{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "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. <br><br>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.\"<br><br>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."
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "40 00 N, 60 00 E"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Asia"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total ": {
        "text": "488,100 sq km"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "469,930 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "18,170 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "slightly more than three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "4,158 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "Afghanistan 804 km; Iran 1,148 km; Kazakhstan 413 km; Uzbekistan 1,793 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "0 km (landlocked); note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "text": "none (landlocked)"
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "subtropical desert"
    },
    "Terrain": {
      "text": "flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "highest point": {
        "text": "Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m"
      },
      "lowest point": {
        "text": "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": {
        "text": "230 m"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "72% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 4.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 67.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "8.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "19.2% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "19,950 sq km (2012)"
    },
    "Major lakes (area sq km)": {
      "salt water lake(s)": {
        "text": "Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Major rivers (by length in km)": {
      "text": "Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km<br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Internal <em>(endorheic basin) </em>drainage: <em>(Aral Sea basin)</em> Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "earthquakes; mudslides; droughts; dust storms; floods"
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "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"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5,744,151"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "2,842,870"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "2,901,281 (2024 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "Turkmenistani(s)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "Turkmenistani"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003 est.)"
    },
    "Languages": {
      "Languages": {
        "text": "Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%"
      },
      "major-language sample(s)": {
        "text": "<br>Dünýä Faktlar Kitaby – esasy maglumatlaryň wajyp çeşmesidir (Turkmen)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information."
      }
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Muslim 93%, Christian 6.4%, Buddhist &lt;1%, folk religion &lt;1%, Jewish &lt;1%, other &lt;1%, unspecified &lt;1% (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Demographic profile": {
      "text": "<p>While Turkmenistan reputedly has a population of more than 5.6 million, the figure is most likely considerably less. Getting an accurate population estimate for the country is impossible because then President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW withheld the results of the last two censuses. The 2012 census results reportedly show that nearly 2 million citizens have emigrated in the last decade, which prompted BERDIMUHAMEDOW to order another census. Results of this census, covering 2008-2018, also were not released to the public but purportedly are similar. Another census was held in December 2022.</p> <p>Authorities have reacted to the dramatic population decline by preventing Turkmen from leaving the country, including removing citizens from international flights and refusing to provide necessary documents. Turkmenistan’s rise in outmigration – mainly to Turkey, Russia, and Uzbekistan – coincided with the country’s 2013-2014 economic crisis. The outflow has been sustained by poor living standards, inflation, low income, and a lack of health care. At the same time, Ashbagat is encouraging people to have more children to make up for its shrinking population.</p>"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "24.5% (male 711,784/female 692,967)"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "68.6% (male 1,956,740/female 1,984,333)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "6.9% (2024 est.) (male 174,346/female 223,981)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "56.6"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "48.9"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "7.7"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "13 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "31.2 years (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "30.7 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "31.7 years"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "0.92% (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "16.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "54% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "902,000 ASHGABAT (capital) (2023)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "1.05 male(s)/female"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.03 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "0.99 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.78 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Mother's mean age at first birth": {
      "text": "24.2 years (2019)"
    },
    "Maternal mortality ratio": {
      "text": "5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "43.6 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "27.7 deaths/1,000 live births"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "72.4 years (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "69.4 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "75.5 years"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "2.02 children born/woman (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Gross reproduction rate": {
      "text": "0.99 (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Contraceptive prevalence rate": {
      "text": "49.7% (2019)"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 100% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 100% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 100% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 0% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 0% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 0% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Current health expenditure": {
      "text": "5.7% of GDP (2020)"
    },
    "Physician density": {
      "text": "2.23 physicians/1,000 population (2014)"
    },
    "Hospital bed density": {
      "text": "4 beds/1,000 population (2014)"
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 99.8% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 99.9% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 99.8% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 0.2% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 0.1% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 0.2% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "18.6% (2016)"
    },
    "Alcohol consumption per capita": {
      "total": {
        "text": "2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "beer": {
        "text": "0.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "wine": {
        "text": "1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "spirits": {
        "text": "0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "other alcohols": {
        "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Tobacco use": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5.5% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "10.6% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "0.4% (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": {
      "text": "3.1% (2019)"
    },
    "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": {
      "text": "64.3% (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Child marriage": {
      "women married by age 15": {
        "text": "0.2%"
      },
      "women married by age 18": {
        "text": "6.1% (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)"
    },
    "Literacy": {
      "definition": {
        "text": "age 15 and over can read and write"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "99.7%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "99.8%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "99.6% (2015)"
      }
    },
    "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "13 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "13 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "13 years (2020)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Environment": {
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "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": {
        "text": "none of the selected agreements"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "subtropical desert"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "72% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 4.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 67.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "8.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "19.2% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "54% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Revenue from forest resources": {
      "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Revenue from coal": {
      "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Air pollutants": {
      "particulate matter emissions": {
        "text": "26.41 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)"
      },
      "carbon dioxide emissions": {
        "text": "70.63 megatons (2016 est.)"
      },
      "methane emissions": {
        "text": "52.09 megatons (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Waste and recycling": {
      "municipal solid waste generated annually": {
        "text": "500,000 tons (2013 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major lakes (area sq km)": {
      "salt water lake(s)": {
        "text": "Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Major rivers (by length in km)": {
      "text": "Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km<br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Internal <em>(endorheic basin) </em>drainage: <em>(Aral Sea basin)</em> Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)"
    },
    "Total water withdrawal": {
      "municipal": {
        "text": "450 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "industrial": {
        "text": "810 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural": {
        "text": "16.12 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total renewable water resources": {
      "text": "24.77 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "none"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Turkmenistan"
      },
      "local long form": {
        "text": "none"
      },
      "local short form": {
        "text": "Turkmenistan"
      },
      "former": {
        "text": "Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "the suffix \"-stan\" means \"place of\" or \"country,\" so Turkmenistan literally means the \"Land of the Turkmen [people]\""
      }
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "presidential republic; authoritarian"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "37 57 N, 58 23 E"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "derived from the Persian words <em>esh</em>q meaning \"love\" and <em>abad</em> meaning \"inhabited place\" or \"city,\" and so loosely translates as \"the city of love\""
      }
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "5 provinces (velayatlar, singular - velayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Velayat (Arkadag), Ashgabat*, Balkan Velayat (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Velayat, Lebap Velayat (Turkmenabat), Mary Velayat",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)"
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day, 27 October (1991)"
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "history": {
        "text": "several previous; latest adopted 14 September 2016"
      },
      "amendments": {
        "text": "proposed by the Assembly or Mejlis; passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2023 (changed legislature from bicameral to unicameral Assembly or Mejlis; reestablished People's Council or Halk Maslahaty and named former president Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV as National Leader of the Turkmen people"
      }
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "no"
      },
      "citizenship by descent only": {
        "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "7 years"
      }
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "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": {
        "text": "<em>2022:</em> 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<br><br><em>2017:</em> Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 97.7%, other 2.3%"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the president is both chief of state and head of government"
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "legislature name": {
        "text": "Assembly (Mejlis)"
      },
      "legislative structure": {
        "text": "unicameral"
      },
      "number of seats": {
        "text": "125 (all directly elected)"
      },
      "electoral system": {
        "text": "plurality/majority"
      },
      "scope of elections": {
        "text": "full renewal"
      },
      "term in office": {
        "text": "5 years"
      },
      "most recent election date": {
        "text": "3/26/2023"
      },
      "parties elected and seats per party": {
        "text": "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": {
        "text": "25.6%"
      },
      "expected date of next election": {
        "text": "March 2028"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest court(s)": {
        "text": "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": {
        "text": "judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "High Commercial Court; appellate courts; provincial, district, and city courts; military courts"
      }
    },
    "Political parties": {
      "text": "Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or APT<br>Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT<br>Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs or PIE",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> 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"
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Meret ORAZOV (since 14 February 2001)"
      },
      "chancery": {
        "text": "2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 588-1500"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 588-1500"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>turkmenembassyus@verizon.net<br><br>https://usa.tmembassy.gov.tm/en"
      }
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Elizabeth ROOD (since 31 July 2024)"
      },
      "embassy": {
        "text": "9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744000"
      },
      "mailing address": {
        "text": "7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[993] (12) 94-00-45"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[993] (12) 94-26-14"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>ConsularAshgab@state.gov<br><br>https://tm.usembassy.gov/"
      }
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "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": "<strong>note:</strong> the flag of Turkmenistan is the most intricate of all national flags"
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "Akhal-Teke horse; national colors: green, white"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "\"Garassyz, Bitarap Turkmenistanyn\" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)"
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "collective/Veli MUKHATOV"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> adopted 1997, lyrics revised in 2008, to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW "
    },
    "National heritage": {
      "total World Heritage Sites": {
        "text": "5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)"
      },
      "selected World Heritage Site locales": {
        "text": "Ancient Merv (c); Kunya-Urgench (c); Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (c); Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n); Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (c)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economic overview": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": {
        "text": "$131.576 billion (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": {
        "text": "$123.778 billion (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": {
        "text": "$116.552 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "Real GDP growth rate": {
      "Real GDP growth rate 2023": {
        "text": "6.3% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2022": {
        "text": "6.2% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2021": {
        "text": "6.2% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency"
    },
    "Real GDP per capita": {
      "Real GDP per capita 2023": {
        "text": "$17,900 (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2022": {
        "text": "$17,100 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2021": {
        "text": "$16,400 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$60.629 billion (2023 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate"
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": {
        "text": "8% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016": {
        "text": "3.6% (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "11.3% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "39.3% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "49.4% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data"
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "50% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "9.4% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "18.3% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "21.6% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-12.5% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection"
    },
    "Agricultural products": {
      "text": "milk, cotton, wheat, potatoes, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes, beef, sugar beets, lamb/mutton (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "4.3% (2014 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "2.419 million (2023 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work"
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "Unemployment rate 2023": {
        "text": "4.12% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2022": {
        "text": "4.12% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2021": {
        "text": "4.45% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment"
    },
    "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "9.1% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "13.9% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "5.7% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment"
    },
    "Average household expenditures": {
      "on food": {
        "text": "36.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)"
      },
      "on alcohol and tobacco": {
        "text": "2.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Remittances": {
      "Remittances 2023": {
        "text": "0% of GDP (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Remittances 2022": {
        "text": "0% of GDP (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Remittances 2021": {
        "text": "0% of GDP (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities"
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "$5.954 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "$6.134 billion (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "Public debt 2017": {
        "text": "28.8% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "14.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "Current account balance 2017": {
        "text": "-$4.359 billion (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2016": {
        "text": "-$7.207 billion (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exports": {
      "Exports 2021": {
        "text": "$10.282 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Exports 2020": {
        "text": "$8.164 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Exports 2019": {
        "text": "$11.188 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars"
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "China 71%, Turkey 7%, Uzbekistan 5%, Azerbaijan 4%, Morocco 2% (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, crude petroleum, electricity (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "Imports 2021": {
        "text": "$6.25 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Imports 2020": {
        "text": "$8.301 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Imports 2019": {
        "text": "$8.844 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars"
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "UAE 27%, Turkey 24%, China 19%, Kazakhstan 7%, Germany 4% (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "broadcasting equipment, cars, wheat, computers, iron structures (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": {
        "text": "$24.91 billion (31 December 2017 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": {
        "text": "$25.05 billion (31 December 2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "Debt - external 2023": {
        "text": "$3.795 billion (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars"
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "Currency": {
        "text": "Turkmenistani manat (TMM) per US dollar -"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2017": {
        "text": "4.125 (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2016": {
        "text": "3.5 (2016 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2015": {
        "text": "3.5 (2015 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2014": {
        "text": "3.5 (2014 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity access": {
      "electrification - total population": {
        "text": "100% (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity": {
      "installed generating capacity": {
        "text": "5.202 million kW (2022 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "16.977 billion kWh (2022 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "3.201 billion kWh (2022 est.)"
      },
      "transmission/distribution losses": {
        "text": "2.892 billion kWh (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity generation sources": {
      "fossil fuels": {
        "text": "100% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Coal": {
      "imports": {
        "text": "100 metric tons (2022 est.)"
      },
      "proven reserves": {
        "text": "799.999 million metric tons (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Petroleum": {
      "total petroleum production": {
        "text": "272,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)"
      },
      "refined petroleum consumption": {
        "text": "152,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)"
      },
      "crude oil estimated reserves": {
        "text": "600 million barrels (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Natural gas": {
      "production": {
        "text": "86.472 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "41.561 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "44.567 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"
      },
      "proven reserves": {
        "text": "11.327 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Carbon dioxide emissions": {
      "total emissions": {
        "text": "101.442 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "from petroleum and other liquids": {
        "text": "19.91 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "from consumed natural gas": {
        "text": "81.532 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Energy consumption per capita": {
      "Total energy consumption per capita 2022": {
        "text": "282.657 million Btu/person (2022 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "802,000 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "10 (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "6.25 million (2021 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "99 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telecommunication systems": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "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": {
        "text": "fixed-line is 13 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is 99 per 100 persons (2022)"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "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)"
      }
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".tm"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "21% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": {
      "total": {
        "text": "377,000 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "5 (2022 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "National air transport system": {
      "number of registered air carriers": {
        "text": "1 (2020)"
      },
      "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": {
        "text": "27"
      },
      "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "2,457,474 (2018)"
      },
      "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "16.92 million (2018) mt-km"
      }
    },
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "EZ"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "text": "23 (2024)"
    },
    "Heliports": {
      "text": "25 (2024)"
    },
    "Pipelines": {
      "text": "7,500 km gas, 1501 km oil (2013)"
    },
    "Railways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5,113 km (2017)"
      },
      "broad gauge": {
        "text": "5,113 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge"
      }
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "58,592 km"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "47,577 km"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "11,015 km (2002)"
      }
    },
    "Waterways": {
      "text": "1,300 km (2011) (Amu Darya River and Kara Kum Canal are important inland waterways)"
    },
    "Merchant marine": {
      "total": {
        "text": "73 (2023)"
      },
      "by type": {
        "text": "general cargo 6, oil tanker 8, other 59"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military and security forces": {
      "text": "Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (aka Turkmen National Army): Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces<br><br>Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, national police, Federal/State Border Guard Service (2024)"
    },
    "Military expenditures": {
      "Military Expenditures 2019": {
        "text": "1.9% of GDP (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2018": {
        "text": "1.8% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2017": {
        "text": "1.8% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2016": {
        "text": "1.8% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2015": {
        "text": "1.5% of GDP (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
      "text": "information varies; estimated 35,000 active-duty troops (30,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 4,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2023)"
    },
    "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
      "text": "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)"
    },
    "Military service age and obligation": {
      "text": "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)"
    },
    "Military - note": {
      "text": "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<br><br>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)"
    }
  },
  "Space": {
    "Space agency/agencies": {
      "text": "Turkmenistan National Space Agency (established 2011; in 2019, was transferred to the Space Directorate of Turkmenaragatnashik Agency) (2024)"
    },
    "Space program overview": {
      "text": "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": "<strong>note:</strong> 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"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
    "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
      "stateless persons": {
        "text": "4,463 (2022)"
      }
    },
    "Trafficking in persons": {
      "tier rating": {
        "text": "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/"
      }
    },
    "Illicit drugs": {
      "text": "<p>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</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
    }
  }
}