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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Central Asia,
bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan |
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 00 N, 60 00 E |
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total:
488,100 sq km
water: negl.
land: 488,100 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger
than California |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km,
Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km; note -
Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) |
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Climate:
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subtropical
desert |
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Terrain:
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flat-to-rolling
sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low
mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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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 |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum,
natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt |
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Land use:
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arable land:
3.6%
permanent crops: 0.1%
other: 96.3% (2003 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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17,500 sq km
(2003 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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4,863,169 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
36.2% (male 904,627; female 857,601)
15-64 years: 59.7% (male 1,423,836; female 1,477,224)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 76,670; female 123,211)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
21.3 years
male: 20.4 years
female: 22.2 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.81% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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27.82
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.82 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.86 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
73.13 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 69.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 61.29 years
male: 57.87 years
female: 64.88 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1%
(2004 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen |
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Ethnic groups:
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Turkmen 85%,
Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003) |
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Religions:
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Muslim 89%,
Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2% |
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Languages:
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Turkmen 72%,
Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
local short form: Turkmenistan |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Ashgabat |
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Administrative divisions:
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5 provinces (welayatlar,
singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (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) |
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Independence:
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27 October 1991
(from the Soviet Union) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
27 October (1991) |
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Constitution:
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adopted 18 May
1992 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil
law system |
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Executive branch:
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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
elections: president 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) |
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Legislative branch:
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under the 1992
constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral
People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislative body
of up to 2,500 delegates, some of which are elected by popular
vote and some of which are appointed; meets at least yearly)
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
note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the
powers of the Majlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme
legislative organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve
the Majlis, and the president is now able to participate in
the Majlis as its supreme leader; the Majlis can no longer
adopt or amend the constitution, or announce referendums or
its elections; since the president is both the "Chairman
for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and the supreme leader of
the Majlis, the 2003 law has the effect of making the
president the sole authority of both the executive and
legislative branches of government
elections: People's Council - NA; Assembly - last held
12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court
(judges are appointed by the president) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Party
of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed;
unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in
foreign countries; the two most prominent opposition
groups-in-exile have been Gundogar and Erkin; Gundogar was led
by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHUMRADOV until his arrest
and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002
assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; Erkin is led by
former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out of
Moscow; the Union of Democratic Forces, a coalition of
opposition-in-exile groups, is based in Europe |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Tracey A. JACOBSON
embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
774000
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45
FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14 |
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Economy - overview:
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Turkmenistan is
largely desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated
oases and large gas and oil resources. One-half of its
irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it at one time the
world's tenth-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years
have led to a nearly 46% 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. In 1998-2003, 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 38% in 2003, largely
because of higher international oil and gas prices. Overall
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. In
particular, the 20% rate of GDP growth is a guess. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $27.07 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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20% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $5,700 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
27%
industry: 50%
services: 23% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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34.4% (2001 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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11% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.34 million
(1996) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 48%,
industry 15%, services 37% (1998 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$588.6 million
expenditures: $658.2 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
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Industries:
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natural gas, oil,
petroleum products, textiles, food processing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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14% (2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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10.18 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
99.9%
hydro: 0.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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8.509 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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162,500 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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63,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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48.2 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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9.6 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton, grain;
livestock |
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Exports:
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$3.355 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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gas 57%, oil 26%,
cotton fiber 3%, textiles 2% (2001) |
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Exports - partners:
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Ukraine 49.7%,
Italy 18%, Iran 13.1%, Turkey 6.2% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$2.472 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and
equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999) |
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Imports - partners:
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Russia 19.8%,
Turkey 12.9%, Ukraine 11.7%, UAE 10%, US 7.5%, China 6%,
Germany 5.7%, Iran 4.5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$2.4 billion to
$5 billion (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$16 million from
the US (2001) |
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Currency:
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Turkmen manat (TMM) |
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Currency code:
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TMM |
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Exchange rates:
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Turkmen manats
per US dollar - 5,200 (2003), 5,200 (2002), 5,200 (2001),
5,200 (2000), 5,200 (1999);note - the official exchange rate
has not varied for the last six years; the unofficial rate has
fluctuated slightly, hovering around 21,000 manats to the
dollar |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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374,000 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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8,200 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: poorly developed
domestic: NA
international: country code - 993; 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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 16, FM 8,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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3 (much
programming relayed from Russia and Turkey) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.tm |
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Internet hosts:
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2,020 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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8,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
2,440 km
broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
24,000 km
paved: 19,488 km
unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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the Amu Darya is
an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan, as is the
man-made Kara Kum canal |
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Pipelines:
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gas 6,634 km; oil
853 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Turkmenbasy |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 2
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT
by type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1
registered in other countries: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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69 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 24
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 45
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 36 (2003 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 7 |
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Heliports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Ministry of
Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border Troops, and
Internal Troops), National Guard |
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Military manpower - military age:
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18 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 1,272,436 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 1,031,806 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
55,866 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$90 million
(FY99) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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3.4% (FY99) |
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Disputes - international:
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prolonged
regional drought creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu
Darya river states; talks resume with Kazakhstan on dividing
the seabed in 2004 as both sides anticipate an ICJ decision on
contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; demarcation
of land boundary with Kazakhstan to commence in 2004 |
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Illicit drugs:
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transit country
for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser
extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation
of opium poppy for domestic consumption; small-scale
government-run eradication of illicit crops; transit point for
heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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