Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan Background

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.

Turkmenistan Information

• Population: 4,863,169 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Turkmen(s) adjective: Turkmen
• Location:: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
• Religions:: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
• Ethnic Groups:: Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)
• Land Boundaries:: total: 3,736 km border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
• Area: total: 488,100 sq km water: negl. land: 488,100 sq km
• Coast Line: 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
• 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
• Maritime Claims:
• Land Use: arable land: 3.72% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.14% (2001)
• Environmental 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
• Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt
• Highways: total: 24,000 km paved: 19,488 km unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.)
• Railways: total: 2,440 km broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Turkmenbasy
• Airports: 69 (2003 est.)