81 provinces (iller, singular - ili); Adana, Adiyaman,Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan,Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol,Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli,Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel (Mersin), Igdir,Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir (Smyrna), 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 (Trebizond),Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak
Independence:
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 29 October (1923)
Constitution:
7 November 1982
Legal system:
civil law system derived from various European continental legal systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human Rights; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdullah GUL (since 28 August 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 14 March 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Cemil CICEK (since 29 August 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Hayati YAZICI (since 29 August 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Nazim EKREN (since 29 August 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister elections: president elected by the National Assembly for one seven-year terms; prime minister appointed by the president from among members of parliament election results: Abdullah GUL received 339 votes in the third round of voting on 28 August 2007, after failing to garner the two thirds vote required by law in the first two rounds note: president-elect 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 on 22 July 2007 (next to be held on November 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 46.7%, CHP 20.8%, MHP 14.3%, independents 5.2%, and other 13.0%; seats by party - AKP 341, CHP 112, MHP 71, independents 26; note - seats by party as of 17 December 2007 - AKP 340, CHP 87, MHP 70, DTP 20, DSP 13, independents 6, other 12, vacant 2 (DTP entered parliament as independents; DSP entered parliament on CHP's party list); only parties surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court
Political parties and leaders:
Anavatan Partisi (Motherland Party) or Anavatan [Erkan MUMCU];Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic SocietyParty or DTP [Nurettin DEMIRTAS]; Felicity Party or SP [Recai KUTAN](sometimes translated as Contentment Party); Justice and DevelopmentParty or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Nationalist Action Party or MHP[Devlet BAHCELI] (sometimes translated as Nationalist MovementParty); People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi Partisi) or HYP [YasarNuri OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL];Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat KARAYALCIN]; TruePath Party or DYP [Mehmet AGAR] (sometimes translated as Correct WayParty); Young Party or GP [Cem Cengiz UZAN]note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant ofthe 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Ismail Hakki TOMBUL];Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [SuleymanCELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Associationor MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [SalimUSLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [TugurlKUDATGOBILIK]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [SalihKILIC]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK[Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen'sAssociation or TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of Chambers ofCommerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional members), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN(observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO,NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA,UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nabi SENSOY chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700 FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ross WILSON embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555 FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir
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
EconomyTurkey
Economy - overview:
Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that still accounts for more than 35% 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 largest industrial sector is textiles and clothing, which accounts for one-third of industrial employment; it faces stiff competition in international markets with the end of the global quota system. However, other sectors, notably the automotive and electronics industries, are rising in importance within Turkey's export mix. Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many years, but this strong expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994, 1999, and 2001. The economy is turning around with the implementation of economic reforms, and 2004 GDP growth reached 9%, followed by roughly 5% annual growth from 2005-07. Inflation fell to 7.7% in 2005 - a 30-year low - but climbed back to 8.5% in 2007. Despite the strong economic gains from 2002-07, which were largely due to renewed investor interest in emerging markets, IMF backing, and tighter fiscal policy, the economy is still burdened by a high current account deficit and high external debt. Further economic and judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost foreign direct investment. The stock value of FDI currently stands at about $85 billion. Privatization sales are currently approaching $21 billion. Oil began to flow through the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006, marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1 million barrels per day from the Caspian to market. In 2007, Turkish financial markets weathered significant domestic political turmoil, including turbulence sparked by controversy over the selection of former Foreign Minister Abdullah GUL as Turkey's 11th president. Economic fundamentals are sound, marked by strong economic growth and foreign direct investment. Turkey's high current account deficit leaves the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence, however.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$853.9 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$663.4 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.9% industry: 28.3% services: 62.8% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
23.53 million note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 35.9% industry: 22.8% services: 41.2% (3rd quarter, 2004)
Unemployment rate:
9.9% plus underemployment of 4% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
20% (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 34.1% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.6 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $145.5 billion expenditures: $156.1 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
38.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
25% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$64.43 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$254.3 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$358.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock
Industries:
textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Industrial production growth rate:
5.4% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
181.6 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
141.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
2.576 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
863 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 79.3% hydro: 20.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0.3% (2001)
Oil - production:
42,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
676,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
114,600 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
714,100 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
300 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
893 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
36.6 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
31 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
35.83 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$37.58 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$115.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Germany 11.2%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7%, France 5.6%, Russia 4.4%, Spain 4.3% (2007)
Imports:
$162 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment
Imports - partners:
Russia 13.8%, Germany 10.3%, China 7.8%, Italy 5.9%, US 4.8%, France 4.6% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $464 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$76.51 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$247.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$106.4 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$11.35 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$162.4 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Turkish lira (TRY); old Turkish lira (TRL) before 1 January 2005
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar - 1.319 (2007), 1.4286 (2006), 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (2004), 1.5009 (2003) note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish lira (TRL) was converted to new Turkish lira (TRY) at a rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish lira
CommunicationsTurkey
Telephones - main lines in use:
18.413 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
61.976 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion especially with 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: country code - 90; international service is provided by the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 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:
2.667 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2001)
Internet users:
13.15 million (2006)
TransportationTurkey
Airports:
117 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 90 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 27 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 17 (2007)
Heliports:
18 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 7,511 km; oil 3,636 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 8,697 km standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (1,920 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 426,951 km (includes 1,987 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
1,200 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 612 by type: bulk carrier 101, cargo 281, chemical tanker 70, combination ore/oil 1, container 35, liquefied gas 7, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 51, petroleum tanker 31, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 28, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: 8 (Cyprus 2, Germany 1, Greece 1, Italy 3, UAE 1) registered in other countries: 595 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda 6, Bahamas 8, Belize 15, Cambodia 26, Comoros 8, Dominica 5, Georgia 14, Greece 1, Isle of Man 2, Italy 1, Kiribati 1, Liberia 7, Malta 176, Marshall Islands 50, Moldova 3, Netherlands 1, Netherlands Antilles 10, Panama 94, Russia 80, Saint Kitts and Nevis 35, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 20, Sierra Leone 15, Slovakia 10, Tuvalu 2, UK 2, unknown 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Aliaga, Diliskelesi, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Mercin Limani, NemrutLimani
MilitaryTurkey
Military branches:
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk KaraKuvvetleri, TKK), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri, TDK;includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Force (Turk HavaKuvvetleri, THK) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 20,213,205 females age 16-49: 19,432,688 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,011,635 females age 16-49: 16,433,364 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 660,452 female: 638,527 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Military - note:
a "National Security Policy Document" adopted in October 2005 increases the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) role in internal security, augmenting the General Directorate of Security and Gendarmerie General Command (Jandarma); the TSK leadership continues to play a key role in politics and considers itself guardian of Turkey's secular state; in April 2007, it warned the ruling party about any pro-Islamic appointments; despite on-going negotiations on EU accession since October 2005, progress has been limited in establishing required civilian supremacy over the military; primary domestic threats are listed as fundamentalism (with the definition in some dispute with the civilian government), separatism (the Kurdish problem), and the extreme left wing; Ankara strongly opposed establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region; an overhaul of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) taking place under the "Force 2014" program is to produce 20-30% smaller, more highly trained forces characterized by greater mobility and firepower and capable of joint and combined operations; the TLFC has taken on increasing international peacekeeping responsibilities, and took charge of a NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command in Afghanistan in April 2007; the Turkish Navy is a regional naval power that wants to develop the capability to project power beyond Turkey's coastal waters; the Navy is heavily involved in NATO, multinational, and UN operations; its roles include control of territorial waters and security for sea lines of communications; the Turkish Air Force adopted an "Aerospace and Missile Defense Concept" in 2002 and has initiated project work on an integrated missile defense system; Air Force priorities include attaining a modern deployable, survivable, and sustainable force structure, and establishing a sustainable command and control system (2008)
Transnational IssuesTurkey
Disputes - international:
complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1-1.2 million (fighting 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK andTurkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and, to a lesser extent, the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Turkmenistan
IntroductionTurkmenistan
Background:
Eastern Turkmenistan for centuries formed part of the Persian province of Khurasan; in medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation routes to break Russia's pipeline monopoly. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential electoral process in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a vice premier under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president.
GeographyTurkmenistan
Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 488,100 sq km land: 488,100 sq km water: NEGL
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 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m) highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Land use:
arable land: 4.51% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 95.35% (2005)
Irrigated land:
18,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
60.9 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 24.65 cu km/yr (2%/1%/98%) per capita: 5,104 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau
PeopleTurkmenistan
Population:
5,179,571 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.2% (male 902,811/female 868,428) 15-64 years: 61.5% (male 1,577,187/female 1,607,353) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 97,480/female 126,312) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.6 years male: 22 years female: 23.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.596% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
25.07 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.11 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 51.81 deaths/1,000 live births male: 56.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 47.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.6 years male: 65.53 years female: 71.82 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.07 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2004 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s) adjective: Turkmenistani
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 write total population: 98.8% male: 99.3% female: 98.3% (1999 est.)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (1991)
GovernmentTurkmenistan
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; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
Capital:
name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad) geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Welayaty (Anew), Ashgabat*, Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence:
27 October 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Constitution:
adopted 18 May 1992
Legal system:
based on civil law system and Islamic law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 11 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW elected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 89.2%, Amanyaz ATAJYKOW 3.2%, other candidates 7.6%
Legislative branch:
two parliamentary bodies, a People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislative body of about 2,500 delegates, some elected by popular vote and some appointed; meets at least yearly) and a National Assembly or Mejlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be held in December 2008); National Assembly - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2008) election results: People's Council - percent of vote by party - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 2,507; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note - all elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and are preapproved by the president note: in late 2003, a law was adopted reducing the powers of the National Assembly and making the People's Council the supreme legislative organ; the People's Council can now legally dissolve the National Assembly, and the president is now able to participate in the National Assembly as its supreme leader; the National Assembly can no longer adopt or amend the constitution or announce referendums or its elections; since the president is both the chairman of the People's Council and the supreme leader of the National Assembly, the 2003 law has the effect of making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative branches of government
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW] 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 National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT) and the United Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (UDPT); NDMT was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 attack on President NYYAZOW's motorcade
Political pressure groups and leaders:
International organization participation:
ADB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB,IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO (guest),UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOW chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500 FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Richard M. MILES embassy: No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 744000 mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070 telephone: [993] (12) 35-00-45 FAX: [993] (12) 39-26-14
Flag description:
green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches; a white crescent moon representing Islam with five white stars representing the regions or welayats of Turkmenistan appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe
EconomyTurkmenistan
Economy - overview:
Turkmenistan is a 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; formerly it was the world's 10th-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years have led to an almost 50% 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. From 1998-2005, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate export routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total exports rose by an average of roughly 15% per year from 2003-07, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, a poor educational system, government misuse of oil and gas revenues, and Ashgabat's reluctance to adopt market-oriented reforms. In the past, Turkmenistan's economic statistics were state secrets. The new government has established a State Agency for Statistics, but GDP numbers and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain. Since his election, President BERDIMUHAMEDOW has sought to improve the health and education systems, ordered unification of the country's dual currency exchange rate, begun decreasing state subsidies for gasoline, signed an agreement to build a gas line to China, and created a special tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. All of these moves hint that the new post-NYYAZOW government will work to create a friendlier foreign investment environment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$26.92 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$26.91 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
11.5% (IMF estimate) note: official government statistics are widely regarded as unreliable (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,300 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.5% industry: 40.8% services: 47.7% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
2.089 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 48.2% industry: 14% services: 37.8% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
60% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
30% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
32.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.664 billion expenditures: $1.624 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.3% (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain; livestock
Industries:
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
10.3% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
12.83 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
9.584 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
1.34 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.9% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
180,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
107,400 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
40,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - imports:
5,283 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
68.88 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
19.48 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
49.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.832 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$1.705 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$7.567 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber
Exports - partners:
Ukraine 51.3%, Iran 18.5%, Turkey 5% (2007)
Imports:
$4.516 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
UAE 14.3%, Russia 11.6%, Turkey 10.3%, China 9.1%, Ukraine 8.7%,Iran 7%, Germany 6.5%, US 5.6% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$28.25 million from the US (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.172 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.4 billion to $5 billion (2004 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Turkmen manat (TMM)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar - 6,250 (2007) official rate note: the commercial rate was 19,800 Turkemen manat per US$ (2007)
CommunicationsTurkmenistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
398,100 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
216,900 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: poorly developed domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign investors, is planning to upgrade the country's telephone exchanges and install a new digital switching system; mobile-cellular usage remains limited 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 (2006)
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:
640 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1
Internet users:
70,000 (2007)
TransportationTurkmenistan
Airports:
28 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 6,441 km; oil 1,361 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 2,440 km broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 58,592 km paved: 47,577 km unpaved: 11,015 km (2002)
Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways) (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 7 by type: cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Turkmenbasy
MilitaryTurkmenistan
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,316,698 females age 16-49: 1,331,005 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,064,965 females age 16-49: 1,136,553 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 57,615 female: 55,426 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesTurkmenistan
Disputes - international:
cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005, but Caspian seabed delimitation remains stalled with Azerbaijan, Iran, and Kazakhstan due to Turkmenistan's indecision over how to allocate the sea's waters and seabed
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 11,173 (Tajikistan); less than 1,000 (Afghanistan) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Turks and Caicos Islands
IntroductionTurks and Caicos Islands
Background:
The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory.
GeographyTurks and Caicos Islands
Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
389 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain:
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
Natural resources:
spiny lobster, conch
Land use:
arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
Geography - note:
about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
PeopleTurks and Caicos Islands
Population:
22,352 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.7% (male 3,497/female 3,374) 15-64 years: 65.2% (male 7,640/female 6,929) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 435/female 477) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.8 years male: 28.5 years female: 27 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.644% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
21.12 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.16 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
9.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 16.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.19 years male: 72.91 years female: 77.59 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.98 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: none adjective: none
Ethnic groups:
black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Religions:
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
Languages:
English (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US
GovernmentTurks and Caicos Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands abbreviation: TCI
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
Capital:
name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)