election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - UNC 58.1%, PNM 40.8%, NAR 1.1%; seats by party - UNC 19, PNM 16, NAR 1
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members serving four-year terms
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Court of Appeals; The Majistracy (hears minor civil cases and summary criminal cases)
Political parties and leaders: National Alliance for Reconstructionor NAR [Hochay CHARLES]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [leaderNA]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; UnitedNational Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Jamaat Al Musilmeen [Abu BAKR]
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB,ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU,LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU,WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorEdward E. SHUMAKER, III (until April, 2001)
embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376, 6176
Flag description: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
Trinidad and Tobago Economy
Economy - overview: Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Successful economic reforms were implemented in 1995, and foreign investment and trade are flourishing. Persistently high unemployment remains one of the chief challenges of the government. The petrochemical sector has spurred growth in other related sectors, reinforcing the government's commitment to economic diversification. Tourism is growing, especially in the pleasure boat sector. New investment and construction also will continue to drive the economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2%
industry: 44%
services: 54% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 21% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 558,700 (1998)
Labor force - by occupation: construction and utilities 12.4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 9.5%, services 64.1% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 12.8% (2000)
Budget: revenues: $1.54 billion
expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (1998)
Industries: petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (2000)
Electricity - production: 4.9 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.59%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.41% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 4.557 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry
Exports: $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers
Exports - partners: US 39.3%, Caricom countries 26.1%, Latin America 9.5%, EU 5.7% (1999)
Imports: $3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals
Imports - partners: US 39.8%, Venezuela 11.9%, EU 11%, Caricom 4.8% (1999)
Debt - external: $2.8 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $121.4 million (1995)
Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)
Currency code: TTD
Exchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2688 (January 2001), 6.2998 (2000), 6.2989 (1999), 6.2983 (1998), 6.2517 (1997), 6.0051 (1996)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Trinidad and Tobago Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 243,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 17,411 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: excellent international service; good local service
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 680,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997)
Televisions: 425,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .tt
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 17 (2000)
Internet users: 30,000 (2000)
Trinidad and Tobago Transportation
Railways: minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; railway service was discontinued in 1968
Highways: total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km
Ports and harbors: Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas,Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,439GRT/4,040 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1 (2000 est.)
Airports: 6 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago Military
Military branches: Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (includesGround Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and TobagoPolice Service
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 346,043 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 247,297 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $83 million (FY94)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Trinidad and Tobago Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis
======================================================================
@Tromelin Island
Tromelin Island Introduction
Background: First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station.
Tromelin Island Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east ofMadagascar
Geographic coordinates: 15 52 S, 54 25 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1 sq km
land: 1 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall inWashington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 3.7 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical
Terrain: low, flat, and sandy
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (scattered bushes)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary
Tromelin Island People
Population: uninhabited (July 2001 est.)
Tromelin Island Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tromelin Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Tromelin
Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Legal system: the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Flag description: the flag of France is used
Tromelin Island Economy
Economy - overview: no economic activity
Tromelin Island Communications
Communications - note: important meteorological station
Tromelin Island Transportation
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Tromelin Island Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Tromelin Island Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: claimed by Madagascar and Mauritius
======================================================================
@Tunisia
Tunisia Introduction
Background: Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGIUBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to diffuse rising pressure for a more open political society.
Tunisia Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, betweenAlgeria and Libya
Geographic coordinates: 34 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline: 1,148 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Terrain: mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use: arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 44% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 3,850 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and presents human health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
Tunisia People
Population: 9,705,102 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.74% (male 1,440,636; female 1,348,133)
15-64 years: 65.12% (male 3,157,988; female 3,161,596)
65 years and over: 6.14% (male 296,930; female 299,819) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.15% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 17.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 4.99 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 29.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.92 years
male: 72.35 years
female: 75.62 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce),French (commerce)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.7%
male: 78.6%
female: 54.6% (1995 est.)
Tunisia Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis
Government type: republic
Capital: Tunis
Administrative divisions: 23 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja(Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf),Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (AlQayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (AlMahdiyah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul(Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana(Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar),Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)
Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 20 March (1956)
Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a third term without opposition; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly 100%
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 92%; seats by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2; note - reforms enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats; the opposition increased number of seats from 19 to 34
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
Political parties and leaders: Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Democratic Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj AMOR]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD,AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH,MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNSecurity Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE,UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorHatem ATALLAH
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorRust DEMMING
embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [216] (1) 782-566
Flag description: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam
Tunisia Economy
Economy - overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Real growth averaged 5.5% in the past four years, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union entered into force on 1 March 1998, the first such accord between the EU and Mediterranean countries to be activated. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $62.8 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14%
industry: 32%
services: 54% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: 6% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 30.7% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 2.65 million (2000 est.)
note: shortage of skilled labor
Labor force - by occupation: services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15.6% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $7.5 billion
expenditures: $8.1 billion, including capital expenditures to $1.6 billion (2000 est.)
Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages
Industrial production growth rate: 4.1% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 9.173 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.2%
hydro: 0.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 8.677 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 19 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 165 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds
Exports: $6.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
Exports - partners: Germany 28%, France 22%, Italy 17%, Belgium 5%,Libya 4% (1999)
Imports: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food
Imports - partners: France 23%, Germany 23%, Italy 15%, Belgium 3% (1999)
Debt - external: $13 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $933.2 million (1995); note - ODA, $90 million (1998 est.)
Currency: Tunisian dinar (TND)
Currency code: TND
Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.3753 (January 2001), 1.4667 (November 2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997), 0.9734 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Tunisia Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 654,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 50,000 (1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay
international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 2.06 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 920,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .tn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 110,000 (2000)
Tunisia Transportation
Railways: total: 2,168 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,687 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (three rails)
Highways: total: 23,100 km
paved: 18,226 km
unpaved: 4,874 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km
Ports and harbors: Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis,Zarzis
Merchant marine: total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 149,554 GRT/156,861 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)
Airports: 32 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 15
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)
Tunisia Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces,National Guard
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,739,566 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,561,484 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 105,146 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $356 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (FY99)
Tunisia Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
======================================================================
@Turkey
Turkey Introduction
Background: Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. Turkey occupied the northern portion of Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island; relations between the two countries remain strained. Periodic military offensives against Kurdish separatists have dislocated part of the population in southeast Turkey and have drawn international condemnation.
Turkey Geography
Location: southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 35 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 780,580 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km
water: 9,820 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 2,627 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km
Coastline: 7,200 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR
territorial sea: 6 NM in the Aegean Sea; 12 NM in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea
Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m
Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore, arable land, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 32%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 16%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 22% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 36,740 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: very severe earthquakes, especially in northernTurkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van
Environment - current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species,Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, ShipPollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Environmental Modification
Geography - note: strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits(Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and AegeanSeas
Turkey People
Population: 66,493,970 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.42% (male 9,620,291; female 9,276,347)
15-64 years: 65.45% (male 22,116,599; female 21,401,165)
65 years and over: 6.13% (male 1,878,571; female 2,200,997) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.24% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 18.31 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 5.95 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 47.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.24 years
male: 68.89 years
female: 73.71 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish
Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%
Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian andJews)
Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85%
male: 94%
female: 77% (2000)
Turkey Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye
Government type: republican parliamentary democracy
Capital: Ankara
Administrative divisions: 80 provinces (iller, singular - il);Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya,Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik,Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum,Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Igdir, Isparta,Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu,Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya,Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu,Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak,Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat,Zonguldak; note - there may be another province called Duzce
Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence Day, 29 October (1923)
Constitution: 7 November 1982
Legal system: derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ahmed Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Bulent ECEVIT (since 11 January 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister
note: there is also a National Security Council that serves as an advisory body to the president and the cabinet
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next scheduled to be held NA May 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third ballot
Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 18 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - DSP 136, MHP 130, FP 110, DYP 86, ANAP 88; note - as of 7 March 2000 seating was DSP 136, MHP 127, FP 103, DYP 85, ANAP 88 independents 6, vacancies 5
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeals (judges are elected by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Left Party or DSP [Bulent ECEVIT]; Motherland Party or ANAP [Mesut YILMAZ]; Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; True Path Party or DYP [Tansu CILLER]; Virtue Party or FP [Recai KUTAN]; note - in June 2001, Turkey's Constitutional Court banned the party; its representatives (except for two) can stay on in the Grand National Assembly as independents
note: Welfare Party or RP [Necmettin ERBAKAN] was officially outlawed on 22 February 1998
Political pressure groups and leaders: Confederation ofRevolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Ridvan BUDAK]; IndependentIndustrialists and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Erol YARAR];Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; TurkishIndustrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [MuharremKAYHAN]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [RefikBAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Bayram MERAL];Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges orTOBB [Fuat MIRAS]
International organization participation: AsDB, Australia Group,BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, EU(applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA,IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorBaki ILKIN
chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorRobert PEARSON
embassy: Ataturk Bulvarii 110, Ankara
mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone: [90] (312) 468-6110
consulate(s) general: Istanbul (closed as of December 2000 for security review)
consulate(s): Adana (closed as of December 2000 for security review)
Flag description: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening
Turkey Economy
Economy - overview: Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with traditional agriculture that still accounts for nearly 40% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The most important industry - and largest exporter - is textiles and clothing, which is almost entirely in private hands. In recent years the economic situation has been marked by erratic economic growth and serious imbalances. Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in most years, but this strong expansion was interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994 and 1999. Meanwhile the public sector fiscal deficit has regularly exceeded 10% of GDP - due in large part to the huge burden of interest payments, which now account for more than 40% of central government spending - while inflation has remained in the high double digit range. Perhaps because of these problems, foreign direct investment in Turkey remains low - less than $1 billion annually. Prospects for the future are improving, however, because the ECEVIT government since June 1999 has been implementing an IMF-backed reform program, including a tighter budget, social security reform, banking reorganization, and accelerated privatization. As a result, the fiscal situation is greatly improved and inflation has dropped below 40% - the lowest rate since 1987. The country experienced a financial crisis in late 2000, including sharp drops in the stock market and foreign exchange reserves, but is recovering rapidly, thanks to additional IMF support and the government's commitment to a specific timetable of economic reforms.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $444 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15%
industry: 29%
services: 56% (1999)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 32.3% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 39% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 23 million (2000 est.)
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 38%, services 38%, industry 24% (2000)
Unemployment rate: 5.6% (plus underemployment of 5.6%) (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $54.5 billion
expenditures: $75.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.3 billion (2000)
Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Industrial production growth rate: 6.2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 125.3 billion kWh (2000 est.)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 71%
hydro: 29%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2000 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 119.5 billion kWh (2000 est.)
Electricity - exports: 350 million kWh (2000 est.)
Electricity - imports: 3.35 billion kWh (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock
Exports: $26.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: apparel 25.6%, foodstuffs 15.4%, textiles 12.3%, metal manufactures 8.6%, transport equipment 8.1% (1998)
Exports - partners: Germany 18.7%, US 11.4%, UK 7.4%, Italy 6.3%,France 6.0% (2000 est.)
Imports: $55.7 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery 28.3%, chemicals 15.2%, semi-finished goods 14.5%, fuels 11%, transport equipment 9.5% (1999)
Imports - partners: Germany 13.1%, Italy 7.9%, US 7.2%, Russia 7.0%,France 6.6%, UK 5.0% (2000 est.)
Debt - external: $109 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $195 million (1993)
Currency: Turkish lira (TRL)
Currency code: TRL
Exchange rates: Turkish liras per US dollar - 677,621 (December 2000), 625,219 (2000), 418,783 (1999), 260,724 (1998), 151,865 (1997), 81,405 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Turkey Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 19.5 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 12.1 million (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: 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: 635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 20.9 million (1997)
Internet country code: .tr
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2000)
Internet users: 2 million (2000)
Turkey Transportation
Railways: total: 8,607 km
standard gauge: 8,607 km 1.435-m gauge (1,524 km electrified) (1999)
Highways: total: 382,059 km
paved: 106,976 km (including 1,726 km of expressways)
unpaved: 275,083 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: 1,200 km (approximately)
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: 548 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,617,302 GRT/9,088,451 DWT
ships by type: bulk 140, cargo 242, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 5, combination ore/oil 6, container 21, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 43, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 25, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 5 (2000 est.)
Airports: 121 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 86
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 26 (2000 est.)
Heliports: 2 (2000 est.)
Turkey Military
Military branches: Land Force, Navy (includes Naval Air and NavalInfantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 18,882,272 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 11,432,438 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 674,805 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $10.6 billion (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.6% (FY99)
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
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@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 andKazakhstan
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 -81.00 m; note- Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a waterlevel that fluctuates above and below the elevation of VpadinaAkchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 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: 4,603,244 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 37.88% (male 891,758; female 852,104)
15-64 years: 58.09% (male 1,313,303; female 1,360,690)
65 years and over: 4.03% (male 70,800; female 114,589) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.85% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 28.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 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 (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 73.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61 years
male: 57.43 years
female: 64.76 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 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
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)