Turkmenistan

- Nilish Aggarwal

Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR).

Turkmenistan is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia.

Turkmenistan is one of the five independent Turkic states.

It possesses the world's fourth largest reserves of natural gas resources.

Although it is wealthy in natural resources in certain areas, most of the country is covered by

the Karakum (Black Sand) Desert.

GDP (purchasing power parity) $49.75 billion (2012) $44.84 billion (2011)

GDP - real growth rate 11% (2012) 14.7% (2011)

GDP - per capita (PPP) $8,900 (2012) $8,100 (2011 est)

Gross national saving 14.6% of GDP (2012) 11.6% of GDP (2011)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 50% government consumption: 12.9% investment in fixed capital: 10.6% exports of goods and services: 62.7% imports of goods and services: -36.2% (2012)

GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: 7.5% industry: 24.4% services: 68.1% (2012)

ECONOMY

Population below poverty line 30% (2004)Labor force 2.3 million (2008)Unemployment rate 60% (2004)Investment (gross fixed) 10.6% of GDP (2012)

Budget revenues: $26.4 billion expéditeurs: $26.9 billion (2012)

Taxes and other revenues 78.4% of GDP (2012)Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) -1.5% of GDP (2012)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 8.5% (2012) 12% (2011)

Agriculture – products cotton, grain, melons; livestock

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

Industrial production growth rate 6.5% (2012)

Current Account Balance $1.496 billion (2012) $1.005 billion (2011)

CONT’D

Exports $15.4 billion (2012) $13.84 billion (2011)

Exports – commodities gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber

Exports – partners China 66%, Ukraine 7%, Italy 4.5% (2012)

Imports $10.19 billion (2012) $9.368 billion (2011)

Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners China 20.1%, Turkey 17.5%, Russia 13%, UAE 6.9%, Germany 4.8%, UK 4.4% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $20.2 billion (31 December 2012) $18.9 billion (31 December 2011)

Debt - external $428.9 million (31 December 2012) $451.5 million (31 December 2011)

CONT’D

Trade Fairs•Cotton trade fair starts its work (23.11.2013)III International Cotton Trade Fair started its work Ashgabat. The organizers of the forum are the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan

•International Oil and Gas Forum in Ashgabat (20.11.2013)The International Exhibition "Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan - 2013" opened in the Exhibition Centre in Ashgabat. The forum is organized by the Ministry of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources of Turkmenistan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of our country.

•International conference on development of biotechnologies (22.11.2013)The International scientific conference "The Trends of Biotechnologies Development in Turkmenistan" started in the Avaza National tourist zone. The main goal of the forum is to make contribution into the study and introduction of the most advanced achievements in such spheres as biotechnology, bio-engineering, bio-energy and bio-informatics and promote development of the international scientific and technological cooperation.

Future events/ forums 5th Anniversary Turkmenistan Gas Congress 20-21 May 2014 • Avaza • Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan due to 4th largest Natural Gas Reserve In the World, hence invites Delegates from various Nations

8th Turkmenistan Telecommunications & IT Conference 17-18 September 2014 • Ashgabat Exhibition Palace • Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.The upcoming conference will bring together 250 delegates and 40 speakers

19th Turkmenistan Oil & Gas Conference18-20 November 2014 • Ashgabat Exhibition Palace • Ashgabat, TurkmenistanTo Target the Mineral Resources of Turkmenistan

It is one of the driest deserts in the world, some places have an average annual precipitation of only 12 mm (0.47 in). The highest temperature recorded in Ashgabat is 48.0 °C

DemographicsMost of Turkmenistan's citizens are ethnic Turkmens with sizeable minorities of Uzbeks and Russians. Smaller minorities include Kazakhs, Tatars, Ukrainians, Armenians, Azeris, and Balochis.

LanguageTurkmen is the official language of Turkmenistan, although Russian still is widely spoken in cities as a "language of inter-ethnic communication". Turkmen is spoken by 72% of the population, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, and other languages 7%.

Religion• Muslims: 89% of the population • Followers of the Eastern Orthodox Church: 9% of

the population• Non-religious: 2% of the population

Ärtogrul Gazy Mosque in Ashgabat

In an election on 11 February 2007, Berdimuhamedow was elected president with 89% of the vote and 95% turnout. He

was sworn in on 14 February 2007.

Politics

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, repealed some of his processor's most

idiosyncratic policies

• banning opera and the circus• increased basic education to ten years from

nine years• higher education had been extended from

four years to five• increased contacts with the West

Presidential RepublicPresident

head of state

head of government

single-party systemNew Constitution

•abolition of the Council•increase in the size of Parliament• formation of multiple political parties

Only one effectively permitted to operate

Communist Party =

Democratic Party of Turkmenistan

Political gatherings are illegal unless government sanctioned.

Human rightsTurkmenistan has been widely criticized for human rights abuses and has imposed severe restrictions on foreign travel for its citizens.

Turkmenistan had the 3rd worst press freedom

conditions in the world, behind North Korea and Burma.

Queries & Doubts…• http://turkmenexpo.com

• http://ciafactbook.gov

• http://imf.org