Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Area:
total:488,100 sq km
land:469,930 sq km
water:18,170 sq km
country comparison to the world:54
Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total:4,158 km
border countries (4):Afghanistan 804 km, Iran 1148 km, Kazakhstan 413 km, Uzbekistan 1793 km
Coastline:
0 km(landlocked); note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Maritime claims:
Climate:
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:
mean elevation:230 m
elevation extremes:-81 mlowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya (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)
3139 highest point: Gora Ayribaba
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Land use:
agricultural land:72%(2011 est.)
arable land:4.1%(2011 est.)/permanent crops:0.1%(2011 est.)/permanent pasture:67.8%(2011 est.)
forest:8.8%(2011 est.)
other:19.2%(2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
Population distribution:
the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; mudslides; droughts; dust storms; floods
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; soil erosion; 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
Population:
5,411,012(July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:119
Nationality:
noun:Turkmen(s)
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:
0-14 years:25.66%(male 704,067 /female 684,581)
15-24 years:17.71%(male 482,094 /female 476,080)
25-54 years:43.52%(male 1,169,965 /female 1,185,159)
55-64 years:8.17%(male 208,328 /female 233,902)
65 years and over:4.93%(male 116,218 /female 150,618)(2018 est.)
population pyramid:![\"population](\"/attachments/images/thumb/TX_popgraph.bmp?1538604981\")
Central Asia
:: TurkmenistanPrint This is the population pyramid for Turkmenistan. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:52.7(2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio:46.5(2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio:6.2(2015 est.)
potential support ratio:16.1(2015 est.)
Median age:
Population growth rate:
1.1%(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:100
Birth rate:
18.9 births/1,000 population(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:85
Death rate:
6.1 deaths/1,000 population(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:162
Net migration rate:
-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:156
Population distribution:
the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
Urbanization:
urban population:51.6% of total population(2018)
rate of urbanization:2.46% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
810,000 ASHGABAT (capital)(2018)
Sex ratio:
at birth:1.04 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
0-14 years:1.03 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
15-24 years:1.01 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
25-54 years:0.98 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
55-64 years:0.89 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
65 years and over:0.77 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
total population:0.98 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
42 deaths/100,000 live births(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:104
Infant mortality rate:
total:33.1 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
male:39.8 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
female:26 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:55
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:70.7 years(2018 est.)
male:67.6 years(2018 est.)
female:73.9 years(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:159
Total fertility rate:
2.06 children born/woman(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:107
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
Health expenditures:
2.1% of GDP(2014)
country comparison to the world:190
Physicians density:
2.29 physicians/1,000 population(2014)
Hospital bed density:
7.4 beds/1,000 population(2013)
Drinking water source:
improved:urban:89.1% of population
rural:53.7% of population
total:71.1% of population
unimproved:urban:10.9% of population
rural:46.3% of population
total:28.9% of population(2012 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:urban:100% of population(2012 est.)
rural:98.2% of population(2012 est.)
total:99.1% of population(2012 est.)
unimproved:urban:0% of population(2012 est.)
rural:1.8% of population(2012 est.)
total:0.9% of population(2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
18.6%(2016)
country comparison to the world:117
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
3.2%(2015)
country comparison to the world:96
Education expenditures:
3% of GDP(2012)
country comparison to the world:145
Literacy:
definition:age 15 and over can read and write(2015 est.)
total population:99.7%(2015 est.)
male:99.8%(2015 est.)
female:99.6%(2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:11 years(2014)
male:11 years(2014)
female:11 years(2014)
Country name:
conventional long form:none
conventional short form:Turkmenistan
local long form:none
local short form:Turkmenistan
former:Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
etymology:the suffix \"-stan\" means \"place of\" or \"country,\" so Turkmenistan literally means the \"Land of the Turkmen [people]\"
Government type:
presidential republic; authoritarian
Capital:
name:Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
geographic coordinates:37 57 N, 58 23 E
time difference:UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Welayaty (Anew), Ashgabat*, Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dasoguz 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:
history:adopted 18 May 1992(2017)
amendments:proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of the total Assembly membership or absolute majority approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2016; note - in mid-2014, the president established a Constitutional Commission to initiate a process for developing constitutional reforms(2017)
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
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth:no
citizenship by descent only:at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan
dual citizenship recognized:yes
residency requirement for naturalization:7 years
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Judicial branch:
highest courts:Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)
judge selection and term of office:judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms
subordinate courts:High Commercial Court; appellate courts; provincial, district, and city courts; military courts
Executive branch:
chief of state:President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government:President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007)
cabinet:Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections/appointments:president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 12 February 2017 (next to be held in February 2024)
election results:Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (DPT) 97.7%, other 2.3%
Legislative branch:
description:unicameral National Assembly or Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected from single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
elections:last held on 25 March 2018, although interim elections are held on an ad hoc basis to fill vacant sets
election results:percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPT 55, APT 11, PIE 11, independent 48 (individuals nominated by citizen groups); composition - men 94, women 31, percent of women 24.8%
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or APT [Bashim ANNAGURBANOW]
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Ata SERDAROW]
Organization of Trade Unions of Turkmenistan
Magtymguly Youth Organization
Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs or PIE [Saparmyrat OVGANOW]
Women's Union of Turkmenistan
note: all of these parties support President BERDIMUHAMEDOW; a law authorizing the registration of political parties went into effect in January 2012; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad
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:
chief of mission:Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOW (since 14 February 2001)
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 Allan MUSTARD (since 20 January 2015)
embassy:No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 744000
mailing address:7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
telephone:[993] (12) 94-00-45
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
note: the flag of Turkmenistan is the most intricate of all national flags
National symbol(s):
Akhal-Teke horse; national colors: green, white
National anthem:
name:\"Garassyz, Bitarap Turkmenistanyn\" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)
lyrics/music:collective/Veli MUKHATOV
note: adopted 1997, lyrics revised in 2008, to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW
Economy - overview:
Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and significant natural 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 almost 8% of GDP, it continues to employ nearly half of the country's workforce. Hydrocarbon exports, the bulk of which is natural gas going to China, make up 25% of Turkmenistan’s GDP. Ashgabat has explored two initiatives to bring gas to new markets: a trans-Caspian pipeline that would carry gas to Europe and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Both face major financing, political, and security hurdles and are unlikely to be completed soon.
Turkmenistan’s autocratic governments under presidents NIYAZOW (1991-2006) and BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 2007) have made little progress improving the business climate, privatizing state-owned industries, combatting corruption, and limiting economic development outside the energy sector. High energy prices in the mid-2000s allowed the government to undertake extensive development and social spending, including providing heavy utility subsidies.
Low energy prices since mid-2014 are hampering Turkmenistan’s economic growth and reducing government revenues. The government has cut subsidies in several areas, and wage arrears have increased. In January 2014, the Central Bank of Turkmenistan devalued the manat by 19%, and downward pressure on the currency continues. There is a widening spread between the official exchange rate (3.5 TMM per US dollar) and the black market exchange rate (approximately 14 TMM per US dollar). Currency depreciation and conversion restrictions, corruption, isolationist policies, and declining spending on public services have resulted in a stagnate economy that is nearing crisis. Turkmenistan claims substantial foreign currency reserves, but non-transparent data limit international institutions’ ability to verify this information.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$103.7 billion(2017 est.)
$97.41 billion(2016 est.)
$91.72 billion(2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world:84
GDP (official exchange rate):
$37.93 billion(2017 est.)(2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.5%(2017 est.)
6.2%(2016 est.)
6.5%(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:30
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$18,200(2017 est.)
$17,300(2016 est.)
$16,500(2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world:96
Gross national saving:
23.9% of GDP(2017 est.)
24.3% of GDP(2016 est.)
18.9% of GDP(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:70
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:50%(2017 est.)
government consumption:10%(2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital:28.2%(2017 est.)
investment in inventories:0%(2017 est.)
exports of goods and services:26.2%(2017 est.)
imports of goods and services:-14.3%(2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:7.5%(2017 est.)
industry:44.9%(2017 est.)
services:47.7%(2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain, melons; livestock
Industries:
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
1%(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:160
Labor force:
2.305 million(2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:116
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:48.2%
industry:14%
services:37.8%(2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
11%(2014 est.)
10.6%(2013)
country comparison to the world:149
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:31.7%(1998)
highest 10%:31.7%(1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8(1998)
country comparison to the world:62
Budget:
revenues:5.657 billion(2017 est.)
expenditures:6.714 billion(2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
14.9% (of GDP)(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:197
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-2.8% (of GDP)(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:126
Public debt:
28.8% of GDP(2017 est.)
24.1% of GDP(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:167
Fiscal year:
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8%(2017 est.)
3.6%(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:198
Central bank discount rate:
5%(31 December 2014)
5%(31 December 2013)
country comparison to the world:83
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19%(31 December 2017 est.)
16%(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:17
Stock of narrow money:
$1.326 billion(31 December 2015 est.)
$1.255 billion(31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:148
Stock of broad money:
$12.23 billion(31 December 2015 est.)
$5.632 billion(31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:82
Stock of domestic credit:
$28.4 billion(31 December 2015 est.)
$13.09 billion(31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:82
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Current account balance:
-$4.359 billion(2017 est.)
-$7.207 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:181
Exports:
$7.458 billion(2017 est.)
$6.987 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:101
Exports - partners:
China 83.7%, Turkey 5.1%(2017)
Exports - commodities:
gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber
Imports:
$4.571 billion(2017 est.)
$5.215 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:135
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Turkey 24.2%, Algeria 14.4%, Germany 9.8%, China 8.9%, Russia 8%, US 6.6%(2017)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$24.91 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$25.05 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:56
Debt - external:
$539.4 million(31 December 2017 est.)
$425.3 million(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:177
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$3.061 billion(2013 est.)
$3.117 billion(2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:115
Exchange rates:
Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar -
4.125(2017 est.)
3.5(2016 est.)
3.5(2015 est.)
3.5(2014 est.)
2.85(2013 est.)
Electricity access:
electrification - total population:100%(2016)
Electricity - production:
21.18 billion kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:74
Electricity - consumption:
15.09 billion kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:80
Electricity - exports:
3.201 billion kWh(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:41
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:212
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
4.001 million kW(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:88
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
100% of total installed capacity(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:20
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:200
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:207
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:210
Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:207
Crude oil - exports:
67,790 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:38
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:206
Crude oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl(1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:43
Refined petroleum products - production:
191,100 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:52
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
160,000 bbl/day(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:63
Refined petroleum products - exports:
53,780 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:53
Refined petroleum products - imports:
0 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:214
Natural gas - production:
77.45 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:11
Natural gas - consumption:
39.31 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:27
Natural gas - exports:
38.14 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:10
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:203
Natural gas - proved reserves:
7.504 trillion cu m(1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:5
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
100.5 million Mt(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:44
Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions:665,000(July 2016 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:13(July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:90
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total subscriptions:8.575 million(July 2016 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:160(July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:95
Telephone system:
general assessment:telecommunications network is gradually improving(2018)
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 170 per 100 persons; Russia's Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), the only foreign mobile-cellular service provider in Turkmenistan, suspended operations in September 2017 due to the state-owned telecom company cutting MTS' access to international and long-distance communication services and Internet; Turkmenistan's first telecommunication satellite was launched in 2015 and is expected to greatly improve connectivity in the country(2018)
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(2018)
Broadcast media:
Internet country code:
Internet users:
total:951,925(July 2016 est.)
percent of population:18%(July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:133
Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
total:4,000(2017 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:less than 1(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:177
National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers:1(2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers:23(2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:2,138,389(2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:0mt-km(2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
Airports:
26(2013)
country comparison to the world:127
Airports - with paved runways:
total:21(2013)
over 3,047 m:1(2013)
2,438 to 3,047 m:9(2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m:9(2013)
914 to 1,523 m:2(2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:5(2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m:1(2013)
under 914 m:4(2013)
Heliports:
Pipelines:
7500 km gas, 1501 km oil(2013)
Railways:
total:5,113 km(2017)
broad gauge:5,113 km1.520-m gauge(2017)
country comparison to the world:38
Roadways:
total:58,592 km(2002)
paved:47,577 km(2002)
unpaved:11,015 km(2002)
country comparison to the world:72
Waterways:
1,300 km(Amu Darya River and Kara Kum Canal are important inland waterways)(2011)
country comparison to the world:55
Merchant marine:
total:73(2017)
by type:general cargo 8, oil tanker 8, other 57(2017)
country comparison to the world:102
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s):Caspian Sea - Turkmenbasy