Compare Turkmenistan (2006) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2005)

Compare Turkmenistan (2006) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2005)

	Turkmenistan (2006)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2005)

Administrative divisions	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: 35.2% (male 913,988/female 863,503) 15-64 years: 60.7% (male 1,501,486/female 1,557,155) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 79,227/female 127,561) (2006 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	cotton, grain; livestock	-
Airports	29 (2006)	1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 22 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2006)	-
Area	total: 488,100 sq km land: 488,100 sq km water: NEGL	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative	slightly larger than California	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President Saparmurat 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 were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation routes in order to break Russia's pipeline monopoly.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate	27.61 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $1.401 billion expenditures: $1.542 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)	-
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)	-
Climate	subtropical desert	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)	698 km
Constitution	adopted 18 May 1992	-
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turkmenistan local long form: none local short form: Turkmenistan former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Death rate	8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-
Debt - external	$2.4 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)	-
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jennifer L. BRUSH embassy: No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000 mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070 telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45 FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOV chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500 FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; bilateral talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; demarcation of land boundary with Kazakhstan has started but Caspian seabed delimitation remains stalled	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient	$16 million from the US (2001)	-
Economy - overview	Turkmenistan is a 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; formerly it was the world's tenth-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years have led to an almost 50% decline in cotton exports. 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 1998-2005, 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 20% to 30% per year in 2003-2005, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. In 2005, Ashgabat sought to raise natural gas export prices to its main customers, Russia and Ukraine, from $44 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $66 per tcm. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, the burden of foreign debt, the government's irrational use of oil and gas revenues, and its unwillingness to adopt market-oriented reforms. Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption	8.847 billion kWh (2002)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	1.136 billion kWh (2004)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - production	11.41 billion kWh (2004 est.)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes	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) 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	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
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; desertification	NA
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	-
Ethnic groups	Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)	-
Exchange rates	in recent years the unofficial rate has hovered around 24,000 to 25,000 Turkmen manats to the dollar; the official rate has consistently been 5,200 manat to the dollar	-
Executive branch	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) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28 December 1999 during a session of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty); in November 2005, the People's Council voted down NIYAZOV's suggestion to hold presidential elections in 2009 elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1992; note - President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president for life by the People's Council 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%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports	NA bbl/day	-
Exports - commodities	gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, cotton fiber, textiles	-
Exports - partners	Ukraine 43.5%, Iran 15%, Hungary 5.4% (2005)	-
Fiscal year	calendar year	-
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 similar to the olive branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon representing Islam with five white stars representing the regions or velayats of Turkmenistan appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 20.9% industry: 38% services: 41.1% (2005 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	IMF estimate: 6% note: official government statistics show 21.4% growth, but these estimates are widely regarded as unreliable (2005 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	40 00 N, 60 00 E	6 00 S, 71 30 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	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Heliports	1 (2006)	-
Highways	-	total: NA km paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)	-
Illicit drugs	transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan	-
Imports	NA bbl/day	-
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs	-
Imports - partners	UAE 12.4%, Azerbaijan 10.9%, US 9.4%, Russia 8.9%, Ukraine 7.4%, Turkey 7.2%, Iran 6.1%, Germany 5.3%, Kazakhstan 4.2% (2005)	-
Independence	27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)	-
Industrial production growth rate	22% (2003 est.)	-
Industries	natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 72.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	10.5% (2005 est.)	-
International organization participation	AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO	-
Irrigated land	18,000 sq km (2003)	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)	-
Labor force	2.32 million (2003 est.)	-
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 48.2% industry: 13.8% services: 37% (2003 est.)	-
Land boundaries	total: 3,736 km border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 4.51% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 95.35% (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Languages	Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%	-
Legal system	based on civil law system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch	under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislative body of up to 2,500 delegates, some of whom are elected by popular vote and some of whom are appointed; meets at least yearly) and a unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); membership is scheduled to be increased to 65 seats elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be held December 2008); Mejlis - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008) election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note - all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the president is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative branches of government	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 61.83 years male: 58.43 years female: 65.41 years (2006 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.8% male: 99.3% female: 98.3% (1999 est.)	-
Location	Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	Asia	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,870 GRT/25,801 DWT by type: cargo 4, combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Military branches	Ground Forces, Artillery and Rocket Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2006)	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$90 million (FY99)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	3.4% (FY99)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 27 October (1991)	-
Nationality	noun: Turkmen(s) adjective: Turkmen	-
Natural hazards	NA	NA
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate	-0.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-
Pipelines	gas 6,441 km; oil 1,361 km (2006)	-
Political parties and leaders	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 National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT) and the United Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (UDPT); NDMT was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; UDPT is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out of Moscow	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	-
Population	5,042,920 (July 2006 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	58% (2003 est.)	-
Population growth rate	1.83% (2006 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	-	Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations	AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	total: 2,440 km broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2005)	-
Religions	Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%	-
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 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 (2006 est.)	-
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	-
Telephone system	general assessment: poorly developed domestic: NA international: country code - 993; 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	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	376,100 (2003)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	52,000 (2004)	-
Television broadcast stations	4 (government owned and programmed) (2004)	1 (1997)
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	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	60% (2004 est.)	-
Waterways	1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways) (2006)	-

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