Chapter LXI: Front Matter (61)

Economy - overview:
Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas,
has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for
international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not
proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The
economy benefits from low inflation and a growing trade surplus.
Prospects for growth in 2006 are good as prices for oil,
petrochemicals, and liquefied natural gas are expected to remain
high, and foreign direct investment continues to grow to support
expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping
with a rise in violent crime.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18.11 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.02 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$16,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 57%
services: 42.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
620,000 (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%,
construction and utilities 12.4%, services 64.1% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
21% (1992 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.9% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.5 billion
expenditures: $4.06 billion; including capital expenditures of
$117.3 million (2005 est.)

Public debt:
43% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage,
cotton textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
9% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
6.076 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.8%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.2% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
5.651 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
150,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
29,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
990 million bbl (1 January 2004)

Natural gas - production:
24.7 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
12.79 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
11.79 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
733 billion cu m (1 January 2004)

Current account balance:
$2.88 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$9.161 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products,
fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

Exports - partners:
US 68.8%, Jamaica 5.5%, Barbados 2.9% (2005)

Imports:
$6.011 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live
animals

Imports - partners:
US 27.7%, Venezuela 13.3%, Brazil 11.8%, Japan 5.5%, Canada 4.2%
(2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.888 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.767 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$24 million (1999 est.)

Currency (code):
Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)

Currency code:
TTD

Exchange rates:
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2842 (2005), 6.299
(2004), 6.2951 (2003), 6.2487 (2002), 6.2332 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Trinidad and Tobago

Telephones - main lines in use:
323,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
800,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent international service; good local
service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and
Guyana

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
680,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
6 (2005)

Televisions:
425,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tt

Internet hosts:
30,732 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
17 (2000)

Internet users:
160,000 (2005)

Transportation Trinidad and Tobago

Airports:
6 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 253 km; gas 1,278 km; oil 571 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 16,760 GRT/7,941 DWT
by type: liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum
tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain

Military Trinidad and Tobago

Military branches:
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard
(includes air wing) (2004)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 290,715
females age 18-49: 258,410 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 202,958
females age 18-49: 173,797 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$66.72 million (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.6% (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues Trinidad and Tobago

Disputes - international:
Barbados will assert its claim before the UN Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS) that the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's
maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into its waters; Guyana has
also expressed its intention to challenge this boundary as it may
extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

======================================================================

@Tunisia

Introduction Tunisia

Background:
Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated
in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate.
Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was
finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an
independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib
BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the
country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and
establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation.
Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign
relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for
a more open political society.

Geography Tunisia

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria
and Libya

Geographic coordinates:
34 00 N, 9 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline:
1,148 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate:
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers;
desert in south

Terrain:
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges
into the Sahara

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use:
arable land: 17.05%
permanent crops: 13.08%
other: 69.87% (2005)

Irrigated land:
3,940 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health
risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water
resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Tunisia

Population:
10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.8 years
male: 27.3 years
female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.99% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.12 years
male: 73.4 years
female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
during the transmission season (typically April through November)
(2005)

Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Religions:
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Languages:
Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French
(commerce)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.3%
male: 83.4%
female: 65.3% (2004 est.)

Government Tunisia

Country name:
conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Tunis
geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin
'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba
(Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili
(Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah),
Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax
(Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse
(Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan
(Zaghwan)

Independence:
20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution:
1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17
November 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be
held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a
fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%,
Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch:
bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis
al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members
elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional
associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential
appointees; members serve six-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to
be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005
(next to be held July 2011)
election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3,
PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders:
Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally
Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President
Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social
Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS
[Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA];
Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic
Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is
outlawed

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC,
NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC
embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [216] 71 107-000
FAX: [216] 71 107-090

Flag description:
red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly
encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are
traditional symbols of Islam

Economy Tunisia

Economy - overview:
Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining,
energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of
economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the
past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax
structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social
policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia
relative to the region. Real growth slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9%
in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism.
Better rains in 2003 through 2005, however, helped push GDP growth
to about 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of
combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to
trade with the EU. Broader privatization, further liberalization of
the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in
government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among
the challenges ahead.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$82.85 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$30.94 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.2%
industry: 31.8%
services: 55% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
3.41 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 55%
industry: 23%
services: 22% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate:
14.2% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
7.4% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40 (2005 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $7.322 billion
expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6
billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
59.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets,
dates, almonds; beef, dairy products

Industries:
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism,
textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
0.9% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
11.56 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.5%
hydro: 0.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
10.76 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
10 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
5 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
76,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
90,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
1.7 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
2.15 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
3.84 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
77.87 billion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$-359.2 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$10.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural
products, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners:
France 30.9%, Italy 21.1%, Germany 9.4%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 4.5%
(2005)

Imports:
$12.86 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Imports - partners:
France 25.5%, Italy 22.9%, Germany 9.5%, Spain 5.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.375 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$16.09 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$114.6 million (2002)

Currency (code):
Tunisian dinar (TND)

Currency code:
TND

Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004),
1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Tunisia

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,257,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
5.681 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be
upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet
access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial
cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in
Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
2.06 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
920,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tn

Internet hosts:
428 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
953,800 (2005)

Transportation Tunisia

Airports:
30 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 2,945 km; oil 1,227 km; refined products 351 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,153 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 18,997 km
paved: 12,424 km (including 142 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,573 km (2001)

Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo
4 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Skhira

Military Tunisia

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military
service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,441,741
females age 20-49: 2,406,362 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,035,431
females age 20-49: 2,000,757 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 108,817
females age 20-49: 103,087 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$356 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.5% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Tunisia

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

======================================================================

@Turkey

Introduction Turkey

Background:
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of
the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was
later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks."
Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging
social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party
rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950
election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful
transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have
multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of
instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980),
which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political
power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the
ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then
Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus
in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since
acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,"
which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984
by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's
Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the
Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives.
After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents
largely withdrew from Turkey, mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK
announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK
increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a
member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the
European Community; over the past decade, it has undertaken many
reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy, enabling it to
begin accession membership talks with the European Union.

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:
39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 780,580 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km
water: 9,820 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,648 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)

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:
70,413,958 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.5% (male 9,133,226/female 8,800,070)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 24,218,277/female 23,456,761)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 2,198,073/female 2,607,551) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.1 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.06% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
16.62 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 39.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 43.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.62 years
male: 70.18 years
female: 75.18 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% - note - no country specific models provided (2001
est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups:
Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Religions:
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Languages:
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian
note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the Europe
part of Turkey

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 94.3%
female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

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 - il); 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, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars,
Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli,
Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir,
Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt,
Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van,
Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a single
seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held May
2007); prime minister appointed by the president from among members
of parliament
election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third
ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National
Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third
ballot

Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk
Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next to be held in 2007); note
- a special rerun of the General Election in the province of Siirt
on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to
a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime minister, on
14 March 2003
election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%,
DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, Anavatan 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and other; seats by
party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties surpassing
the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; seats by
party as of 1 December 2005 - AKP 357, CHP 154, ANAVATAN 22, DYP 4,
SHP 4, HYP 1, independents 4, vacant 4

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 (once was Motherland Party) or ANAVATAN [Erkan
MUMCU]; Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic
People's Party or DEHAP [Tuncer BAKIRHAN]; Felicity Party (sometimes
translated as Contentment Party) or SP [Necmettin ERBAKAN]; Justice
and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Liberal
Democratic Party or LDP; Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet
BAHCELI]; People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi Partisi) or HYP
[Yasr Nuri OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL];
Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat KARAYALCIN]; True
Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way Party) or DYP
[Mehmet AGAR]
note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of
the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN];
Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman
CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association
or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim
USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Refik
BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Salih KILIC];
Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis
GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or
TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and
Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

International organization participation:
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS,
UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, 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

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 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%.
Inflation fell to 7.7% in 2005 - a 30-year low. Despite the strong
economic gains in 2002-05, 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 debt. The public sector fiscal deficit
exceeds 6% of GDP - due in large part to high interest payments,
which accounted for about 37% of central government spending in
2004. Prior to 2005, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Turkey
averaged less than $1 billion annually, but further economic and
judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost
FDI. Privatization sales are currently approaching $21 billion.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$584.5 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$332.5 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.4% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.7%
industry: 29.8%
services: 58.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
24.7 million
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 35.9%
industry: 22.8%
services: 41.2% (3rd qtr. 2004)

Unemployment rate:
10.2% plus underemployment of 4% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
20% (2002)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 30.7% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.2% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $93.58 billion
expenditures: $115.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
68% of GDP (2005 est.)

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:
5.9% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
133.6 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 79.3%
hydro: 20.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
140.3 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
600 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
1.2 billion kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
50,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
715,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
46,110 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
616,500 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
288.4 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
560 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
22.6 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-23.08 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$72.49 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport
equipment

Exports - partners:
Germany 12.9%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7.6%, US 6.7%, France 5.2%, Spain
4.1% (2005)

Imports:
$101.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport
equipment

Imports - partners:
Germany 11.7%, Russia 11%, Italy 6.5%, China 5.9%, France 5%, US
4.6%, UK 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$52.49 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$170.1 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $635.8 million (2002)

Currency (code):
Turkish lira (YTL); old Turkish lira (TRL) before 1 January 2005

Currency code:
TRL, YTL

Exchange rates:
Turkish liras per US dollar - 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (2004), 1.5009
(2003), 1.5072 (2002), 1.2256 (2001)
note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish Lira (TRL) was converted to
new Turkish Lira (YTL) at a rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish
Lira

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turkey

Telephones - main lines in use:
18.978 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
43.609 million (2005)

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 three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black
Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,
and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile
satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 107, shortwave 6 (2001)

Radios:
11.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
20.9 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.tr

Internet hosts:
1,313,135 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2001)

Internet users:
16 million (2005)

Transportation Turkey

Airports:
117 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 89
over 3,047 m: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Heliports:
18 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 4,621 km; oil 3,543 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 347,553 km
paved: 154,807 km (including 1,886 km of expressways)
unpaved: 192,747 km (2004)

Waterways:
1,200 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 545 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,772,864 GRT/7,313,070 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 109, cargo 239, chemical tanker 50, container
24, liquefied gas 6, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 50, petroleum
tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 24, specialized
tanker 2
foreign-owned: 7 (Cyprus 2, Germany 1, Italy 3, Switzerland 1)
registered in other countries: 411 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda
8, Bahamas 8, Belize 11, Cambodia 26, Comoros 11, Dominica 3,
Georgia 30, Isle of Man 3, North Korea 4, Liberia 1, Libya 2, Malta
123, Marshall Islands 20, Netherlands Antilles 9, Panama 42, Russia
63, Saint Kitts and Nevis 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 25,
Slovakia 8, Tuvalu 2, UK 2, unknown 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Aliaga, Ambarli, Eregli, Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli
(Izmit), Toros

Military Turkey

Military branches:
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes
naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Force (Turk Hava
Kuvvetleri) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 16,756,323
females age 20-49: 16,051,706 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 13,905,901
females age 20-49: 13,335,812 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 679,734
females age 20-49: 659,090 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$12.155 billion (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.3% (2003)

Military - note:
in the early 1990s, the Turkish Land Force was a large but badly
equipped infantry force; there were 14 infantry divisions, but only
one was mechanized, and out of 16 infantry brigades, only six were
mechanized; the overhaul that has taken place since has produced
highly mobile forces with greatly enhanced firepower in accordance
with NATO's new strategic concept (2005)

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: 350,000-1,000,000 (fighting from 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK
and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and
- to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea routes;
major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking
organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert
imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey
and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas
of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw
concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

======================================================================

@Turkmenistan

Introduction Turkmenistan

Background:
Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a
Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon the
dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President Saparmurat NIYAZOV
retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not
tolerated. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a
boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery
projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is
actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation
routes in order to break Russia's pipeline monopoly.

Geography Turkmenistan

Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 60 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 488,100 sq 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)
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)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals,
pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation
methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the
flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's
inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; 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:
5,042,920 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.2% (male 913,988/female 863,503)
15-64 years: 60.7% (male 1,501,486/female 1,557,155)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 79,227/female 127,561) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.8 years
male: 20.9 years
female: 22.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.83% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
27.61 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 72.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.83 years
male: 58.43 years
female: 65.41 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2004 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen

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

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

Languages:
Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.3%
female: 98.3% (1999 est.)

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): Ahal Welayaty
(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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers
Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct
presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first
direct presidential election occurred)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28
December 1999 during a session of the People's Council (Halk
Maslahaty); in November 2005, the People's Council voted down
NIYAZOV's suggestion to hold presidential elections in 2009
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 21 June 1992; note - President NIYAZOV was
unanimously approved as president for life by the People's Council
on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers are
appointed by the president
election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without
opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%

Legislative branch:
under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a
unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislative
body of up to 2,500 delegates, some of whom are elected by popular
vote and some of whom are appointed; meets at least yearly) and a
unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms); membership is scheduled to
be increased to 65 seats
elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be
held December 2008); Mejlis - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be
held December 2008)
election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note -
all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of
Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV
note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of
the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative
organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and
the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its
supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the
constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the
president is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and
the supreme leader of the Mejlis, 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 [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
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 assassination attempt on President
NIYAZOV; UDPT is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is
based out of Moscow

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOV
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 Jennifer
L. BRUSH
embassy: No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan 774000
mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45
FAX: [9] (9312) 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 similar to the olive
branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon representing Islam
with five white stars representing the regions or velayats 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 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
tenth-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. In 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 20%
to 30% per year in 2003-2005, largely because of higher
international oil and gas prices. In 2005, Ashgabat sought to raise
natural gas export prices to its main customers, Russia and Ukraine,
from $44 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $66 per tcm. Overall
prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread
internal poverty, the burden of foreign debt, the government's
irrational use of oil and gas revenues, and its unwillingness to
adopt market-oriented reforms. Turkmenistan's economic statistics
are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide
margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$39.14 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.99 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
IMF estimate: 6%
note: official government statistics show 21.4% growth, but these
estimates are widely regarded as unreliable (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.9%
industry: 38%
services: 41.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
2.32 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 48.2%
industry: 13.8%
services: 37% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
60% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
58% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
35.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.401 billion
expenditures: $1.542 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain; livestock

Industries:
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
22% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
11.41 billion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.9%
hydro: 0.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
8.847 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
1.136 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
203,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
80,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
273 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
54.6 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
15.5 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
38.6 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.01 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$236 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$4.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, cotton fiber, textiles

Exports - partners:
Ukraine 43.5%, Iran 15%, Hungary 5.4% (2005)

Imports:
$4.175 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
UAE 12.4%, Azerbaijan 10.9%, US 9.4%, Russia 8.9%, Ukraine 7.4%,
Turkey 7.2%, Iran 6.1%, Germany 5.3%, Kazakhstan 4.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.963 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.4 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$16 million from the US (2001)

Currency (code):
Turkmen manat (TMM)

Currency code:
TMM

Exchange rates:
in recent years the unofficial rate has hovered around 24,000 to
25,000 Turkmen manats to the dollar; the official rate has
consistently been 5,200 manat to the dollar

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turkmenistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
376,100 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
52,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: NA
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

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:
585 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1

Internet users:
36,000 (2005)

Transportation Turkmenistan

Airports:
29 (2006)

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 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 6,441 km; oil 1,361 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,440 km
broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 24,000 km
paved: 19,488 km
unpaved: 4,512 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways)
(2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,870 GRT/25,801 DWT
by type: cargo 4, combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 2,
refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Turkmenbasy

Military Turkmenistan

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Artillery and Rocket Forces, Navy, Air and Air
Defense Forces (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - two years (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,132,833
females age 18-49: 1,162,569 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 759,978
females age 18-49: 940,179 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 56,532
females age 18-49: 55,413 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$90 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Turkmenistan

Disputes - international:
cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates
water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; bilateral
talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and contested
oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; demarcation of land boundary
with Kazakhstan has started but Caspian seabed delimitation remains
stalled

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 12,085 (Tajikistan) (2005)

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 19 December, 2006

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