these new routes have not offset the
sharp drop in export revenue since early 2009 from decreased gas
exports to Russia. Overall prospects in the near future are
discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, endemic
corruption, 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 unified the
country's dual currency exchange rate, ordered the redenomination of
the manat, reduced state subsidies for gasoline, and initiated
development of a special tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. Although
foreign investment is encouraged, numerous bureaucratic obstacles
impede international business activity.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$36.64 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
$33.01 billion (2009 est.)
$31.11 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$27.96 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
11% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
6.1% (2009 est.)
10.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,400 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
$6,800 (2009 est.)
$6,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 30%
services: 59.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
2.3 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
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: 60
Investment (gross fixed):
12.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
10% (2009 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$573 million (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 157
$469.5 million (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.053 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
$912.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.089 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
$1.811 billion (31 December 2009 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:
7.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Electricity - production:
15.5 billion kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Electricity - consumption:
13 billion kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Electricity - exports:
2.5 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
197,700 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
Oil - consumption:
120,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Oil - exports:
38,360 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - production:
34 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
Natural gas - consumption:
20 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Natural gas - exports:
14 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - proved reserves:
7.504 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Current account balance:
$3.081 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
$1.065 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$9.672 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
$6.737 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber
Exports - partners:
Ukraine 22.3%, Turkey 10.27%, Hungary 6.75%, UAE 6.25%, Poland
6.16%, Afghanistan 5.79%, Iran 5.17% (2009)
Imports:
$4.888 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
$4.109 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
China 18.03%, Turkey 16.49%, Russia 16.45%, Germany 5.91%, UAE
5.81%, Ukraine 5.67%, US 5.41%, France 4.32% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$10.81 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
$9.551 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$5 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
$1.4 billion (2004 est.)
Exchange rates:
Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar - 2.85 (2010), 2.85 (2009), 14,250
(2008)
Communications ::Turkmenistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
478,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 99
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.5 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 139
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; combined fixed-line
and mobile teledensity is about 40 per 100 persons
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)
Broadcast media:
broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 4 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 seizing satellite dishes
(2007)
Internet country code:
.tm
Internet hosts:
794 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 172
Internet users:
80,400 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 165
Transportation ::Turkmenistan
Airports:
27 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 122
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 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 6,417 km; oil 1,457 km (2009)
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: 77
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: 9
country comparison to the world: 119
by type: cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Turkmenbasy
Military ::Turkmenistan
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript
service obligation (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,360,898
females age 16-49: 1,368,265 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,046,907
females age 16-49: 1,168,960 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 55,805
female: 54,908 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
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 January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@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: Flamingo Hill 48 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:
23,528 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217
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) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 28 years
male: 28.8 years
female: 27.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.491% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
Birth rate:
20.44 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Death rate:
4.17 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
Net migration rate:
8.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.047 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.43 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 130
male: 15.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.64 years
country comparison to the world: 78
male: 73.32 years
female: 78.07 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
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