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Country Commercial Guides for FY 2000: TurkmenistanReport prepared by U.S. Embassy Ashgabat, Released July 1999 Note* |
Chapter X: Economic and Trade Statistics
Appendix A: Turkmenistan Data
Population
Source of Data: State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan; January 1995 census and data of January 1, 1999.
Population: 4,993,500
Urban: 2,234,500 Rural: 2,759,000 City of Ashgabat 604,700 Ahal Velayat: 722,800 Lebap Velayat: 1,034,700 including 203,000 in the city of Turkmenabad Dashoguz Velayat: 1,059,800 including 165,400 in the city of Dashoguz Balkan Velayat: 424,700 including 108,000 in the city of Nebitdag Mary Velayat: 1,146,800 including 123,000 in the city of MaryAccording to the Census data of 1995, the ethnic breakdown is as follows:
Turkmens 77% Uzbeks 9.2% Russians 6.7% Kazaks 2.0% Armenians 0.8% Azeris 0.8% Tatars 0.8% Baluchis 0.8% Ukrainians 0.5%Other groups include Belorussians, Germans, Jews, Georgians, Moldovans, Uighurs, and Koreans.
Population Growth Rate
According to official statistics, in 1998, population growth amounted to 306,700 people or 6.5%.
Religions
Sunni Islam and Russian Orthodoxy have been officially registered by the GOTX. Smaller communities of Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, Lutherans, Baptists, and Baha'is also exist, although a December 1996 amendment to the "Law of Turkmenistan on Religious Organizations" limiting registration to organizations that can prove 500 or more adult adherents in each city or locality has made their legal status ambiguous.
There are 223 Moslem mosques (9 in Ashgabat) and 9 Orthodox churches (3 in Ashgabat) operating in Turkmenistan. One Lutheran or Catholic and three Baptist congregations also exist but are not eligible to fully operate without state registration.
Government System
Turkmenistan is a one-party state dominated by the President and his closest advisors within the Cabinet of Ministers. There is no office of Vice President or Prime Minister. A single chamber parliament (Mejlis) approves all legislation. The supreme lawmaking body is the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council) which approves treaties and constitutional amendments.
The country is divided into five regions (velayats) governed by Hakims (governors) appointed by the President. Ashgabat City is governed separately from the surrounding Ahal Velayat. The Hakims (mayors) of the cities are also appointed by the President. Velayats are further divided into etraps, villages, and towns.
Languages
Turkmen is the official language of Turkmenistan; however, Russian is widely used in government and business. The government has declared that English is to be taught widely, but as yet a very limited number of people in Turkmenistan speak English. For those who seek interpreter services, local free lance interpreters can be arranged via the Commercial Section of the U.S. Embassy-Ashgabat.
Appendix B: Domestic Economy
1998 statistics are based on Turkmen Government statistics. Since the Turkmen Government has not yet adopted statistical methods commonly employed in the West and by international financial institutions, many of these statistics can be misleading.
1997 1998 1999(est) GDP (billion $$) 2.0 2.5 x) 2.75 GDP Growth Rate (%%) -14.2 5 #) 10 GDP per Capital n/a n/a n/a Government spending as a percentage of GDP n/a n/a n/a Inflation (%%) 21.5 16.7 20 Unemployment (%%) n/a n/a +) Foreign exchange Reserves (billions of $$) 1.28 1.3 1.5 Average exchange rate for $1 4.165 5,200 ! 5,200 Debt service ratio n/a n/a n/a U.S. economic/military assistance (millions of $$) 4.7 3.3 8.8 x) Official government statistics shows GDP equal to 13.2 trillion manats or $2.5 billion. This figure does not include natural gas production.
#) GDP Growth Rate is assessed in two ways: (1) based on GDP estimated without natural gas production (growth rate is 10%) and (2) based on GDP estimated at comparable prices toward 1997 GDP which includes gas production figures; the 1998 GDP increased 5% toward the 1997 GDP.
+) The Government does not maintain unemployment statistics. !) There are three exchange rates: the official exchange rate at 5,200 manats against the dollar, the commercial exchange rate at 5,350 manats, and the parallel exchange rate at (in June-August 1999) 14,500-15,000 manats per dollar. The official exchange rate of 5,200 manats is used by state enterprises for their commercial transactions with foreign partners. Non-governmental commercial transactions are made at the commercial rate.
Appendix C: Trade
1997* 1998* Total Turkmenistan Exports 751.4 593.9 Total Turkmenistan Imports 1,227.7 980.7 U.S. Exports 88.0 73.0 U.S. Imports in Millions of USD 0.8 0.9 *In Millions of USD
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Prognoses, in 1998, Turkmenistan imported from the U.S. such goods as food products, medicine and pharmaceutical products, building materials, chemicals, vehicles and spare parts, rubber, consumer goods, paper and cardboard, tubes, industrial and agricultural equipment and spare parts, printing materials and equipment, telecommunications equipment, electrical generators, geodesical instruments, iron items, garments, perfume, leather and other items. Products exported to the U.S. companies from Turkmenistan included petroleum derivatives, black carbon, carpets, and knitted apparel.
Appendix D: Investment Statistics
No complete and reliable 1998 statistics on direct foreign investment are available. See some investment statistics in the Investment Climate Statement.
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[end of document] Note* International Copyright, United States Government, 1998 (or other year of first publication). All rights under foreign copyright laws are reserved. All portions of this publication are protected against any type or form of reproduction, communications to the public and the preparation of adaptations, arrangement and alterations outside the United States. U. S. copyright is not asserted under the U.S. Copyright Law, Title17, United States Code.
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