NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1925. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President 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 can be worked out. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan |
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 00 N, 60 00 E |
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total: 488,100 sq km
water: 0 sq km land: 488,100 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than California |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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subtropical desert |
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Terrain:
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flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt |
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Land use:
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arable land: 3.47%
permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.39% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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17,500 sq km (2003 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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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
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Population:
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4,775,544 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 36.8% (male 899,954; female 855,293)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 1,386,606; female 1,438,333) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 74,958; female 120,400) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 21.1 years
male: 20.2 years female: 22 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.82% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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28.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.87 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 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 (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 73.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 69.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 61.19 years
male: 57.72 years female: 64.84 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.5 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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less than 100 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen |
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Ethnic groups:
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Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.1% (1995) |
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Religions:
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Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2% |
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Languages:
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Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1989 est.) |