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Compare Saudi Arabia (2005) - Turkmenistan (2001)

Compare Saudi Arabia (2005) z Turkmenistan (2001)

 Saudi Arabia (2005)Turkmenistan (2001)
 Saudi ArabiaTurkmenistan
Administrative divisions 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk 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)
Age structure 0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,149,960/female 4,952,138)


15-64 years: 59.4% (male 8,992,348/female 6,698,633)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 334,694/female 289,826) (2005 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk cotton, grain; livestock
Airports 201 (2004 est.) 76 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 72


over 3,047 m: 32


2,438 to 3,047 m: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 23


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total:
13

2,438 to 3,047 m:
9

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 129


over 3047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 72


914 to 1,523 m: 39


under 914 m: 12 (2004 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 (2000 est.)
Area total: 1,960,582 sq km


land: 1,960,582 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
488,100 sq km

land:
488,100 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US slightly larger than California
Background In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. 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 29.56 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 28.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $104.8 billion


expenditures: $78.66 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues:
$588.6 million

expenditures:
$658.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Capital Riyadh Ashgabat
Climate harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes subtropical desert
Coastline 2,640 km 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Constitution governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 adopted 18 May 1992
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia


conventional short form: Saudi Arabia


local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah


local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Turkmenistan

local long form:
none

local short form:
Turkmenistan

former:
Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency - Turkmen manat (TMM)
Death rate 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $34.35 billion (2004 est.) $2.5 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador James Curtis OBERWETTER


embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh


mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693


telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800


FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989


consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
chief of mission:
Ambassador Steven R. MANN

embassy:
9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000

mailing address:
use embassy street address

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

FAX:
[9] (9312) 51-13-05
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Turki al-Faysal bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud


chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800


consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
chief of mission:
Ambassador Mered ORAZOV

chancery:
2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 588-1500

FAX:
[1] (202) 588-0697
Disputes - international despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan
Economic aid - donor pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq -
Economic aid - recipient - $27.2 million (1995)
Economy - overview This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism. Turkmenistan is largely desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and huge gas (fifth largest reserves in the world) and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it the world's tenth largest producer. Until the end of 1993, Turkmenistan had experienced less economic disruption than other former Soviet states because its economy received a boost from higher prices for oil and gas and a sharp increase in hard currency earnings. In 1994, Russia's refusal to export Turkmen gas to hard currency markets and mounting debts of its major customers in the former USSR for gas deliveries contributed to a sharp fall in industrial production and caused the budget to shift from a surplus to a slight deficit. 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 1998-2000, 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 sharply because of higher international oil and gas prices. Prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty and the burden of foreign debt. IMF assistance would seem to be necessary, yet the government is not as yet ready to accept IMF requirements. Turkmenistan's 1999 deal to ship 20 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas through Russia's Gazprom pipeline helped alleviate the 2000 fiscal shortfall. Inadequate fiscal restraint and the tenuous nature of Turkmenistan's 2001 gas deals, combined with a lack of economic reform, will limit progress in the near term.
Electricity - consumption 128.5 billion kWh (2002) 4.785 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 4.1 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 1.1 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 138.2 billion kWh (2002) 8.371 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
99.94%

hydro:
0.06%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
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
Environment - current issues desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills 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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection


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 Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.1% (1995)
Exchange rates Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2004), 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000) 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)
Executive branch chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members


elections: note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
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 scheduled 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 7.92 million bbl/day (2003) $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products 90% gas 33%, oil 30%, cotton fiber 18%, textiles 8% (1999)
Exports - partners US 18.2%, Japan 14.9%, South Korea 9.5%, China 6.1%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2004) Ukraine, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan
Fiscal year 1 March - 28 February calendar year
Flag description green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932 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 - $19.6 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.2%


industry: 67.2%


services: 28.6% (2004 est.)
agriculture:
25%

industry:
43%

services:
32% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2004 est.) 16% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 25 00 N, 45 00 E 40 00 N, 60 00 E
Geography - note extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal landlocked
Heliports 5 (2004 est.) -
Highways total: 152,044 km


paved: 45,461 km


unpaved: 106,583 km (2000)
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)

unpaved:
4,000 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%:
2.6%

highest 10%:
31.7% (1998)
Illicit drugs death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation 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
Imports 0 bbl/day (2003) $1.65 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999)
Imports - partners US 15.3%, Japan 9.8%, Germany 8.1%, China 6.6%, UK 5.7% (2004) Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Germany, US, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
Independence 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate 2.8% (2004 est.) 18% (2000 est.)
Industries crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Infant mortality rate total: 13.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
73.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.8% (2004 est.) 14% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) 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)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - NA
Irrigated land 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) 13,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Council of Justice Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Labor force 6.62 million


note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2004 est.)
2.34 million (1996)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) agriculture 44%, industry 19%, services 37% (1996)
Land boundaries total: 4,431 km


border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
total:
3,736 km

border countries:
Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Land use arable land: 1.67%


permanent crops: 0.09%


other: 98.24% (2001)
arable land:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
63%

forests and woodland:
8%

other:
26% (1993 est.)
Languages Arabic Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Legal system based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on civil law system
Legislative branch Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) 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 infrequently) 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: 75.46 years


male: 73.46 years


female: 77.55 years (2005 est.)
total population:
61 years

male:
57.43 years

female:
64.76 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 78.8%


male: 84.7%


female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
98%

male:
99%

female:
97% (1989 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Map references Middle East Commonwealth of Independent States
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 18 nm


continental shelf: not specified
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT


by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 12, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 9


foreign-owned: 14 (Egypt 2, Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 5, Singapore 1, Sudan 1, UAE 1, United Kingdom 3)


registered in other countries: 54 (2005)
total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,459 GRT/8,865 DWT

ships by type:
container 1 (2000 est.)
Military branches Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure $18 billion (2002) $90 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 10% (2002) 3.4% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
1,173,500 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
952,218 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
48,292 (2001 est.)
National holiday Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Nationality noun: Saudi(s)


adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
noun:
Turkmen(s)

adjective:
Turkmen
Natural hazards frequent sand and dust storms NA
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt
Net migration rate -3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004) crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km
Political parties and leaders none Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]

note:
formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries
Political pressure groups and leaders none NA
Population 26,417,599


note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)
4,603,244 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 58% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate 2.31% (2005 est.) 1.85% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah Turkmenbashi
Radio broadcast stations AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios - 1.225 million (1997)
Railways total: 1,392 km


standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2004)
total:
2,187 km

broad gauge:
2,187 km 1.520-m gauge (1996 est.)
Religions Muslim 100% Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.34 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female


total population: 1.21 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage adult male citizens age 21 or older


note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern system


domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems


international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
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 3,502,600 (2003) 363,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7,238,200 (2003) 4,300 (1998)
Television broadcast stations 117 (1997) 3 (much programming relayed from Russia and Turkey) (1997)
Terrain mostly uninhabited, sandy desert 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 4.05 children born/woman (2005 est.) 3.58 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 25% (unofficial estimate) (2004 est.) NA%
Waterways - the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan
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