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Compare Venezuela (2002) - Turkmenistan (2005)

Compare Venezuela (2002) z Turkmenistan (2005)

 Venezuela (2002)Turkmenistan (2005)
 VenezuelaTurkmenistan
Administrative divisions 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 federal district* (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia


note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
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: 31.6% (male 3,955,132; female 3,710,159)


15-64 years: 63.6% (male 7,756,362; female 7,695,738)


65 years and over: 4.8% (male 533,559; female 636,720) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 35.7% (male 909,113/female 860,128)


15-64 years: 60.2% (male 1,462,198/female 1,516,836)


65 years and over: 4.1% (male 78,119/female 125,687) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish cotton, grain; livestock
Airports 372 (2001) 53 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 127


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 11


1,524 to 2,437 m: 32


914 to 1,523 m: 61


under 914 m: 18 (2002)
total: 23


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 246


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 97


under 914 m: 139 (2002)
total: 30


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
Area total: 912,050 sq km


land: 882,050 sq km


water: 30,000 sq km
total: 488,100 sq km


land: 488,100 sq km


water: negl.
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of California slightly larger than California
Background Venezuela was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically-elected governments have held sway since 1959. Current concerns include: an embattled president who is losing his once solid support among Venezuelans, a divided military, drug-related conflicts along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples. 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 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.
Birth rate 20.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 27.68 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $21.5 billion


expenditures: $27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.)
revenues: $3.05 billion


expenditures: $3.05 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital Caracas Ashgabat
Climate tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands subtropical desert
Coastline 2,800 km 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Constitution 30 December 1999 adopted 18 May 1992
Country name conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela


conventional short form: Venezuela


local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela


local short form: Venezuela
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Turkmenistan


local long form: none


local short form: Turkmenistan


former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency bolivar (VEB) -
Death rate 4.91 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 8.78 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $34.5 billion (2000) (2000) $2.4 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Charles S. SHAPIRO


embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080


mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037


telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411


FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991
chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey A. JACOBSON


embassy: 9 Pushkin (1984) Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000


mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-7070


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


FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Luis HERERRA Marcano


chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007


telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214


FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
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 claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo (river); maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela; several Caribbean states protest Venezuela's claim to Islas des Aves (Bird Islands), 565 km from Venezuelan mainland 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
Economic aid - recipient $35 million with more assistance likely as a result of flooding (1999) $16 million from the US (2001)
Economy - overview The petroleum sector dominates the economy, accounting for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Venezuelan officials estimate that GDP grew by 2.7% in 2001. A strong rebound in international oil prices fueled the recovery from the steep recession in 1999. Nevertheless, a weak nonoil sector and capital flight - and a temporary fall in oil prices - undercut the recovery. In early 2002, President CHAVEZ changed the exchange rate regime from a crawling peg to a free floating exchange rate, causing the bolivar to depreciate significantly. 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; formerly it was the world's tenth-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years have led to a nearly 46% 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 1998-2004, 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 perhaps 30% in 2003 and 19% in 2004, 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, 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.
Electricity - consumption 75.101 billion kWh (2000) 8.908 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 1.136 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 80.754 billion kWh (2000) 11.41 billion kWh (2004 est.)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 23%


hydro: 77%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 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 sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations 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: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
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 Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)
Exchange rates bolivares per US dollar - 761.225 (January 2002), 723.666 (2001), 679.960 (2000), 605.717 (1999), 547.556 (1998), 488.635 (1997) Turkmen manats per US dollar - 10,100 (2004), 10,034 (2003), 10,098 (2002), 5,200 (2001)


note: in recent years the unofficial rate has hovered around 21,000 manats to the dollar
Executive branch chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (since 28 April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (since 28 April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - 60%
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: 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)


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held in 2008 when NIYAZOV turns 70 and is constitutionally ineligible to run); 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%
Exports $29.5 billion f.o.b. (2001) NA
Exports - commodities petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, cotton fiber, textiles
Exports - partners US 60%, Brazil 5.5%, Colombia 3.5%, Italy 3.5%, Spain 3.4% (2000) Ukraine 46.6%, Iran 17.3%, Turkey 4.2%, Italy 4.1% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band 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 - $146.2 billion (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5%


industry: 40%


services: 55% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 28.5%


industry: 42.7%


services: 28.8% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,100 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $5,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.7% (2001 est.) IMF estimate: 7.5%


note: official government statistics show 21.4% growth, but these estimates are notoriously unreliable (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 N, 66 00 W 40 00 N, 60 00 E
Geography - note on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall 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
Heliports 1 (2002) 1 (2004 est.)
Highways total: 96,155 km


paved: 32,308 km


unpaved: 63,847 km (1997 est.)
total: 24,000 km


paved: 19,488 km


unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 38% (1997) (1997)
lowest 10%: 2.6%


highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)
Illicit drugs small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan
Imports $18.4 billion f.o.b. (2001) NA
Imports - commodities raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners US 35.8%, Colombia 6.8%, Brazil 4.5%, Germany 3.9%, Italy 3.9% (2000) US 11.8%, Russia 9.7%, UAE 9.2%, Ukraine 9%, Turkey 8.6%, Germany 8%, France 5%, Georgia 4.6%, Iran 4.5% (2004)
Independence 5 July 1811 (from Spain) 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate NA% official government estimate: 22% (2003 est.)
Industries petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Infant mortality rate 24.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 73.08 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 69.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 12.3% (2001) (2001) 9% (2004 est.)
International organization participation CAN, Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 16 (2000) -
Irrigated land 540 sq km (1998 est.) 17,500 sq km (2003 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term) Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Labor force 9.9 million (1999) (1999) 2.32 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture 13% (1997 est.) agriculture 48.2%, industry 13.8%, services 37% (2003 est.)
Land boundaries total: 4,993 km


border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
total: 3,736 km


border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Land use arable land: 2.99%


permanent crops: 0.96%


other: 96.05% (1998 est.)
arable land: 3.72%


permanent crops: 0.14%


other: 96.14% (2001)
Languages Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Legal system based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on civil law system
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (165 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)


elections: last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - pro-government 108 (MVR 92, MAS 6, indigenous 3, other 7), opposition 57 (AD 33, COPEI 6, Justice First 5, other 13)
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)


elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003; Mejlis - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)


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: 73.56 years


male: 70.53 years


female: 76.81 years (2002 est.)
total population: 61.39 years


male: 58.02 years


female: 64.93 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 91.1%


male: 91.8%


female: 90.3% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98.8%


male: 99.3%


female: 98.3% (1995 est.)
Location Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Map references South America Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 15 NM


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 716,361 GRT/1,267,095 DWT


ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 9, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea passenger 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 1, Greece 1, Italy 1, United Kingdom 1, United States 2 (2002 est.)
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT


by type: cargo 3, combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2005)
Military branches National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada - including marines and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional) Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (2004)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $934 million (FY99) $90 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.9% (FY99) 3.4% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 6,647,718 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 4,786,849 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 246,185 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 5 July (1811) Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Nationality noun: Venezuelan(s)


adjective: Venezuelan
noun: Turkmen(s)


adjective: Turkmen
Natural hazards subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts NA
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Net migration rate -0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) -0.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km gas 6,549 km; oil 1,395 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Democratic Action or AD [Claudio FERMIN]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Garcia PONCE]; Homeland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNIZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [Antonio HERRERA]; Social Christian Party or COPEI [Oswaldo ALVAREZ Paz]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer] 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 SHIKHMURADOV 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; the Union of Democratic Forces, a coalition of opposition-in-exile groups, is based in Europe
Political pressure groups and leaders FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action) NA
Population 24,287,670 (July 2002 est.) 4,952,081 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 67% (1997 est.) 58% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate 1.52% (2002 est.) 1.81% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon Turkmenbasy
Radio broadcast stations AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998) AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios 10.75 million (1997) -
Railways total: 682 km


standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge


note: 248 km of the existing system are privately owned; passenger services are nonexistent; however, a National Railways Plan, intended to provide a significant railway system, has been initiated (2001)
total: 2,440 km


broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2004)
Religions nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
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 (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern and expanding


domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services


international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network
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
Telephones - main lines in use 2.6 million (however, 3,500,000 have been installed) (1998) 374,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2 million (1998) 52,000 (2004)
Television broadcast stations 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997) 4 (government owned and programmed) (2004)
Terrain Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast 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 2.41 children born/woman (2002 est.) 3.41 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 14.1% (2001 est.) 60% (2004 est.)
Waterways 7,100 km


note: Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways) (2003)
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