The Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline, a planned pipelinemeant to pump natural gas from Turkmenistanthrough Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, came

closer to becoming a reality in 2015 after many years ofdelays, mostly because of instability and violence inAfghanistan and Pakistan. In August it was reported thatTurkmengaz, Turkmenistan’s state-owned natural gascompany, had been selected to lead the consortiumresponsible for constructing the pipeline, and inSeptember Turkmen officials announced that work onTurkmenistan’s section of the pipeline would commencein December. Turkmenistan, which has the fourth-largestreserves of natural gas in theworld, has long been eager to seethe pipeline completed.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 pop-ulation (2013): 19.5(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000 pop-ulation (2013): 6.2(world avg. 8.1).

Natural increase rate per1,000 population (2013):13.3 (world avg. 11.4).

Life expectancy at birth(2013): male 66.2 years;female 72.3 years.

DemographyPopulation (2015): 5,373,0003.Density (2015): persons per sq mi28.3, persons per sq km 10.9.

Sex distribution (2014): male49.57%; female 50.43%.

Population projection3: (2020)5,685,000; (2030) 6,160,000.

Major cities (2004): Ashgabat (urbanagglomeration; 2014) 735,000;

Türkmenabat 256,000; Da÷oguz210,000; Mary 159,000;Balkanabat 139,000.

Urban-rural (2014):

Turkmenistan

Official name: Türkmenistan (Turkmenistan).Form of government1: republic with one legisla-tive house (Mejlis, or Assembly [125]).

Head of state and government: PresidentGurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.

Capital: Ashgabat.Official language: Turkmen.Official religion: none.Monetary unit: (new) manat (TMT)2; valuation(Sept. 1, 2015) 1 U.S.$ = TMT 3.45; 1 £ = TMT 5.29.

Ethnic composition (2003):

Age breakdown (2014):

Religious affiliation (2000):

Area and populationarea population

2005Provinces Capitals sq mi sq km estimate

Ahal Ashgabat 37,514 97,160 939,700Balkan Balkanabat 53,772 139,270 553,500Da÷oguz Da÷oguz 28,352 73,430 1,370,400Lebap Türkmenabat (Chärjew) 36,189 93,730 1,334,500Mary Mary 33,649 87,150 1,480,400

CityAshgabat — 181 470 871,500TOTAL 189,657 491,210 6,550,000

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National economyBudget (2006)4. Revenue: TMM 22,474,000,000,000 (tax revenue 93.8%,

nontax revenue 6.2%). Expenditures: TMM 16,631,000,-000,000 (current expenditure 94.2%, developmentexpenditure 5.8%).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2013): U.S.$281,-000,000.

Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2012): wheat 1,200,000, seed cotton600,000, tomatoes 365,000, potatoes 280,000, grapes240,000, sugar beets 235,000, rice 150,000, dry onions125,000, barley 90,000, apples 82,000, carrots andturnips 78,000, apricots 36,091, plums and sloes 33,500;livestock (number of live animals) 14,000,000 sheep,2,292,750 goats, 120,000 camels; roundwood (2011)10,000 cu m, of which fuelwood 100%; fisheries produc-

tion 15,017 (from aquaculture, negligible). Mining and quarrying(2012): iodine 480,000; salt 220,000; gypsum 105,000. Manufacturing(2009): distillate fuel (gas-diesel oil) 2,809,000; residual fuel oils1,951,000; motor spirits (gasoline) 1,414,000; cement (2010) 1,140,000;wheat flour (2003) 503,000. Energy production (consumption): elec-tricity (kW-hr; 2011) 17,220,000,000 ([2011] 14,670,000,000), by source(2012): fossil fuels 100%; coal, none (none); crude petroleum (barrels;2011) 81,100,000 ([2011] 59,700,000); petroleum products (metric tons;2011) 8,380,000 (5,230,000); natural gas (cu m; 2011) 59,500,000,000(25,000,000,000).

Average household size (2002): 5.7.Population economically active (2014): total 2,600,000; participation

rates (2008): ages 15–64, female 46.7%7; unemployed (2010) 4.0%.Gross national income (GNI; 2014): U.S.$42,544,000,000 (U.S.$8,020per capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$14,520 per capita).

Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or left fal-low 4.0%, in permanent crops 0.1%, in pasture 65.3%, forest area8.8%.

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (November 2014):

22,000 (army 84.1%, navy 2.3%, air force13.6%). Military expenditure as percentageof GDP (2012): 1.5%; per capita expendi-ture U.S.$107.

Foreign trade6

Imports (2006): U.S.$2,668,000,000 (machinery andtransportation equipment 42.6%, basic manufac-tures 28.0%, chemicals and chemical products9.0%, food products 7.1%). Major import sources (2013):

Exports (2005–06): U.S.$4,113,000,000 (natural gas55.8%, petroleum [all forms] 24.7%, textile yarn3.9%, ships/boats/floating structures 2.1%). Major export destinations (2013):

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2011): length 1,936 mi,3,115 km; passenger-km 1,811,000,000; met-ric ton-km cargo 11,992,000,000. Roads(2001): total length 22,000 km(paved 82%). Vehicles (2008): pas-senger cars 403,970; trucks andbuses 130,313.

Education and healthLiteracy (2011): percentage of total populationage 15 and over literate, virtually 100%.

Health (2012): physicians 11,787 (1 per 429 per-sons); hospital beds 20,530 (1 per 246 persons);infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births(2013) 39.5; undernourished population(2006–08) 300,000 (7% of total populationbased on the consumption of a minimum dailyrequirement of 1,880 calories).

1New constitution adopted on Sept. 26, 2008. 2The manat was redenominated on Jan. 1, 2009. As of thisdate 1 (new) manat (TMT) = 5,000 (old) manat (TMM). 3Estimate of United Nations World PopulationProspects: The 2012 Revision; official Turkmen estimates are significantly higher. 4Budget statistics areunreliable because the government spends large amounts of extra-budgetary funds. 5Midyear estimates.6Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 7Estimate of the ILO Employment Trends Unit. 8Subscribers.

Internet resource for further information:• Asia Development Bank: Turkmenistan

www.adb.org/countries/turkmenistan/main

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2008 20135

in value % of total labour % of labourU.S.$’000,000 value force force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1,846.6 22.6 728,000 28.6Mining and quarryingManufacturing 3,069.2 37.6Public utilitiesConstruction 353.8 4.3Transp. and commun. 259.7 3.2Trade, hotels 169.2 2.1 1,814,000 71.4Finance, real estatePublic administration,

defense 2,470.7 30.2ServicesOther TOTAL 8,169.2 100.0 2,542,000 100.0

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2014 7,2068 1,3588

Landline 2014 624 118

Internet users 2012 364 72Broadband 2014 2.38 0.48

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