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Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is largely a desert with cattle and sheep raising,
intensive agriculture in irrigated area. Turkmenistan is important
to world energy markets because it contains the world's third
largest reserves of natural gas, with estimates of the country's
total gas resource base ranging as high as 535 trillion cubic
feet.
History
Turkmenistan was part of the kingdom of ancient Persia and
was later (8th-19th cent.) ruled by the Arabs, the Seljuk
Turks (see KHOREZM), JENGHIZ KHAN, TIMUR and the TIMURIDS,
and the Uzbeks.
Turkmenistan shares borders with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
Afghanistan and Iran. To the west is the Caspian Sea. Nearly
80 per cent of the country is taken up by the Kara-Kum (Black
Sand) desert, the largest in the CIS. Turkmenistan's tourist
trade is relatively undeveloped. Almost all the attractions
lie around the fringes of the desert and in oases. The capital,
Ashgabat, on the southern rim of the Kara-Kum desert, is a
modern city. It replaced the one founded in 1881, which was
destroyed in an earthquake in 1948. The Sunday market in Ashgabat
is the best place anywhere to buy Turkmen carpets. Mary, due
east of Ashgabat, is Turkmenistan's second city. It lies near
the remains of the city of Merv, which was once the second
city of Islam until Ghengis Khan's son Toloi, reduced it to
rubble killing many inhabitants in 1221. Plov - pronounced
'plof' - is the staple food for everyday and celebrations
and consists of chunks of mutton, shredded yellow turnip and
rice fried in a large wok. Ashgabat has an opera and ballet
theatre, which shows both Russian and European works and a
drama theatre.
Under Russian rule from 1881, the area initially resisted
the Bolsheviks but fell to the Red Army by 1920. In 1925 the
Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic was formed from Turkmenian
portions of Soviet Turkistan. In 1991 the republic's parliament
declared Turkmenistan independent following a referendum;
after the Soviet Union collapsed, the republic joined the
COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES. The former Communist party
has retained its hold on power in Turkmenistan, although there
has been some movement toward privatizing the economy. Pres.
Saparmurad Niyazov was reelected in 1992; he was the only
candidate in the election.
limited illicit cultivator of opium poppy, mostly for domestic
consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly
used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest
Asia to Russia and Western Europe; also a transshipment point
for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan
General Information
Area: 488,100 sq km (188,456 sq miles).
Population: 4,708,000 (1998).
Population Density: 9.6 per sq km.
Capital: Ashgabat. Population: 517,200 (1993).
Country name: Turkmenistan former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist
Republic
Government type: republic
Capital: Ashgabat
Administrative divisions: 5 welayatlar (singular - welayat):
Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz
Welayaty (formerly Tashauz), Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), Mary
Welayaty
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative
center name following in parentheses)
Geography: Turkmenistan shares borders with Kazakhstan to
the north, Uzbekistan to the east, Afghanistan to the southeast
and Iran to the south. To the west is the Caspian Sea. Nearly
80% of the country is taken up by the Kara-Kum (Black Sand)
desert, the largest in the CIS. The longest irrigation canal
in the world stretches 1100km (687 miles), from the Amu-Darya
River in the east, through Ashgabat, before being piped the
rest of the way to the Caspian Sea.
Government: Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet
Union in 1991. Head of State and Government: President Saparmurad
A Niyazov since 1990.
Language: Turkmen is the official state language, and is
closer to Turkish, Azeri and Crimean Tartar than those of
its neighbours Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The Turkmen script
was changed from Latin to Cyrillic in 1940, but the process
of changing back to the Turkish version of the Latin script
is underway.
Religion: Predominantly Sunni Muslim with a small Russian
Orthodox minority. Turkmenistan shares the Central Asian Sufi
tradition.
Time: GMT + 5.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 2-pin continental
plugs are standard.
Communications:
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer)
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The country
Due to its huge oil and gas reserves, its economy remains
dependent on central planning mechanisms and state control,
although the Government has taken a number of small steps
to make the transition to a market economy. Agriculture, particularly
cotton cultivation, accounts for nearly half of total employment.
Gas, oil and gas derivatives, and cotton account for almost
all of the country's export revenues. Negotiations between
the Government and an international gas consortium concerning
the construction of a gas export pipeline across the Caspian
Sea--the Trans-Caspian Pipeline--stalled in the latter half
of the year. While the idea for the pipeline still exists,
the Government is focusing instead on negotiating large gas
deals with Russia and Ukraine. It is also considering projects
for pipelines through Iran and Afghanistan, as well as a pipeline
to China.
People
Population: 4,603,244 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 37.88% (male 891,758; female 852,104)
15-64 years: 58.09% (male 1,313,303; female 1,360,690)
65 years and over: 4.03% (male 70,800; female 114,589) (2001
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.85% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 28.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61 years
male: 57.43 years
female: 64.76 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen
Ethnic groups: Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh
2%, other 5.1% (1995)
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 male:
99%, female: 97% (1989 est.)
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
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); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely
on 28 December 1999 by the Assembly (Majlis) during a session
of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; election last held 21 June 1992
President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president
for life by the Assembly 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%
There are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's
Council or Halk Maslahaty (more than 100 seats, some of which
are elected by popular vote and some of which are appointed;
meets infrequently) and a unicameral Assembly or Majlis (50
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
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
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Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between
Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 60 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area: total: 488,100 sq km
land: 488,100 sq km water: 0 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 -81.00
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, coal, sulfur, salt
Land use: arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 63%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 26% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 13,000 sq km (1993 est.)
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
Currency:
Turkmen manat (TMM)
Currency code: TMM
Exchange rates: Turkmen manats per US dollar
5,200 (January 2001)
5,200 (January 2000)
5,350 (January 1999)
4,070 (January 1997)
2,400 (January 1996)
Communication
Telephone: Country code: 993. Area code for Ashgabat: 12.
Outgoing international code: 810.
Mobile telephone: GSM 900 network covers Ashgabat area. Operated
by BCTI.
Fax: Services are available in the main hotels for residents
only.
Internet/E-mail: ISPs include Turkemenistan Online (web site:
http://www.online.tm).
Telegram: Services are available from post offices in large
towns.
Post: Letters to Western Europe and the USA can take between
two weeks and two months. Stamped envelopes can be bought
from post offices. Mail addresses should be laid out in the
following order: country, postcode, city, street, house number
and lastly the person's name. Post office hours: 0900-1800
Monday to Friday. The main Post Office in Ashgabat is open
until 1900.
Press: The press in Turkmenistan is censored. The main newspapers
in Ashgabat are Turkmenistan and Vatan (both in Turkmen) and
Neitralnyi Turkmentistan (Russian).
Turkmensiyakhat (State Tourist Corporation of Turkmenistan)
17 Pushkin Street, 744000 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Tel: (12) 354 777 or 397 777. Fax: (12) 396 740 or 357 934.
E-mail: travel@online.tm
Ministry of Culture
14 Pushkin Street, 744000 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Tel/Fax: (12) 353 560.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
83 ul. Gogol, 744000 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Tel: (12) 392 478 or 356 148. Fax: (12) 511 114.
Radio and TV
International: 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: 3 (much programming relayed
from Russia and Turkey) (1997)
Televisions: 820,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .tm
Internet users: 2,000 (2000)
Railways: total: 2,187 km
broad gauge: 2,187 km 1.520-m gauge (1996 est.)
Highways: total: 22,000 km
paved: 18,000 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced,
and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some
that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making
them trafficable in all weather)
Flag description:
green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side,
containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs)
stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive
branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white
stars appear in the upper corner of the field just to the
fly side of the red stripe
Sport & Activities
Horseriding: Turkmenistan is home to the Akilteken
horse, a special breed known for its speed and intelligence.
These horses occupy a special place in Turkmen culture and
are a source of great national pride. An old Turkmen saying
goes, 'Getting up in the morning, greet your father and then
see your horse.' Rides in the countryside can be arranged
through local tour operators or through travel agents specialising
in Turkmenistan. The vast open spaces make Turkmenistan very
good for riding, though the Akilteken horses are suitable
for experienced riders only. Rides can be done just outside
Ashgabat through the gorges of the Firuza River and to the
local hot springs, and in other parts of the country.
Horse racing:
In spring and autumn, horseraces are held at the Hippodrome
in Ashgabat, and 10km (6 miles) south of Ashgabat is the Turkmenbashi
Stud Farm where the Akilteken horses are bred.
Food & Drink:
Turkmen food is similar to that of the rest of Central Asia.
There are a number of good Western-standard restaurants in Ashgabat,
although they rarely have an extensive menu.
Plov - pronounced 'plof' - is the staple food for everyday (but
is also served at celebrations) and consists of chunks of mutton,
shredded yellow turnip and rice fried in a large wok.
Shashlyk (skewered chunks of mutton grilled over charcoal -
kebabs - which come with raw sliced onions) and lipioshka (rounds
of unleavened bread) are served in restaurants and are often
sold in the street, but the quality can be variable.
Manty are larger noodle sacks filled with meat.
Shorpa is a meat and vegetable soup. There are, however, a number
of dishes that are particularly characteristic of Turkmenistan:
ka'urma is mutton deep-fried in its own fat and churban churpa
is mutton fat dissolved in green tea.
Ishkiykli are dough balls filled with meat and onion which are
traditionally cooked in sand that has been heated by a fire.
On the shores of the Caspian Sea, seafood is often substituted
for mutton in traditional dishes such as plov.
In the west of Turkmenistan there is a speciality in which mutton
is roasted in a clay oven fired with aromatic woods.
In general, hotel food shows strong Russian influence: borcht
is cabbage soup, entrecote is a well-done steak, cutlet are
grilled meat balls, and strogan is the local equivalent of beef
Stroganoff.
Pirmeni, originating in Ukraine, are small boiled noodle sacks
of meat and vegetables similar to ravioli, sometimes served
in a vegetable soup.
Drink:
Green tea is very popular and can be obtained almost anywhere.
Beer, wine, vodka, brandy and sparkling wine (shampanski)
are all widely available in restaurants. Kefir, a thick drinking
yoghurt, is often served with breakfast.
Nightlife:
Ashgabat has an opera and ballet theatre, which shows both
Russian and European works and a drama theatre. There are
also a few restaurants offering dancing.
Shopping:
The Sunday market is the best place in the world to buy the
misleadingly named Bukhara rugs, which are actually made in
Turkmenistan. There is a shop in the Art Gallery which sells
traditional Turkmen handicrafts, silver and costumes including
the distinctive Turkmen sheepskin hats. The central bazaar
in Ashgabat is a good place to buy food and curiosities. Shopping
hours: 0900-1800 Monday to Friday. Bazaars open at dawn.
Special Events:
There are a number of festivals which provide an interesting
spectacle for visitors. The following are a selection of events
celebrated annually:
Apr (last Sunday) Akilteken Day, celebration of the Akilteken
horse with parades and races.
May (last Sunday) Day of the Turkmen Carpet.
Sep (second Sunday) Bakshi Day, celebration of Turkmen folk
singers.
Nov (last Sunday) Harvest Festival.
Social Conventions:
Lipioshka (bread) should never be laid upside down, and it
is normal to remove shoes, but not socks, when entering someone's
house. Shorts are rarely seen in Turkmenistan and, worn by
females, are likely to provoke unwelcome attention from the
local male population.
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