世界各国

Turkmenistan

Introduction to Turkmenistan

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.

Government

Capital:

Ashgabat 

Independence:

27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union) 

National holiday:

Independence Day, 27 October (1991) 

Economy

Economy overview:

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 at one time 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 1998-2003, 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 particular, the 20% rate of GDP growth is a guess. 

GDP:

purchasing power parity - $27.88 billion (2004 est.) 

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 24.8%
industry: 46.2%
services: 28.9% (2004 est.)

Agriculture products:

cotton, grain; livestock 

Industries:

natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing 

Transportation

Waterways:

1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways) (2003)

Pipelines:

gas 6,634 km; oil 853 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:

Turkmenbasy

Merchant marine:

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT
by type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1
registered in other countries: 2 (2003 est.)

Airports:

69 (2003 est.)