TURKMENISTAN
A country in Central Asia, bordered to the west by the Caspian Sea. Area - 488,000 km². Most of the territory is occupied by sandy deserts (a significant part is the Karakum Desert) of the Turan Lowland (about 80% of the territory), with the Kopet Dag, Paropamiz, and the foothills of the Gissar Range in the south and southeast. The capital is Ashgabat (about 640,000), the largest cities are Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnovodsk), Charjou, Tashauz, Nebitdag. Administrative-territorial division: consists of 5 velayats (regions). Ashgabat is equivalent to a velayat. Population - about 6.5 million; 81% are Turkmen, with Uzbeks, Russians, Kazakhs, Tatars, Ukrainians, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, and Baluchis also residing there.
The official language is Turkmen, which belongs to the Turkic language group; the second most widely spoken language is Russian.
Religion - Islam (Sunni). The currency is the manat.
Diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation were established on April 8, 1992, and a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was signed on April 23, 2002 (replacing the Treaty of July 31, 1992). More than 90 agreements have been signed regulating Russian-Turkmen relations in various fields.
The national holiday is October 27 - Independence Day of Turkmenistan (1991).
On May 18, 1992, the parliament adopted a new constitution proclaiming Turkmenistan a democratic, legal, secular state with a presidential form of government. The highest representative body is the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council) of Turkmenistan, which includes the president, deputies of the Mejlis (parliament), chairpersons of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Economic Court, the Attorney General, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, and heads of administrations. The Halk Maslahaty considers and makes decisions on amendments to the constitution, holding referendums, developing the main directions of the country's development, ratifying and denouncing treaties on interstate unions and other formations, and other issues. Decisions of the Halk Maslahaty are implemented by the president, the Mejlis, and other state bodies.
The head of state is the president, elected by universal direct suffrage for a term of 5 years. On October 27, 1990, S. A. Niyazov became the first president. On June 21, 1992, during extraordinary presidential elections after the adoption of the constitution, Niyazov was re-elected president. In January 1994, following a referendum, his powers were extended for a second 5-year term without additional elections. In 1999, a law was adopted granting Niyazov the right to exercise the powers of head of state indefinitely. In 2005, S. A. Niyazov proposed holding presidential elections in 2009.
The legislative body is the Mejlis (parliament), consisting of 50 deputies elected from territorial districts with approximately equal numbers of voters for a term of 5 years. The last parliamentary elections were held on December 19, 2004. The Cabinet of Ministers is the executive and administrative body headed by the president.
Only one political party is officially registered - the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (DPT), formed in December 1991. The chairman of the party's political council is S. A. Niyazov.
State formations on the territory of modern Turkmenistan emerged in the 1st millennium BC (the states of Margiana, Parthia, Media). In the 6th-4th centuries BC, they were under the power of the Iranian Achaemenids and Alexander the Great. From the 3rd century BC, they were part of the Parthian Kingdom and the Sasanian state. In the 5th-8th centuries AD, the territory of Turkmenistan was subjected to invasions by the Hephthalites, Turks, and Arabs. By the 11th century, it was conquered by the Oghuz. In the 11th-13th centuries, it was part of the Seljuk state, and later Khwarezm. In the 13th-15th centuries, it was under the power of the Mongol-Tatars, then in the Timurid state. The Turkmen ethnicity mainly formed in the 15th century. From the 16th-17th centuries, it was part of the Khiva and Bukhara Khanates. In the late 1860s to the mid-1880s, the territory of Turkmenistan was annexed to Russia (Transcaspian region). In November-December 1917, Soviet power was established. On April 30, 1918, at the 5th Congress of Soviets of the Turkestan region, the Turkestan ASSR was formed as part of the RSFSR. It included the main part of Turkmenistan (the Transcaspian region, renamed in August 1921 to Turkmen region). On October 27, 1924, the Turkmen SSR was formed as part of the USSR.
On August 22, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR adopted a Declaration of State Sovereignty. In October 1991, during a nationwide referendum on the state independence of the republic, 94% of voters supported it. Since November 1991, the official name of the state has been Turkmenistan.
The fundamental principle of foreign policy is declared to be permanent neutrality. In December 1995, with the support of Russia, a resolution was adopted at the 50th session of the UN General Assembly recognizing Turkmenistan's neutral status. It is a participant in the CIS (in August 2005, Turkmenistan proposed its participation in the Commonwealth as an associated member). Relations have been developed with Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, as well as with countries in Western Europe and the USA.
Turkmenistan is a member of the UN (since 1992), several of its specialized agencies, as well as the ECO, OIC, OSCE, Non-Aligned Movement, IMF, and IBRD. It participates in NATO's "Partnership for Peace" program.
Turkmenistan is rich in natural resources: oil (industrial reserves - 213 million tons), gas (reserves estimated at 13 trillion m³), sulfur, potassium and rock salts, non-ferrous and rare earth metals, construction materials, and more. Mirabilite (raw material for soda production) is extracted in the Karabogaz-Gol bay.
In 2003, the national program "Strategy for the Economic, Political, and Cultural Development of Turkmenistan until 2020" was adopted. According to the program, the strategic goal of Turkmenistan is to transform it into a dynamically developing state with high indicators of socio-economic development.
In 2004, the value of gross production increased by 21% compared to 2003. At the same time, industrial production grew by 22%, agriculture, and construction by more than 20%. In 2004, gas production reached 58 billion m³ (42 billion m³ of gas was exported). 10 million tons of oil were produced. The oil refining sector is represented by the Turkmenbashi and Seydi oil refining complexes. Production volumes of major oil products: gasoline of various grades - 2.1 million tons, diesel fuel - 1.9 million tons, polypropylene - 86.1 thousand tons, lubricating oils - 50.8 thousand tons. The production of liquefied gas amounted to more than 359 thousand tons. 11.9 billion kWh of electricity were generated (in 2003 - 10.9 billion kWh).
In addition to the oil and gas industry, the main sectors of industry include: textile production (mainly cotton), food industry, and glass processing.
In 2004, about 3 billion dollars were directed to the development of the economy. Of the total investment, 73% was allocated to the production sector. The structure of investments by sources of financing: funds from enterprises and organizations - 43.9%, centralized and local budgets - 4.4%, state funds - 27.5%, foreign investments - 4.3%, foreign loans - 4.6%. A high proportion of investments comes from the own funds of enterprises and organizations and state funds. The state sector of the economy accounted for more than 80% of investments. The share of the non-state sector is 15.1%, and foreign investors - 4.3%.
Irrigated agriculture is the basis of agriculture. Cotton growing is the main branch of agriculture. Cotton is cultivated in almost all areas of irrigated agriculture. In addition to grains, fruit growing, viticulture, vegetable growing, and melon growing are developed. Sericulture is widespread. In 2004, about 800 thousand tons of grain were harvested, and 660 thousand tons of raw cotton were procured.
In animal husbandry, the main focus is on Karakul sheep breeding, based on the migratory pastures of the Karakum.
Cattle, camels, and pedigree horses are raised.
Foreign trade turnover in 2004 amounted to about 5 billion dollars. Exports include gas, oil, electricity, textile materials, cotton fabrics, and yarn. Imports include equipment for the construction and reconstruction of oil and gas and textile complexes, agricultural and construction machinery, pharmaceuticals, food products, and electrical goods. Export operations are conducted with 50 countries. Import trading partners include 74 countries. In 2004, trade turnover with Ukraine amounted to about 1.5 billion dollars, with Iran - over 800 million dollars, with Turkey - 550 million dollars, with Azerbaijan - 94.5 million dollars, with Uzbekistan - 56.6 million dollars, with Belarus - about 40 million dollars. Foreign trade turnover with Russia in 2004 reached 285.2 million dollars (an increase of 11% compared to 2003), including exports - 242 million dollars, imports - 43.2 million dollars. Gas, oil products, cotton fiber, cotton yarn, fabrics, and others were supplied to Russia. From Russia, metals and metal products, electrical equipment, and products of the light and chemical industries were received.
Turkmenistan has a developed transportation system, including rail, sea, river, and air transport. The total length of the railway network is about 4,000 km. In 2004, more than 500 million tons of cargo were transported by all modes of transport. The main seaport is Turkmenbashi, connected by ferry to Baku.
Shipping occurs on the Amu Darya and the Karakum Canal.
There are 16 higher educational institutions in the country. Print publications include: "Turkmenistan," "Vatan," "Adalat," "Mugallymlar gazet," "Edebiyat ve sungat" (average circulation of newspapers - 60-70 thousand copies). The socio-political magazine "Diyar" (10 thousand), the women's magazine "Gurbansoltan edje" (33 thousand), and the literary-artistic magazine "Garagum" (2 thousand). A newspaper in Russian, "Neutral Turkmenistan," is published (29 thousand).
Electronic media are represented by television channels: "Altyn azyk: Turkmenistan," "Miraz," "Yashlyk," and radio stations: "Vatan," "Gar tarapdan," and "Miraz."