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: elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 21 June 1992 (next 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%
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)
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) 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 elections: People's Council -
NA; Assembly - last held 12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT
[Saparmurat NIYAZOV] note: movements exist underground or in foreign
countries
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Mered Bairamovich ORAZOV FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697 telephone: [1] (202)
588-1500 chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Laura E. KENNEDY embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
774000 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [9] (9312)
35-00-45 FAX: [9] (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
Economy Turkmenistan
Economy - overview: Turkmenistan is largely desert country with intensive
agriculture in irrigated oases and huge gas (fifth largest reserves in
the world) and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted
in cotton, making it the world's tenth largest producer. 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. In 1998-2001, Turkmenistan
has 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 have risen sharply
because of higher international oil and gas prices. Prospects in the
near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, the
burden of foreign debt, and the unwillingness of the government to adopt
market-oriented reforms. However, Turkmenistan's cooperation with the
international community in transporting humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
may foreshadow a change in the atmosphere for foreign investment, aid,
and technological support. Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state
secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins of error.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $21.5 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 10% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,700 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27% industry: 45% services:
28% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 34.4% (2001 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)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 2.34 million (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 48%, industry 15%, services 37%
(1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $588.6 million expenditures: $658.2 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries: natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food
processing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 9.256 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.94% hydro: 0.06%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 7.708 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 900 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: cotton, grain; livestock
Exports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: gas 33%, oil 30%, cotton fiber 18%, textiles 8%
(1999)
Exports - partners: Ukraine 27%, Iran 14%, Turkey 11%, Italy 9%,
Switzerland 5% (1999)
Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999)
Imports - partners: Turkey 17%, Ukraine 12%, Russia 11%, UAE 8%, France
6% (1999)
Debt - external: $2.3 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $16 million from the US (2001)
Currency: Turkmen manat (TMM)
Currency code: TMM
Exchange rates: Turkmen manats per US dollar - 5,200 (January
2002-January 2000), 5,350 (January 1999), 4,070 (January 1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Turkmenistan
Telephones - main lines in use: 363,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 4,300 (1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: 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 country code: .tm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Internet users: 2,000 (2000)
Transportation Turkmenistan
Railways: total: 2,440 km broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2001)
Highways: total: 22,000 km paved: 18,000 km (includes some all-weather
gravel-surfaced roads) unpaved: 4,000 km (these roads are made of
unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1996)
Waterways: the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km
Ports and harbors: Turkmenbasy
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,600
GRT/5,000 DWT ships by type: petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 76 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to
2,437 m: 4 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 63 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524
to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 41 (2001)
Military Turkmenistan
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 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,206,920 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 979,282
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 48,292
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $90 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (FY99)
Transnational Issues Turkmenistan
Disputes - international: Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan wrestle with sharing limited water resources and regional
environmental degradation caused by the shrinking of the Aral Sea;
multilaterally-accepted Caspian Sea seabed and maritime boundaries have
not yet been established in the Caspian - Iran insists on division
of Caspian Sea into five equal sectors while Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Russia, and Turkmenistan have generally agreed upon equidistant seabed
boundaries; Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan await ICJ decision to resolve
sovereignty dispute over oil fields in the Caspian Sea
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
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Tanzania
Introduction
Tanzania
Background: Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged
to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end
in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since
the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition have
led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won
despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities.
Geography Tanzania
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya
and Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S, 35 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 945,087 sq km note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba,
and Zanzibar water: 59,050 sq km land: 886,037 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: total: 3,402 km border countries: Burundi 451 km,
Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda
396 km, Zambia 338 km
Coastline: 1,424 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Terrain: plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point:
Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
Natural resources: hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds,
gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 1% other: 95% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,550 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding on the central plateau during the rainy
season; drought
Environment - current issues: soil degradation; deforestation;
desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats;
recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by
illegal hunting and trade, especially for ivory
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered
by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the
world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika
(the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest
People Tanzania
Population: 37,187,939 note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result
in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.6% (male 8,338,764; female 8,247,789)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 9,674,951; female 9,847,084) 65 years and over:
2.9% (male 483,760; female 595,591) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.6% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 39.12 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 13.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 77.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 52.67 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 5.33 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 8.09% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.3 million (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 140,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Tanzanian(s) adjective: Tanzanian
Ethnic groups: mainland - native African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu
consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian,
European, and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, native African, mixed Arab and
native African
Religions: mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%;
Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim
Languages: Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguju (name for
Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce,
administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar),
many local languages note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of
the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although
Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a
variety of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the
lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most
people is one of the local languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili
(Swahili), English, or Arabic total population: 67.8% male: 79.4% female:
56.8% (1995 est.)
Government Tanzania
Country name: conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
conventional short form: Tanzania former: United Republic of Tanganyika
and Zanzibar
Government type: republic
Capital: Dar es Salaam; note - legislative offices have been transferred
to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital; the National
Assembly now meets there on regular basis
Administrative divisions: 25 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma,
Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro,
Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga,
Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar
Urban/West
Independence: 26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December
1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent
19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April
1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed
United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964
National holiday: Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)
Constitution: 25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative
acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Benjamin William MKAPA
(since 23 November 1995); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since
5 July 2001); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government; Prime Minister Frederick SUMAYE (since NA) does not function
as the head of government head of government: President Benjamin William
MKAPA (since 23 November 1995); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN
(since 5 July 2001); note - the president is both chief of state and
head of government; Prime Minister Frederick SUMAYE (since NA) does not
function as the head of government note: Zanzibar elects a president who
is head of government for matters internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME
was elected to that office on 29 October 2000 cabinet: Cabinet ministers,
including the prime minister, are appointed by the president from among
the members of the National Assembly election results: Benjamin William
MKAPA reelected president; percent of vote - Benjamin William MKAPA
71.7%, Ibrahim Haruna LIPUMBA 16.3%, Augustine Lyatonga MREME 7.8%,
John Momose CHEYO 4.2% elections: president and vice president elected
on the same ballot by popular vote for five-year terms; election last
held 29 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister
appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats
- 232 elected by popular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated by the
president, five to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives;
members serve five-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws that
apply to the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly enacts
laws that apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own House of
Representatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the Zanzibar House
of Representatives has 50 seats, directly elected by universal suffrage
to serve five-year terms) election results: National Assembly - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CCM 244, CUF 16, CHADEMA 4, TLP
3, UDP 2, Zanzibar representatives 5; Zanzibar House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CCM 34, CUF 16 elections:
last held 29 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005)
Judicial branch: Permanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman);
Court of Appeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court
(consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by the president;
holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts; Primary Courts
(limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to the higher courts)
Political parties and leaders: Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo or
CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI, chairman]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM (Revolutionary
Party) [Benjamin William MKAPA, chairman]; Civic United Front or CUF
[Seif Sharif HAMAD, secretary-general]; Democratic Party (unregistered)
[Reverend Christopher MTIKLA]; National Convention for Construction and
Reform or NCCR [James MBATIA, secretary general]; Tanzania Labor Party or
TLP [Augustine Lyatonga MREMA, chairman]; Union for Multiparty Democracy
or UMD [leader NA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB,
ECA, FAO, G- 6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW,
SADC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mustafa
Salim NYANG'ANYI chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX:
[1] (202) 797-7408 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Robert V. ROYALL embassy: 140 Msese Road, Kinondoni District, Dar es
Salaam mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam telephone: [255]
(22) 666010 through 666015 FAX: [255] (22) 666701
Flag description: divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from
the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green
and the lower triangle is blue
Economy Tanzania
Economy - overview: Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the
world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts
for half of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work
force. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops
to only 4% of the land area. Industry is mainly limited to processing
agricultural products and light consumer goods. The World Bank, the
International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors have provided funds to
rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure. Growth in
1991-2001 featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial
increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Natural gas exploration
in the Rufiji Delta looks promising and production could start by
2002. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private sector growth
and investment. Continued donor support and solid macroeconomic policies
should support steady real GDP growth of 5% in 2002 and 2003.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $22.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $610 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 48.4% industry: 16.7% services:
34.9% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 51.1% (1991 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 30.1% (1993)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 38.2 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 13.495 million
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and services 20%
(2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $1.01 billion expenditures: $1.38 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)
Industries: primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes,
sisal twine), diamond and gold mining, oil refining, shoes, cement,
textiles, wood products, fertilizer, salt
Industrial production growth rate: 8.4% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 2.765 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 18.08% hydro: 81.92%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 2.616 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 45 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum
(insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves
(Zanzibar), corn, wheat, cassava (tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables;
cattle, sheep, goats
Exports: $827 million (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton
(2000)
Exports - partners: UK 22.0%, India 14.8%, Germany 9.9%, Netherlands 6.9%
(2000)
Imports: $1.55 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: consumer goods, machinery and transportation
equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil
Imports - partners: South Africa 11.5%, Japan 9.3%, UK 7.0%, Australia
6.2% (2000)
Debt - external: $6.8 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $963 million (1997)
Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
Currency code: TZS
Exchange rates: Tanzanian shillings per US dollar - 924.70 (January
2002), 876.41 (2001), 800.41 (2000), 744.76 (1999), 664.67 (1998), 612.12
(1997)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Tanzania
Telephones - main lines in use: 127,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 30,000 (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: fair system operating below
capacity and being modernized for better service; VSAT (very small
aperture terminal) system under construction domestic: trunk service
provided by open wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and
fiber-optic cable; some links being made digital international: satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)