tion, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation
methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow
of the Amu Darya river into irrigation contributes to that river's
inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Ozone Layer Protection
Note:
landlocked

@Turkmenistan, People

Population:
3,995,122 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.01% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
30.42 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
7.44 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
69.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
65.14 years
male:
61.63 years
female:
68.82 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.77 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Turkmen(s)
adjective:
Turkmen
Ethnic divisions:
Turkmen 73.3%, Russian 9.8%, Uzbek 9%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.9%
Religions:
Muslim 87%, Eastern Orthodox 11%, unknown 2%
Languages:
Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Literacy:
age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100%
Labor force:
1.573 million
by occupation:
agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction 20%, other 36%
(1992)

@Turkmenistan, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Turkmenistan
local long form:
Tiurkmenostan Respublikasy
local short form:
Turkmenistan
former:
Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
TX
Type:
republic
Capital:
Ashgabat
Administrative divisions:
5 welayatlar (singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan
Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty (formerly Tashauz), Lebap
Welayaty (Charjew), Mary Welayaty
note:
names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from
welayat name
Independence:
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Constitution:
adopted 18 May 1992
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Saparmurad NIYAZOV (since NA October 1990); election last
held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA 2002); results - Saparmurad
NIYAZOV 99.5% (ran unopposed); note - a 15 January 1994 referendum