Inflation rate (consumer prices):25.3% (2003 est.)
Labor force:23.79 millionnote: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 39.7%, industry 22.4%, services 37.9% (3rd quarter,2001)
Unemployment rate:10.5% (plus underemployment of 6.1%) (2003 est.)
Budget:revenues: $66.79 billionexpenditures: $93.31 billion, including capital expenditures of NA(2003)
Public debt:78.7% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus;livestock
Industries:textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper,boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Industrial production growth rate:8.5% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:116.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:112.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:433 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:4.579 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:48,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:619,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:46,110 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:616,500 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:288.4 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:312 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:15.94 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:8.685 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$-6.806 billion (2003)
Exports:$49.12 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transportequipment
Exports - partners:Germany 15.8%, US 8%, UK 7.8%, Italy 6.8%, France 6% (2003)
Imports:$62.43 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transportequipment
Imports - partners:Germany 13.6%, Italy 7.9%, Russia 7.8%, France 6%, UK 5%, US 5%,Switzerland 4.3% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:$35.55 billion (2003)
Debt - external:$147.3 billion (2003)
Economic aid - recipient:ODA, $300 million (2000)
Currency:Turkish lira (TRL)
Currency code:TRL
Exchange rates:Turkish liras per US dollar - NA (2003), 1,507,230 (2002),1,225,590 (2001), 625,218 (2000), 418,783 (1999), 151,865 (1997)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Turkey
Telephones - main lines in use:18,916,700 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:27,887,500 (2003)
Telephone system:general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion,especially with cellular telephonesdomestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapidincrease in subscribers; the construction of a network oftechnologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using bothfiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitatingcommunication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by adomestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobilecellular telephone service is growing rapidlyinternational: country code - 90; international service is providedby three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and BlackSeas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobilesatellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 16, FM 107, shortwave 6 (2001)
Radios:11.3 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:20.9 million (1997)
Internet country code:.tr
Internet hosts:355,215 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):50 (2001)
Internet users:5.5 million (2003)
Transportation Turkey
Railways: total: 8,671 km standard gauge: 8,671 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2003)
Highways:total: 385,960 kmpaved: 131,226 km (including 1,749 km of expressways)unpaved: 254,734 km (1999)
Waterways:1,200 km (2003)
Pipelines:gas 3,177 km; oil 3,562 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel(Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon
Merchant marine:total: 508 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,666,895 GRT/7,311,504 DWTby type: bulk 111, cargo 229, chemical tanker 46, combination bulk1, combination ore/oil 2, container 34, liquefied gas 6, passenger1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 4,roll on/roll off 26, short-sea/passenger 8, specialized tanker 3foreign-owned: Belize 1, Cambodia 1, China 1, Cyprus 4, Greece 1,Italy 3, Liberia 1, Monaco 1, Switzerland 1, Thailand 1, UnitedKingdom 9registered in other countries: 243 (2004 est.)
Airports:120 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 87over 3,047 m: 162,438 to 3,047 m: 30914 to 1,523 m: 17under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 32under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)over 3,047 m: 12,438 to 3,047 m: 1914 to 1,523 m: 81,524 to 2,437 m: 2
Heliports:14 (2003 est.)
Military Turkey
Military branches:Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Naval Forces Command(includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast GuardCommand, Gendarmerie (Jandarma)
Military manpower - military age and obligation:20 years of age (2004 est.)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 19,828,702 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 11,965,262 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 680,673 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$12.155 billion (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:5.3% (2003)
Transnational Issues Turkey
Disputes - international:complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in theAegean Sea; Cyprus question remains with Greece; Syria and Iraqprotest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrateswaters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds inIraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh
Refugees and internally displaced persons:IDPs: 350,000-1,000,000 (fighting from 1984-1999 between KurdishPKK and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2004)
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 traffickingorganizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convertimported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkeyas well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls overareas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy strawconcentrate
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Turkmenistan
Introduction Turkmenistan
Background:Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became aSoviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon thedissolution of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolutecontrol over the country and opposition is not tolerated. Extensivehydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to thisunderdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects were tobe expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking todevelop alternative petroleum transportation routes in order tobreak Russia's pipeline monopoly.
Geography Turkmenistan
Location:Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates:40 00 N, 60 00 E
Map references:Asia
Area:total: 488,100 sq kmwater: negl.land: 488,100 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:total: 3,736 kmborder countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Coastline:0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Climate:subtropical desert
Terrain:flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in thesouth; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea inwest
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is alake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuatesabove and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake hasdropped as low as -110 m)highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
Natural resources:petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Land use: arable land: 3.72% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.14% (2001)
Irrigated land:17,500 sq km (2003 est.)
Natural hazards:NA
Environment - current issues:contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals,pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigationmethods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of theflow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river'sinability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protectionsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:landlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolate portions ofthe country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, whichoccupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau
People Turkmenistan
Population:4,863,169 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure: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.)
Median age:total: 21.3 yearsmale: 20.4 yearsfemale: 22.2 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:1.81% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:27.82 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:-0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 73.13 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 69.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 61.29 yearsmale: 57.87 yearsfemale: 64.88 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:3.45 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:less than 0.1% (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:less than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 100 (2004 est.)
Nationality:noun: Turkmen(s)adjective: Turkmen
Ethnic groups:Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)
Religions:Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Languages:Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 98%male: 99%female: 97% (1989 est.)
Government Turkmenistan
Country name:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Turkmenistanlocal long form: noneformer: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republiclocal short form: Turkmenistan
Government type:republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little poweroutside the executive branch
Capital:Ashgabat
Administrative divisions:5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty(Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, LebapWelayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayatynote: administrative divisions have the same names as theiradministrative centers (exceptions have the administrative centername 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 MinistersSaparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first directpresidential election occurred); note - the president is both thechief of state and head of governmenthead of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet ofMinisters Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the firstdirect presidential election occurred); note - the president is boththe chief of state and head of governmentcabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the presidentelections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held in 2008 whenNIYAZOV turns 70 and is constitutionally ineligible to run); note -President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president for life bythe People's Council on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of thecabinet of ministers are appointed by the presidentelection results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president withoutopposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28December 1999 during a session of the People's Council (HalkMaslahaty)
Legislative branch:under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, aunicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislativebody of up to 2,500 delegates, some of which are elected by popularvote and some of which are appointed; meets at least yearly) and aunicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50 seats; members are elected bypopular vote to serve five-year terms)election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note -all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party ofTurkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOVnote: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers ofthe Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislativeorgan; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, andthe president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as itssupreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend theconstitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since thepresident is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty andthe supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect ofmaking him the sole authority of both the executive and legislativebranches of governmentelections: People's Council - last held in April 2003; Mejlis - lastheld 19 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, smallopposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries; thetwo most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been Gundogar andErkin; Gundogar was led by former Foreign Minister BorisSHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25November 2002 assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; Erkin isled by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out ofMoscow; the Union of Democratic Forces, a coalition ofopposition-in-exile groups, is based in Europe
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC,IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU,MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Mered Bairamovich ORAZOVFAX: [1] (202) 588-0697telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey A. JACOBSONembassy: 9 Pushkin (1984) Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-7070telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14
Flag description:green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side,containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stackedabove two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches onthe UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars appear inthe 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 agriculturein irrigated oases and large gas and oil resources. One-half of itsirrigated land is planted in cotton, making it at one time theworld's tenth-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years haveled to a nearly 46% decline in cotton exports. With an authoritarianex-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 inefficienteconomy. Privatization goals remain limited. In 1998-2003,Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate exportroutes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-termexternal 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 ofwidespread internal poverty, the burden of foreign debt, and theunwillingness of the government to adopt market-oriented reforms.However, Turkmenistan's cooperation with the international communityin transporting humanitarian aid to Afghanistan may foreshadow achange in the atmosphere for foreign investment, aid, andtechnological support. Turkmenistan's economic statistics are statesecrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins oferror. In particular, the 20% rate of GDP growth is a guess.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $27.88 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:23.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $5,800 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 24.8% industry: 46.2% services: 28.9% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):19.5% of GDP (2003)
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):9.5% (2003 est.)
Labor force:2.34 million (1996)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 48%, industry 15%, services 37% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:NA
Budget:revenues: $3.477 billionexpenditures: $3.908 billion, including capital expenditures of NA(2003 est.)
Agriculture - products:cotton, grain; livestock
Industries:natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:14% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:10.18 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:8.509 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:980 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:20 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:162,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:63,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:273 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:48.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:9.6 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:38.6 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:1.43 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$957 million (2003)
Exports:$3.355 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:gas 57%, oil 26%, cotton fiber 3%, textiles 2% (2001)
Exports - partners:Ukraine 39.2%, Italy 18.1%, Iran 14.7%, Turkey 6.5% (2003)
Imports:$2.472 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999)
Imports - partners:Russia 21.5%, Ukraine 15.3%, Turkey 9.4%, UAE 7.6%, Germany 4.2%,China 4.2% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:$2.696 billion (2003)
Debt - external:$2.4 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 (2003), 5,200 (2002), 5,200(2001), 5,200 (2000), 5,200 (1999);note - the official exchange ratehas not varied for the last six years; the unofficial rate hasfluctuated slightly, hovering around 21,000 manats to the dollar
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Turkmenistan
Telephones - main lines in use:374,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:52,000 (2004)
Telephone system:general assessment: poorly developeddomestic: NAinternational: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwaveradio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leasedconnections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a newtelephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a newexchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkeyvia 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:4 (government owned and programmed) (2004)
Televisions:820,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.tm
Internet hosts:524 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1
Internet users:8,000 (2002)
Transportation Turkmenistan
Railways: total: 2,440 km broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2003)
Highways: total: 24,000 km paved: 19,488 km unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways)(2003)
Pipelines:gas 6,549 km; oil 1,395 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:Turkmenbasy
Merchant marine:total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWTby type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports:69 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: 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
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 452,438 to 3,047 m: 11,524 to 2,437 m: 1under 914 m: 36 (2003 est.)914 to 1,523 m: 7
Heliports:1 (2003 est.)
Military Turkmenistan
Military branches:Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, BorderTroops, and Internal Troops), National Guard
Military manpower - military age and obligation:18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript serviceobligation - 2 years (2004)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 1,272,436 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 1,031,806 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 55,866 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$90 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:3.4% (FY99)
Transnational Issues Turkmenistan
Disputes - international:prolonged regional drought created water-sharing difficulties forAmu Darya river states; Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan reached anagreement on improving water usage along the Amu Darya in 2004;delimitation of Caspian seabed remains unresolved
Illicit drugs:transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and WesternEuropean markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals boundfor Afghanistan
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Turks and Caicos Islands
Introduction Turks and Caicos Islands
Background:The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, whenthey assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica'sindependence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separategovernor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982,the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseasterritory.
Geography Turks and Caicos Islands
Location:Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeastof The Bahamas, north of Haiti
Geographic coordinates:21 45 N, 71 35 W
Map references:Central America and the Caribbean
Area:total: 430 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmland: 430 sq km
Area - comparative:2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:389 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain:low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch
Land use: arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001)
Irrigated land:NA sq km
Natural hazards:frequent hurricanes
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
Geography - note: about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
People Turks and Caicos Islands
Population:19,956 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,301; female 3,184)15-64 years: 63.8% (male 6,696; female 6,036)65 years and over: 3.7% (male 327; female 412) (2004 est.)
Median age:total: 27.2 yearsmale: 27.9 yearsfemale: 26.5 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:3.03% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:22.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:11.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 16.27 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)male: 18.79 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 74.25 yearsmale: 72.05 yearsfemale: 76.57 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
Nationality: noun: none adjective: none
Ethnic groups:black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Religions:Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other14% (1990)
Languages:English (official)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over has ever attended schoolfemale: 98% (1970 est.)male: 99%total population: 98%
People - note:destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants boundfor the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US
Government Turks and Caicos Islands
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
Dependency status:overseas territory of the UK
Government type:NA
Capital:Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
Administrative divisions:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution:introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised5 March 1988
Legal system:based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaicaand The Bahamas
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953),represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed bythe monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of themajority party is appointed chief minister by the governorhead of government: Chief Minister Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15August 2003)cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members andfive appointed by the governor from among the members of theLegislative Council
Legislative branch:unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularlyelected; members serve four-year terms)elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%;seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM nowhas 5
Judicial branch:Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; ProgressiveNational Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]; United DemocraticParty or UDP [Wendal SWANN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant andthe colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; theshield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
Economy Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy - overview:The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, andoffshore financial services. Most capital goods and food fordomestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source oftourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors inthe late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue include feesfrom offshore financial activities and customs receipts. Tourismfell by 6% in 2002.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:4.9% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: NAindustry: NAservices: NA (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NAhighest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):4% (1995)
Labor force:4,848 (1990 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
Unemployment rate:10% (1997 est.)
Budget:revenues: $47 millionexpenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA(1997-98 est.)
Agriculture - products:corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Industries:tourism, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate:NA
Electricity - production:5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:4.65 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day NA (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:0 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Exports:$169.2 million (2000)
Exports - commodities:lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Exports - partners:US, UK
Imports:$175.6 million (2000)
Imports - commodities:food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, constructionmaterials
Imports - partners:US, UK
Debt - external:NA (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$4.1 million (1997)
Currency:US dollar (USD)
Currency code:USD
Exchange rates:the US dollar is used
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Turks and Caicos Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:5,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:1,700 (1999)
Telephone system:general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone servicesdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satelliteearth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios:8,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable televisionnetworks) (2004)
Televisions:NA
Internet country code:.tc
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):14 (2000)
Internet users:NA
Transportation Turks and Caicos Islands
Highways: total: 121 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000)
Ports and harbors:Grand Turk, Providenciales
Merchant marine:none
Airports:8 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 2under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Military Turks and Caicos Islands
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues Turks and Caicos Islands
Disputes - international:have received Haitians fleeing economic collapse and civil unrest
Illicit drugs:transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for theUS and Europe
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Tuvalu
Introduction Tuvalu
Background:In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of theGilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the ElliceIslands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the GilbertIslands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separateBritish colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000,Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv"for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.
Geography Tuvalu
Location:Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the SouthPacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates:8 00 S, 178 00 E
Map references:Oceania
Area:total: 26 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmland: 26 sq km
Area - comparative:0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:24 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nm
Climate:tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain:very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Irrigated land:NA sq km
Natural hazards:severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there werethree cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive tochanges in sea level
Environment - current issues:since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is notpotable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems withstorage facilities (the Japanese Government has built onedesalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosionbecause of the use of sand for building materials; excessiveclearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coralreefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu isvery concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissionsand their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country'sunderground water table; in 2000, the government appealed toAustralia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levelsshould make evacuation necessary
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollutionsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of thecoral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, andNukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutaohave landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
People Tuvalu
Population:11,468 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 31.3% (male 1,828; female 1,761)15-64 years: 63.7% (male 3,530; female 3,770)65 years and over: 5% (male 227; female 352) (2004 est.)
Median age:total: 24.2 yearsmale: 23.1 yearsfemale: 25.6 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:1.44% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:21.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:7.24 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 20.69 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)male: 23.63 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 67.66 yearsmale: 65.47 yearsfemale: 69.96 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:3.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
Nationality:noun: Tuvaluan(s)adjective: Tuvaluan
Ethnic groups:Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Religions:Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Languages:Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Government Tuvalu
Country name:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Tuvalunote: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country'seight traditionally inhabited islandsformer: Ellice Islands
Government type:constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; begandebating republic status in 1992
Capital:Funafuti; note - administrative offices are located in VaiakuVillage on Fongafale Islet
Administrative divisions:none
Independence:1 October 1978 (from UK)
National holiday:Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution:1 October 1978
Legal system:NA
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),represented by Governor General Faimalaga LUKA (since 9 September2003)elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed bythe monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; primeminister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the membersof Parliament; election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be heldfollowing parliamentary elections in 2006)election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA resigned parliamentary seat on 27August 2004 following no-confidence vote on 25 August 2004;succeeded by Deputy Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA in an actingcapacity on 27 August 2004; Maatia TOAFA confirmed Prime Minister ina Parliamentary election (8-7 vote) on 11 Ocotober 2004cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on therecommendation of the prime ministerhead of government: Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA (since 11 October2004)
Legislative branch:unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly(15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15
Judicial branch:High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over itssessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal inFiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders: there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders:none
International organization participation:ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IFRCS (observer), IMO, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534
Diplomatic representation from the US:the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador toFiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Flag description:light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-sidequadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the countrywith nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
Economy Tuvalu
Economy - overview:Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of ninecoral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineralresources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are theprimary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average,visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from thesale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru hasbegun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resourcesdecline. Substantial income is received annually from aninternational trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, andthe UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wiseinvestments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown froman initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The USgovernment is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, because ofpayments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce itsdependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sectorreforms, including privatization of some government functions andpersonnel cuts of up to 7%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenuefrom use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from thelease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these newtechnology sources could increase substantially over the nextdecade. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandiseimports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing andtelecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers,official transfers, and investment income from overseas assets.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $12.2 million NA (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:3% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: NAindustry: NAservices: NA
Population below poverty line:NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NAhighest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):5% (2000 est.)
Labor force:7,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs,and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workersin the phosphate industry and sailors)
Unemployment rate:NA
Budget:revenues: $22.5 millionexpenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2million (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products:coconuts; fish
Industries:fishing, tourism, copra
Industrial production growth rate:NA
Exports:$1 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities:copra, fish
Exports - partners:UK 37.5%, Poland 19.1%, Philippines 9.2%, Australia 9.1%, Fiji 6.2%(2003)
Imports:$79 million c.i.f. (2002)
Imports - commodities:food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Imports - partners:Fiji 47.3%, Australia 13.9%, Poland 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, Japan 8%,New Zealand 6.2% (2003)
Debt - external:NA
Economic aid - recipient:$13 million ; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US(1999 est.)
Currency:Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar
Currency code:AUD
Exchange rates:Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419,(2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Tuvalu
Telephones - main lines in use:700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:0 (1994)
Telephone system:general assessment: serves particular needs for internalcommunicationsdomestic: radiotelephone communications between islandsinternational: country code - 688
Radio broadcast stations:AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1999)
Radios:4,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:0 (1997)
Televisions:800
Internet country code:.tv
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Internet users:1,300 (2002)
Transportation Tuvalu
Highways: total: 8 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 8 km (1999 est.)
Ports and harbors:Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine:total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,993 GRT/86,048 DWTby type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, specializedtanker 1foreign-owned: Germany 4, Singapore 1, Thailand 1 (2004 est.)
Airports:1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 11,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Military Tuvalu
Military branches:no regular military forces; Police Force (includes MaritimeSurveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillanceoperations)