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Compare Gabon (2001) - Turkmenistan (2003)

Compare Gabon (2001) z Turkmenistan (2003)

 Gabon (2001)Turkmenistan (2003)
 GabonTurkmenistan
Administrative divisions 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem 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)
Age structure 0-14 years:
33.29% (male 203,677; female 202,833)

15-64 years:
60.77% (male 373,828; female 368,282)

65 years and over:
5.94% (male 35,867; female 36,688) (2001 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish cotton, grain; livestock
Airports 59 (2000 est.) 76 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total:
10

over 3,047 m:
1

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
7

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total: 13


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
49

1,524 to 2,437 m:
8

914 to 1,523 m:
17

under 914 m:
24 (2000 est.)
total: 63


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 41 (2002)
Area total:
267,667 sq km

land:
257,667 sq km

water:
10,000 sq km
total: 488,100 sq km


land: 488,100 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Colorado slightly larger than California
Background Ruled by autocratic presidents since independence from France in 1960, Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small population, abundant natural resources, and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous black African countries. 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.
Birth rate 27.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 28.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues:
$1.5 billion

expenditures:
$1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $302 million (1996 est.)
revenues: $588.6 million


expenditures: $658.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Capital Libreville Ashgabat
Climate tropical; always hot, humid subtropical desert
Coastline 885 km 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Constitution adopted 14 March 1991 adopted 18 May 1992
Country name conventional long form:
Gabonese Republic

conventional short form:
Gabon

local long form:
Republique Gabonaise

local short form:
Gabon
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Turkmenistan


local long form: none


local short form: Turkmenistan


former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States Turkmen manat (TMM)
Death rate 17.22 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 8.87 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $3.9 billion (2000 est.) $2.4 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador James V. LEDESMA

embassy:
Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville

mailing address:
B. P. 4000, Libreville

telephone:
[241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, 74 34 92

FAX:
[241] 74 55 07
chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey A. JACOBSON


embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45


FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA

chancery:
Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 797-1000

FAX:
[1] (202) 332-0668

consulate(s):
New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Mered Bairamovich ORAZOV


chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500


FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697
Disputes - international maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; Turkmenistan has not committed to follow either Iran or the other littoral states in the division of the Caspian Sea seabed and water column; ICJ decision expected to resolve dispute with Azerbaijan over sovereignty over Caspian oilfields; demarcation of land boundary with Kazakhstan is underway - maritime boundary not resolved
Economic aid - recipient $331 million (1995) $16 million from the US (2001)
Economy - overview Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet because of high income inequality a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, manganese, and uranium exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, the economy is hobbled by poor fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP, and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. An expected decline in oil output may lead to contraction in GDP in 2001-02. Turkmenistan is 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, making it the world's tenth-largest producer. 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 1998-2003, 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 38% in 2003, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, the burden of foreign debt, and the unwillingness of the government to adopt market-oriented reforms. However, Turkmenistan's cooperation with the international community in transporting humanitarian aid to Afghanistan may foreshadow a change in the atmosphere for foreign investment, aid, and technological support. Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. In any event, GDP increased substantially in 2003 because of a strong recovery in agriculture and rapid industrial growth.
Electricity - consumption 948.6 million kWh (1999) 8.509 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 980 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 20 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 1.02 billion kWh (1999) 10.18 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
29.9%

hydro:
70.1%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 99.9%


hydro: 0.1%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Mont Iboundji 1,575 m
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
Environment - current issues deforestation; poaching 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.1% (1995)
Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro Turkmen manats per US dollar - 5,200 (2002), 5,200 (2001), 5,200 (2000), 5,200 (1999), 4,890.17 (1998); note - the official exchange rate has not varied for the last four years; the unofficial rate has fluctuated slightly, hovering around 21,000 manats to the dollar
Executive branch chief of state:
President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967)

head of government:
Prime Minister Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
President El Hadj Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%
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 (next to be held NA); note - 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%
Exports $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities crude oil 75%, timber, manganese, uranium (1998) gas 57%, oil 26%, cotton fiber 3%, textiles 2% (2001)
Exports - partners US 47%, France 19%, China 8%, Japan 1.3% (1999) Ukraine 49.7%, Italy 18%, Iran 13.1%, Turkey 6.2% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $31.34 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
10%

industry:
60%

services:
30% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 27%


industry: 50%


services: 23% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.2% (2000 est.) 21.1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 1 00 S, 11 45 E 40 00 N, 60 00 E
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
Highways total:
7,670 km

paved:
629 km (including 30 km of expressways)

unpaved:
7,041 km (1996)
total: 24,000 km


paved: 19,488 km


unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: 2.6%


highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)
Illicit drugs - transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; small-scale government-run eradication of illicit crops; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan
Imports $1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, construction materials machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999)
Imports - partners France 64%, US 4%, UK 2%, Netherlands 2%, (1999) Russia 19.8%, Turkey 12.8%, Ukraine 11.7%, UAE 10%, US 7.5%, China 6%, Germany 5.7%, Iran 4.4% (2002)
Independence 17 August 1960 (from France) 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate 2.3% (1995) 1% (2002 est.)
Industries food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, uranium, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Infant mortality rate 94.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 73.17 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 69.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.5% (2000 est.) 5% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 1
Irrigated land 40 sq km (1993 est.) 17,500 sq km (2003 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Labor force 600,000 2.34 million (1996)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 60%, services and government 25%, industry and commerce 15% agriculture 48%, industry 15%, services 37% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries total:
2,551 km

border countries:
Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
total: 3,736 km


border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Land use arable land:
1%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
18%

forests and woodland:
77%

other:
3% (1993 est.)
arable land: 3.47%


permanent crops: 0.14%


other: 96.39% (1998 est.)
Languages French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Legal system based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on civil law system
Legislative branch bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats); members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms

elections:
National Assembly - last held 15 and 29 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2001); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 1997 (next to be held in January 2002)

election results:
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 89, PGP 9, RNB 6, CLR 3, UPG 2, USG 2, independents 4, others 5; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9
under the 1992 constitution, 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 at least yearly) and a unicameral Assembly or Majlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: People's Council - NA; Assembly - last held 12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)


election results: Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - all 50 elected officials preapproved by President NIYAZOV; most are from the DPT
Life expectancy at birth total population:
49.59 years

male:
48.47 years

female:
50.75 years (2001 est.)
total population: 61.19 years


male: 57.72 years


female: 64.84 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
63.2%

male:
73.7%

female:
53.3% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 99%


female: 97% (1989 est.)
Location Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Map references Africa Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone:
24 NM

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine - total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT


ships by type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard (charged with protecting the president and other senior officials), National Gendarmerie, National Police Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure $91 million (FY96) $90 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.6% (FY96) 3.4% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
281,218 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 1,239,737 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
145,062 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 1,005,686 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
11,304 (2001 est.)
males: 53,825 (2003 est.)
National holiday Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968) Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Nationality noun:
Gabonese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Gabonese
noun: Turkmen(s)


adjective: Turkmen
Natural hazards NA NA
Natural resources petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km gas 6,634 km; oil 853 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders African Forum for Reconstruction or FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI]; Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA, secretary general]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE, president]; Gabonese People's Union or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]; Gabonese Socialist Union or USG [Serge MBA BEKALE]; National Rally of Woodcutters (Bucherons) or RNB [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU] 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 Gundogar and Erkin; Gundogar was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHUMRADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; Erkin is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out of Moscow
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 1,221,175

note:
estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
4,775,544 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 34.4% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 1.02% (2001 est.) 1.82% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil Turkmenbasy
Radio broadcast stations AM 6, FM 7, shortwave 6 (1998) AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios 208,000 (1997) -
Railways total:
649 km (Gabon State Railways or OCTRA)

standard gauge:
649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)
total: 2,440 km


broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)
Religions Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1% Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.98 male(s)/female

total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
NA

domestic:
adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations

international:
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: poorly developed


domestic: NA


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
Telephones - main lines in use 37,000 (1997) 363,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 9,500 (1997) 4,300 (1998)
Television broadcast stations 4 (plus five low-power repeaters) (1997) 3 (much programming relayed from Russia and Turkey) (1997)
Terrain narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
Total fertility rate 3.69 children born/woman (2001 est.) 3.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 21% (1997 est.) NA%
Waterways 1,600 km (perennially navigable) the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan, as is the man-made Kara Kum canal
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