Background: Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires and was conquered by Alexander the Great Muslim crusaders the Mongols Turkic warriors and eventually the Russians. 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 in the late 1800s Turkmenistan later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1924 Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves which have yet to be fully exploited have begun to transform the country. Turkmenistan is moving to expand its extraction and delivery projects. The Government of Turkmenistan is actively working to diversify its gas export routes beyond the still important Russian pipeline network. In 2010 new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to China and to northern Iran began operating effectively ending the Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006 and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW emerged as the country's new president; he was chosen as president again in February 2012 in an election that the OSCE said lacked the freedoms necessary to create a competitive environment.

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N 60 00 E

Area
Rank: 53
Land: 469,930 km²
Water: 18,170 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries
Border countries: (4) Afghanistan 744 km; Iran 992 km; Kazakhstan 379 km; Uzbekistan 1621 km

Coastline: 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1768 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 highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas sulfur salt

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.12%
Other: 95.98% (2011)

Irrigated land: 19,910 km² (2006)

Total renewable water resources: 24.77 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: NA

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

Population: 5,113,040 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 119
Growth rate: 1.15% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 104
Below poverty line: 30% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Turkmen

Ethnic groups: Turkmen 85% Uzbek 5% Russian 4% other 6% (2003)

Languages: Turkmen (official) 72% Russian 12% Uzbek 9% other 7%

Religions: Muslim 89% Eastern Orthodox 9% unknown 2%

Age structure
15-24 years: 20.8% (male 535,131/female 528,473)
25-54 years: 41.8% (male 1,058,811/female 1,079,697)
55-64 years: 6.5% (male 157,474/female 176,088)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 92,891/female 120,531) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 42.2 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.1 %
Potential support ratio: 16.5 (2013)

Median age
Male: 25.8 years
Female: 26.6 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.15% (2013 est.)
Rank: 104

Birth rate: 19.53 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 91

Death rate: 6.18 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 160

Net migration rate: -1.88 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 161

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.91% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: ASHGABAT (capital) 637,000 (2009)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 24.6 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 60
Male: 47.17 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 31.41 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 156
Male: 66.18 years
Female: 72.29 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 108

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 61.8% (2000)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 2.44 physicians/1000 population (2007)

Hospital bed density: 4.1 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 137
People living with hivaids: fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 156
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2004 est.)
Deaths rank: 137

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 13.2% (2008)
Rank: 125

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: 99.6%
Male: 99.7%
Female: 99.5% (2011 est.)

Country name
Conventional short form: Turkmenistan
Local long form: none
Local short form: Turkmenistan
Former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: defines itself as a secular democracy and a presidential republic; in actuality displays authoritarian presidential rule with power concentrated within the presidential administration

Capital
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

Independence: 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 27 October (1991)

Constitution: adopted 18 May 1992; amended several times last in 2008; note - sources disagree as to whether the changes in 2008 are amendments or reflect a new constitution (2012)

Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law influences

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
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 (eligible for a second term; election last held on 12 February 2012 (next to be held February 2017)
Election results: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW reelected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 97.1% Annageldi YAZMYRADOW 1.1% other candidates 1.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral parliament known as the National Assembly (Mejlis) (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 14 December 2008 (next to be held in December 2013)
Election results: 100% of elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and are preapproved by the president

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president; judge tenure NA
Subordinate courts: provincial district and city courts; High Commercial Court; military courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB CIS (associate member has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012) 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 UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,207 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 280-1003
From the us embassy: No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street) Ashgabat Turkmenistan 744,000
From the us mailing address: 7,070 Ashgabat Place Washington DC 20,521-7,070
From the us telephone: [993] (12) 94-00-45
From the us FAX: [993] (12) 94-26-14

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; five white stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe; the green color and crescent moon represent Islam; the five stars symbolize the regions or welayats of Turkmenistan; the guls reflect the national identity of Turkmenistan where carpet-making has long been a part of traditional nomadic life

National symbols: Akhal-Teke horse

National anthem
Lyrics and music: collective/Veli MUKHATOV

Economy overview: Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and sizeable gas and oil resources. The two largest crops are cotton most of which is produced for export and wheat which is domestically consumed. Although agriculture accounts for roughly 8% of GDP it continues to employ nearly half of the country's workforce. Turkmenistan's authoritarian regime has taken a cautious approach to economic reform hoping to use gas and cotton export revenues to sustain its inefficient and highly corrupt 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. Additional pipelines to China that began operation in early 2010 and increased pipeline capacity to Iran have expanded Turkmenistan''s export routes for its gas. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of endemic corruption a poor educational system government misuse of oil and gas revenues and Ashgabat''s reluctance to adopt market-oriented reforms. The majority of Turkmenistan''s economic statistics are state secrets. The present government established a State Agency for Statistics but GDP numbers and other publicized figures are subject to wide margins of error. In particular the rate of GDP growth is uncertain. Since his election President BERDIMUHAMEDOW unified the country''s dual currency exchange rate ordered the redenomination of the manat reduced state subsidies for gasoline and initiated development of a special tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. Although foreign investment is encouraged and some improvements in macroeconomic policy have been made numerous bureaucratic obstacles impede international business activity.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 97

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 7

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 127

Gross national saving:
Rank: 115

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 12.9%
Investment in fixed capital: 10.3%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 62.8%
Imports of goods and services: -36%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 24.4%
Services: 68.1% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton grain melons; livestock

Industries: natural gas oil petroleum products textiles food processing

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2012 est.)
Rank: 40

Labor force: 2.3 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 117
By occupation industry: 14%
By occupation services: 37.8% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: 60% (2004 est.)
Rank: 198

Population below poverty line: 30% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 31.7% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 40.8 (1998)
Rank: 56

Budget
Expenditures: $4.667 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 1.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 31

Taxes and other revenues: 14.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 194

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 12% (2011 est.)
Rank: 188

Stock of narrow money: $477.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 159

Stock of broad money: $1.41 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 155

Stock of domestic credit: $2.281 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 128

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: $196.5 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 46

Exports: $13.91 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 78
Commodities: gas crude oil petrochemicals textiles cotton fiber
Partners: China 69.6% Italy 4.7% (2012)

Imports: $9.673 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 96
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: China 19.5% Turkey 17% Russia 12.6% UAE 6.8% Ukraine 6% Germany 4.7% UK 4.2% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $19.23 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 58

Debt external: $445.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 178

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 15.66 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 80
Consumption: 11.12 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 86
Exports: 2.41 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 39
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 144
Installed generating capacity: 2.852 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 89
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 38
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 191
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 204
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 131

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 244,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 36
Crude oil exports: 67,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 44
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 131
Crude oil proven reserves: 600 million bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 46

Refined petroleum
Products production: 143,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 65
Products consumption: 145,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 68
Products exports: 64,360 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 57
Products imports: 2,542 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 176

Natural gas
Production: 59.5 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 16
Consumption: 25 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 32
Exports: 46.1 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 8
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 139
Proven reserves: 7.504 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 6

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 51.85 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 63

Telephones
Main lines in use: 575,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 94
Mobile cellular: 3.953 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 123

Telephone system
Domestic: Turkmentelekom in cooperation with foreign partners has installed high-speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital technology; combined fixed-line and mobile teledensity is about 80 per 100 persons; Russia's Mobile Telesystems the only foreign mobile-cellular service provider in Turkmenistan had its operating license suspended in December 2010 but was able to resume operations in September 2012
International: country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2012)

Broadcast media: broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 7 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes and programming provide an alternative to the state-run media; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by removing satellite dishes (2007)

Internet
Country code: .tm
Hosts: 714 (2012)
Hosts rank: 176
Users: 80,400 (2009)
Users rank: 166

Military expenditures: 1.6% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 90

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory male military service; 2-year conscript service obligation or 1 year for university students; 20 years of age for voluntary service; males may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2013)

Airports: 26 (2013)
Rank: 126
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways: 4 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 7,500 km; oil 1501 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 57
Broad gauge: 2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 72
Paved: 47,577 km
Unpaved: 11,015 km (2002)

Waterways: 1300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal are important inland waterways) (2011)
Rank: 56

Merchant marine
Rank: 112
By type: cargo 4 chemical tanker 1 petroleum tanker 5 refrigerated cargo 1 (2010)

Ports and terminals: Turkmenbasy

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; bilateral talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian

Illicit drugs: transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan