Turkmenistan - TM - TKM - TKM - Central Asia

chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth ROOD (since 31 July 2024)

embassy: 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744000

mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070

telephone: [993] (12) 94-00-45

FAX: [993] (12) 94-26-14

email address and website:
ConsularAshgab@state.gov

https://tm.usembassy.gov/

0-14 years: 24.5% (male 711,784/female 692,967)

15-64 years: 68.6% (male 1,956,740/female 1,984,333)

65 years and over: 6.9% (2024 est.) (male 174,346/female 223,981)

40 00 N, 60 00 E

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

earthquakes; mudslides; droughts; dust storms; floods

slightly more than three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 24-month conscript service obligation (30 months for the Navy); 20 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; men may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2023)

Present-day Turkmenistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. Various Persian empires ruled the area in antiquity, and Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians conquered it. In medieval times, Merv (located in present-day Mary province) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmen territories later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik resistance in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence when the USSR dissolved in 1991.

President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, a deputy chairman under NIYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOV won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in 2007, and again in 2012 and 2017 with over 97% of the vote in elections widely regarded as undemocratic. In 2022, BERDIMUHAMEDOV announced that he would step down from the presidency and called for an election to replace him. His son, Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV, won the ensuing election with 73% of the vote. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, although no longer head of state, maintains an influential political position as head of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) and as National Leader of the Turkmen People, a title that provides additional privileges and immunity for him and his family. Since Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV stepped down from the presidency, state-controlled media upgraded his honorific from Arkadag (protector) to Hero-Arkadag, and began referring to Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV as Arkadagly Serdar, which can be translated as "Serdar who has a protector to support him."

Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. Turkmenistan's reliance on gas exports has made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in the global energy market, and economic hardships since the drop in energy prices in 2014 have led many citizens of Turkmenistan to emigrate, mostly to Turkey.

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; soil erosion; desertification

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, crude petroleum, electricity (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 63%, Turkey 11%, Greece 7%, Uzbekistan 6%, Azerbaijan 4% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

5 provinces (velayatlar, singular - velayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Velayat (Arkadag), Ashgabat*, Balkan Velayat (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Velayat, Lebap Velayat (Turkmenabat), Mary Velayat

note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

milk, wheat, potatoes, cotton, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes, barley, beef, lamb/mutton (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (aka Turkmen National Army): Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, Turkmen (National) Police, Federal/State Border Guard Service (2024)

revenues: $5.954 billion (2019 est.)

expenditures: $6.134 billion (2019 est.)

broadcasting equipment, cars, wheat, computers, iron pipes (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

subtropical desert

0 km (landlocked); note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

history: several previous; latest adopted 14 September 2016

amendment process: proposed by the Assembly or Mejlis; passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum

Turkmenistani manat (TMM) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
4.125 (2017 est.)
3.5 (2016 est.)
3.5 (2015 est.)
3.5 (2014 est.)

chief of state: President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)

head of government: President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 12 March 2022 (next to be held in 2029); note - on 11 February 2022, President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV announced his intent to retire, setting up an early presidential election

election results: 2022: Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV elected president; percent of vote - Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 73%, Khydyr NUNNAYEV (independent) 11.1%, Agadzhan BEKMYRADOV (IAP) 7.2%, other 8.7%; note - Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV is the son of previous president Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV

2017: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 97.7%, other 2.3%

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

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; five white, five-pointed stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe; the green color and crescent moon represent Islam; the five stars symbolize the regions or welayats of Turkmenistan; the guls reflect the national identity of Turkmenistan where carpet-making has long been a part of traditional nomadic life

note: the flag of Turkmenistan is the most intricate of all national flags

transit country for Afghan opiates to Turkish, Russian, and European markets, either directly from Afghanistan or through Iran; not a major producer or source country for illegal drugs or precursor chemicals

 

 

27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

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

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)

judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms

subordinate courts: High Commercial Court; appellate courts; provincial, district, and city courts; military courts

total: 4,158 km

border countries (4): Afghanistan 804 km; Iran 1,148 km; Kazakhstan 413 km; Uzbekistan 1,793 km

agricultural land: 84.3% (2022 est.)

arable land: 3.4% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 80.8% (2022 est.)

forest: 8.8% (2022 est.)

other: 7% (2022 est.)

civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences

legislature name: Assembly (Mejlis)

legislative structure: unicameral

number of seats: 125 (all directly elected)

electoral system: plurality/majority

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 5 years

most recent election date: 3/26/2023

parties elected and seats per party: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (DPT) (65); Groups of citizens of Turkmenistan (28); Agrarian Party (24); Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (8)

percentage of women in chamber: 25.6%

expected date of next election: March 2028

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.7%

male: 99.8%

female: 99.6% (2015)

none (landlocked)

ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

noun: Turkmenistani(s)

adjective: Turkmenistani

petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt

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

upper middle-income Central Asian economy; has 10% of global natural gas reserves, exporting to Russia and China; natural resource rich; authoritarian and dominated by state-owned enterprises; major central-south Asian pipeline development

Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or APT
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT
Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs or PIE

note: all of these parties support President BERDIMUHAMEDOV; a law authorizing the registration of political parties went into effect in January 2012; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad

total: 5,113 km (2017)

broad gauge: 5,113 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge

18 years of age; universal

general assessment: the nation of Turkmenistan, which rivals only North Korea for its isolationism, continues to keep its telecom sector along with the broader populace under tight control; the country inched up just one point off the bottom of the world rankings for press and internet freedom in the most recent report from Reporters Without Borders; most social networks in the country are blocked, although locals do have access to the government-developed platform released in 2019; all internet users, however, need to identify themselves before logging on, and strict censorship over what can be viewed is in force; the end result is that Turkmenistan has one of the lowest usage rates for internet access in the world (2024)

domestic: fixed-line is 13 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is 99 per 100 persons (2022)

international: country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2018)

flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west

presidential republic; authoritarian

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Turkmenistan

local long form: none

local short form: Turkmenistan

former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology: the suffix -stan means "land," so the country name means the "Land of the Turkmen [people];" the people's name means "Turk-like," from the Persian words tork and mandan, referring to their formerly nomadic lifestyle that differed from the settled Turks of Turkey

Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Asia

16,459 sq km (2012)

chief of mission: Ambassador Meret ORAZOV (since 14 February 2001)

chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500

FAX: [1] (202) 588-1500

email address and website:
turkmenembassyus@verizon.net

https://usa.tmembassy.gov.tm/en

percent of population: 21% (2017 est.)

.tm

stateless persons: 4,463 (2022)

$60.629 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

tier rating: Tier 3 — Turkmenistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Turkmenistan remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/turkmenistan/

24.77 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

total: 13 years

male: 13 years

female: 13 years (2020)

urban population: 54% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 7 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes and programming provide an alternative to the state-run media; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by removing satellite dishes

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

name: "Garassyz, Bitarap Turkmenistanyn" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)

lyrics/music: collective/Veli MUKHATOV

note: adopted 1997, lyrics revised in 2008, to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW

902,000 ASHGABAT (capital) (2023)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

1.93 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

4 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Akhal-Teke horse; national colors: green, white

49.7% (2019)

household consumption: 50% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 9.4% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 18.3% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 21.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -12.5% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

total dependency ratio: 45.8 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 35.6 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 10.1 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 9.9 (2024 est.)

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

EZ

improved:

urban: 99.8% of population

rural: 99.9% of population

total: 99.8% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 0.1% of population

total: 0.2% of population (2020 est.)

Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003 est.)

Muslim 93%, Christian 6.4%, Buddhist <1%, folk religion <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified <1% (2020 est.)

Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

major-language sample(s):
Dünýä Faktlar Kitaby – esasy maglumatlaryň wajyp çeşmesidir (Turkmen)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Turkey 21%, UAE 21%, China 20%, Kazakhstan 8%, Germany 5% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya (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) -81 m

mean elevation: 230 m

5.6% of GDP (2021)

1.9% of GDP (2019 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2018 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
1.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

the military is responsible for external defense and works closely with the Border Service on protecting the country’s borders; while Turkmenistan has a policy of permanent and "positive" neutrality and has declined to participate in post-Soviet military groupings such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has participated in multinational exercises and bilateral training with neighboring countries, including Russia and Uzbekistan; Turkmenistan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994, but it does not offer any military forces to NATO-led operations

in recent years, Turkmenistan has made efforts to strengthen its naval capabilities on the Caspian Sea, including expanding ship building capabilities, building a new naval base, and adding larger vessels to the Navy’s inventory; in 2018, Turkmenistan opened its first naval shipyard, and in 2021 the Navy commissioned its largest warship, a corvette that was jointly constructed with Turkey, to complement a small existing force of coastal patrol craft (2023)

information varies; estimated 35,000 active-duty troops (30,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 4,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2023)

the military's inventory is comprised largely of Russian and Soviet-era weapons and equipment with smaller quantities of military systems from suppliers such as Brazil, China, Italy, and Turkey (2024)

24.2 years (2019)

municipal: 450 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 810 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 16.12 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 500,000 tons (2013 est.)

on food: 36.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco: 2.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 26.41 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 70.63 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 52.09 megatons (2020 est.)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)

salt water lake(s): Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km

Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

total World Heritage Sites: 5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Ancient Merv (c); Kunya-Urgench (c); Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (c); Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n); Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (c)

women married by age 15: 0.2%

women married by age 18: 6.1% (2019 est.)

imports: 200 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 799.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)

fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

production: 84.277 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption: 44.936 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports: 41.334 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 11.327 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 272,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 152,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 600 million barrels (2021 est.)

0.99 (2024 est.)

64.3% (2023 est.)

0% of GDP (2023 est.)
0% of GDP (2022 est.)
0% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

has a small space program focused on acquiring satellites and developing the infrastructure to build and operate satellites; particularly interested in remote sensing satellites for such purposes as monitoring its agricultural and transportation sectors, the oil and natural gas industry, and the ecology of the Caspian Sea; has cooperated with the space agencies and/or space industries of France, Italy, Russia, South Korea, and the US (2024)

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Turkmenistan National Space Agency (established 2011; in 2019, was transferred to the Space Directorate of Turkmenaragatnashik Agency) (2024)

2.419 million (2023 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total: 9.1% (2023 est.)

male: 13.9% (2023 est.)

female: 5.7% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 31.2 years (2024 est.)

male: 30.7 years

female: 31.7 years

$3.795 billion (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

$24.91 billion (2017 est.)
$25.05 billion (2016 est.)

28.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

2.02 children born/woman (2024 est.)

4.12% (2023 est.)
4.12% (2022 est.)
4.45% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 5,744,151 (2024 est.)

male: 2,842,870

female: 2,901,281

106.215 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 100 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 18.062 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 88.153 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total : 488,100 sq km

land: 469,930 sq km

water: 18,170 sq km

14.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

$131.576 billion (2023 est.)
$123.778 billion (2022 est.)
$116.552 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2017 dollars

23 (2025)

total: 35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 43.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 6.25 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 99 (2021 est.)

8% (2017 est.)
3.6% (2016 est.)

-$4.359 billion (2017 est.)
-$7.207 billion (2016 est.)

$17,900 (2023 est.)
$17,100 (2022 est.)
$16,400 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2017 dollars

total: 377,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)

total: 5.5% (2020 est.)

male: 10.6% (2020 est.)

female: 0.4% (2020 est.)

18.6% (2016)

261.142 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

16.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

installed generating capacity: 6.512 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 21.526 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports: 9 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 3.258 billion kWh (2023 est.)

total: 73 (2023)

by type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 8, other 59

3.1% (2019)

$6.25 billion (2021 est.)
$8.301 billion (2020 est.)
$8.844 billion (2019 est.)

note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

$10.282 billion (2021 est.)
$8.164 billion (2020 est.)
$11.188 billion (2019 est.)

note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

25 (2025)

total subscriptions: 802,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)

total: 2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 0.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total population: 72.4 years (2024 est.)

male: 69.4 years

female: 75.5 years

6.3% (2023 est.)
6.2% (2022 est.)
6.2% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

4.3% (2014 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agriculture: 11.3% (2023 est.)

industry: 39.3% (2023 est.)

services: 49.4% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

0.92% (2024 est.)

name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)

geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E

time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: derived from the Turkmen words ushq, meaning "love," and abad, meaning "inhabited place" or "town;"  the city was originally a military outpost built in 1881 that took its name from an ancient settlement on the site