Geography ::Turkey
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:
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 783,562 sq km country comparison to the world: 37 land: 769,632 sq km
water: 13,930 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 2,648 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km
Coastline:
7,200 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea
exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR
Climate:
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Terrain:
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 29.81%
permanent crops: 3.39%
other: 66.8% (2005)
Irrigated land:
52,150 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
234 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 39.78 cu km/yr (15%/11%/74%)
per capita: 544 cu m/yr (2001)
Natural hazards:
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, 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, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country
People ::Turkey
Population:
76,805,524 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 10,701,631/female 10,223,260)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 25,896,326/female 25,327,403)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 2,130,360/female 2,526,544) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.7 years
male: 27.4 years
female: 28.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.312% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Birth rate:
18.66 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Death rate:
6.1 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Net migration rate:
0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Urbanization:
urban population: 69% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.78 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 85 male: 26.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.96 years country comparison to the world: 122 male: 70.12 years
female: 73.89 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.21 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish
Ethnic groups:
Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 18%, other minorities 7-12% (2008 est.)
Religions:
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Languages:
Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.4%
male: 95.3%
female: 79.6% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 11 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 102
Government ::Turkey
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:
name: Ankara
geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
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, Igdir, Isparta,Istanbul, Izmir (Smyrna), Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars,Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli,Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin (Icel), 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; amended 17 May 1987, 1995, 2001, and 2007; note - amendment passed by referendum concerning presidential elections on 21 October 2007
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 Ali BABACAN (since 1 May 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Bulent ARINC (since 1 May 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected directly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of parliament
election results: on 28 August 2007 the National Assembly elected Abdullah GUL president on the third ballot; National Assembly vote - 339
note: in October 2007 Turkish voters approved a referendum package of constitutional amendments including a provision for direct presidential elections
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 in 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 31 January 2009 - AKP 340, CHP 97, MHP 70, DTP 21, DSP 13, ODP 1, BBP 1, independents 5, 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]; note - True Path Party or DYP has merged with the Motherland Party; Democratic Party or DP [Husamettin CINDORUK]; Democratic Left Party or DSP [Masum TURKER]; Democratic Society Party or DTP [Ahmet TURK]; Felicity Party or SP [Numan KURTULMUS] (sometimes translated as Contentment Party); Freedom and Solidarity Party or ODP [Hayri KOZANOGLU]; Grand Unity Party or BBP; note - Mushin YAZICIOGLU, former leader of the Grand Unity Party was killed in an March 2009 helicopter crash; Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Nationalist Movement Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI] (sometimes translated as Nationalist Action Party); People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi Partisi) or HYP [Yasar Nuri OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL]; Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Ugur CILASUN (acting)]; Young Party or GP [Cem Cengiz UZAN]
note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of the 49 parties that Turkey had as of 31 January 2009
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN];Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [SuleymanCELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Associationor MUSIAD [Omer Cihad VARDAN]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is[Salim USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK[Tugurl KUDATGOBILIK]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is[Mustafa KUMLU]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen orTESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen'sAssociation or TUSIAD [Arzuhan Dogan YALCINDAG]; Turkish Union ofChambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. RifatHISARCIKLIOGLU]
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN(observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, G-20, 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
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James F. JEFFREY
embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara
mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555
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
Economy ::Turkey
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 about 30% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state remains a major participant 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 GDP growth has exceeded 6% in many years, but this strong expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994, 1999, and 2001. Due to global contractions, annual growth is estimated to have fallen to 1.1% in 2008. Inflation fell to 7.7% in 2005 - a 30-year low - but climbed to over 10% in 2008. 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 stood at nearly $130 billion at year-end 2008. 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 and 2008, 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 and the possible closure of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Economic fundamentals are sound, marked by moderate economic growth and foreign direct investment. Nevertheless, the Turkish economy may be faced with more negative economic indicators in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown. In addition, Turkey's high current account deficit leaves the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$903.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 $895.8 billion (2007 est.)
$855.6 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$730 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 178 4.7% (2007 est.)
6.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92 $12,000 (2007 est.)
$11,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.8%
industry: 27.5%
services: 63.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
24.06 million country comparison to the world: 25 note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 29.5%
industry: 24.7%
services: 45.8% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
11% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 9.9% (2007 est.)
note: underemployment amounted to 4% in 2008
Population below poverty line:
20% (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 33.2% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.6 (2003) country comparison to the world: 49
Investment (gross fixed):
20.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Budget:
revenues: $160.5 billion
expenditures: $173.6 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
40% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 74.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 154 8.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 4 25% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$53.25 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 20 $63.88 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$248.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 12 $252.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$326.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 24 $355 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$117.9 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 30 $286.6 billion (31 December 2007)
$162.4 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulse, citrus; livestock
Industries:
textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Industrial production growth rate:
-0.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Electricity - production:
181.9 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Electricity - consumption:
153.7 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Electricity - exports:
1.063 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
790 million kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
46,120 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Oil - consumption:
675,500 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Oil - exports:
141,700 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Oil - imports:
783,800 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Oil - proved reserves:
300 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Natural gas - production:
1.013 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - consumption:
37.18 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Natural gas - exports:
435 million cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - imports:
36.72 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Natural gas - proved reserves:
8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Current account balance:
-$41.69 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 183 -$37.7 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$140.7 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 $115.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Germany 9.8%, UK 6.2%, UAE 6%, Italy 5.9%, France 5%, Russia 4.9% (2008)
Imports:
$193.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $162 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment
Imports - partners:
Russia 15.5%, Germany 9.3%, China 7.8%, US 5.9%, Italy 5.5%, France 4.5%, Iran 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$73.66 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $76.51 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$278.1 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 $249.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$128.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 $110.5 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$14.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $10.97 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar - 1.3179 (2008 est.), 1.319 (2007), 1.4286 (2006), 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (2004)
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; on 1 January 2009, the Turkish government dropped the word "new" and the currency is now called simply the Turkish lira
Communications ::Turkey
Telephones - main lines in use:
17.502 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 18
Telephones - mobile cellular:
65.824 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 15
Telephone system:
general assessment: comprehensive telecommunications network undergoing rapid modernization and expansion especially in mobile-cellular services
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)
Television broadcast stations:
635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.tr
Internet hosts:
2.961 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 27
Internet users:
24.483 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 15
Transportation ::Turkey
Airports:
102 (2009) country comparison to the world: 59
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 90
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Heliports:
21 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 7,555 km; oil 3,636 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 8,697 km country comparison to the world: 23 standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (1,920 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 426,951 km (includes 1,987 km of expressways) (2006) country comparison to the world: 13
Waterways:
1,200 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 60
Merchant marine:
total: 612 country comparison to the world: 19 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
Military ::Turkey
Military branches:
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk KaraKuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includesnaval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Force (Turk HavaKuvvetleri) (2009)
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: 17,223,506
females age 16-49: 16,995,299 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 692,592
female: 663,689 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
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 Issues ::Turkey
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Turkmenistan (Central Asia)
Introduction ::Turkmenistan
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.
Geography ::Turkmenistan
Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 488,100 sq km country comparison to the world: 52 land: 469,930 sq km
water: 18,170 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 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
People ::Turkmenistan
Population:
4,884,887 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.9% (male 713,698/female 697,222)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,618,678/female 1,646,992)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 90,352/female 117,945) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.4 years
male: 24.1 years
female: 24.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.141% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Birth rate:
19.69 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Death rate:
6.31 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Net migration rate:
-1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Urbanization:
urban population: 49% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 45.36 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 56 male: 53.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 36.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.87 years country comparison to the world: 153 male: 64.94 years
female: 70.95 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.22 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
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 write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.3%
female: 98.3% (1999 est.)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (1991) country comparison to the world: 108
Government ::Turkmenistan
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 the 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 February 2012)
election results: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW elected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 89.2%, Amanyaz ATAJYKOW 3.2%, other candidates 7.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament known as the National Assembly (Mejlis) (125 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 December 2008 (next to be held December 2013)
election results: 100% of elected officials are members of either the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or its pseudo-civil society parent organization, the Revival Movement, and are preapproved by the president
note: in autumn 2008, the constitution of Turkmenistan was revised to abolish the 2,507-member legislative body known as the People's Council and to expand the number of deputies in the National Assembly from 65 to 125; the powers formerly held by the People's Council were divided up between the president and the National Assembly
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 abroad; the three most prominent opposition groups-in-exile are the National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT), the Republican Party of Turkmenistan, and the Watan (Fatherland) Party; the 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
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
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
Economy ::Turkmenistan
Economy - overview:
Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and sizeable 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 2003-08, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. A new pipeline to China, set to come online in late 2009 or early 2010, will give Turkmenistan an additional export route for its gas. 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, unified the country's dual currency exchange rate, ordered the redenomination of the manat, reduced state subsidies for gasoline, increased Internet access both in schools and Internet cafes, ordered an independent audit of Turkmenistan's gas resources, and created a special tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. Although foreign investment is encouraged, numerous bureaucratic obstacles from the NYYZOW-era remain.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$31.28 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $28.49 billion (2007 est.)
$25.53 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$29.16 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
9.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 11.6% (2007 est.)
11.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 128 $6,000 (2007 est.)
$5,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.1%
industry: 39%
services: 51.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
13.51 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 48.2%
industry: 14%
services: 37.8% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
60% (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Population below poverty line:
30% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: