Turkmenistan

Welcome to TURKMENISTAN

Turkmenistan • • • •

Former name: formerly Turkmenia Capital: Ashgbat (formerly Ashkhabad) Location: South-west Central Asia Geographical Location:

•Caspian Sea : West •Kazakhstan: North • Uzbekistan: East • Iran and Afghanistan: South.

Landscape and climate: The Karakum desert takes up 90% of the country. The south is mountainous with the Kopet Dag range in the south-west, and the Kugitangtau Range on the border with Uzbekistan. The climate is arid subtropical with little rainfall. Winters are mild.

• Highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 metres • Area covered by water: Less than one square mile • Total area: 188,455 sq mi (488,100 sq km)

Turkmenistan Cities Ashgabat Turkmenabad Mary Turkmenbashi Kushka Dashqouz Gaurdak

• Density: > 26.7 people per square mile • Population (2007 est.): • growth rate: 5,136,262, -1.8% 14th most populous

Population mix: – Turkmen 73.3% – Russian 9.8%, – Uzbek 9.0%, – Kazakh 2.0% – other 5.8%

• Monetary unit: Manat – 1 peso = 302 manats – 1 dollar =14 253manat

• Type of Government: republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch. • Head of State/Government: President • President: Gurbanguly

• Political Parties: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan – note: opposition is outlawed

Languages: • Turkmen 72% • Russian 12% • Uzbek 9% • other 7% Religions: • Islam 89% • Eastern Orthodox 9% • unknown 2%

Brief History

• Turkmenistan was once part of the ancient Persian Empire. The Turkmen people were originally pastoral nomads and some of them continued this way of life up into the 20th century, living in transportable dome-shaped felt tents. • The territory was ruled by the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century. • The Mongols of Ghenghis Khan conquered the land in the 13th century; they dominated the area for the next two centuries until they were deposed in the late 15th century by invading Uzbeks. • Prior to the 19th century, Turkmenia was divided into two lands, one belonging to the khanate of Khiva and the other belonging to the khanate of Bukhara. In 1868, the khanate of Khiva was made part of the Russian Empire and Turkmenia became known as the Transcaspia Region of Russian Turkistan. Turkmenistan was later formed out of the Turkistan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, founded in 1922, and was made an independent Soviet Socialist Republic on May 13, 1925. It was the poorest of the Soviet republics.

• Turkmenistan declared its sovereignty in Aug. 1990 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States on Dec. 21, 1991, together with ten other former Soviet republics. • It established a government more authoritarian than those functioning in the other newly independent central Asian republics. • President Saparmurat Niyazov, also called the Turkmenbashi (Leader of All Turkmens), has attempted to create a cult of personality through extravagant self-promotion. Cities, aftershave, and a meteor now bear his name. In 2002, he renamed all the months of the calendar—April is now named after his mother. Niyazov was voted president-for-life by his rubber-stamp parliament in 1999.

Economic Overview

• Turkmenistan has been protected from the worldwide recession by its extreme isolation but falling prices for natural gas are a great concern it has the world's fifth largest reserves.

• Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $26.73 billion; per capita $5,200. • Real growth rate: 11.6% (IMF est.). • Unemployment: 60% (2004 est.).

• Agricultural products: – Cotton: world's 10th-largest producer. – grain – livestock

Industries: • natural gas • oil • petroleum products • textiles • food processing

Natural resources:

• petroleum • natural gas • coal • sulfur • salt

Exports: $4.7 Imports: billion f.o.b. $4.175 billion (2005 est.): f.o.b. (2005 • gas, est.): • crude oil • machinery • petrochemicals and • cotton fiber equipment, • textiles • chemicals,

• foodstuffs

Major trading partners:(2004) • Ukraine • Iran • Turkey • Italy • U.S. • Russia • UAE • Germany • France • Georgia

Education

• Universal and mandatory through the secondary level, the total duration of which was earlier reduced from 10 to 9 years; with the new President it has been decreed that from the 2007 - 2008 school year on, mandatory education will be for 10 years

Literacy Rate: 98.8% – male: 99.7% – female: 99.3%

Culture and Customs

• Traditional dish: Plov (rice or cracked wheat, meat and vegetables in broth)

• Social Conventions Lipioshka (bread) should never be laid upside down, and it is normal to remove shoes, but not socks, when entering someone’s house. • Shorts are rarely seen in Turkmenistan and, if worn by females, are likely to provoke unwelcome attention from the local male population.

National traditions Hospitality -Before eating everyone according to tradition should praise the Lord. They say in the Orient: "Every guest is sent by the Allah!”. It means that hospitality is not only the host's duty but also his sanctity.

National traditions Respect to Seniors - it is considered as acceptable not to help them, to argue with them, to look at them frowningly or to show discontent, to wait for their gratitude for the rendered service or to remind of it.

National traditions Morality - “Only a noble person can keep his word". - “My honor is the honor of my family, my nation, my people" - "Tell the truth even if it is against thee". - “the one who gossips with thee, can gossip about thee too". - Before building a home find out who thy neighbor is", "If your neighbor is happy you will be happy too", "First of all take care of your neighbor", "A neighbor next door is better than a brother far way".

National traditions Wedding Rituals - Turkmen Weddings have always been accompanied by numerous customs and ceremonials. One of the leading roles in them was played by clothes. It was thought that they even possess magic properties of protection and purification.

Traditional Costume

Healthcare and Diseases

• The healthcare system was ruined under Turkmenbashi. • Berdymuhamedov has introduced vaccination campaigns and improved TB treatment. The healthcare system is heavily reliant on foreign aid groups for support.

Epidemiology • Population growth rate: 1.141% (2009 est.) • Birth rate: 25.07 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) • Death rate: 6.11 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Epidemiology • Infant mortality rate total: 45.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 53.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 36.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.) • Life expectancy at birth total population: 67.87 years male: 64.94 years female: 70.95 years (2009 est.) • Total fertility rate: 2.22 children born per woman (2009 est.)

Epidemiology • HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2007 est.) • HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: fewer than 200 (2007 est.) • HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 100 (2004 est.)

Main causes of death and diseases • Cardiovascular diseases • Respiratory diseases • Accidents, injury and poisoning • Malignant neoplasms • Infectious and parasitic diseases

Lifestyles • Tobacco consumption Nas: specially prepared tobacco that is places under the tongue or behind the cheek - widespread in rural areas - cause of increased incidence of cancer of the mouth and larynx Survey:Male = 30% Female = 2%

Lifestyles • Alcohol consumption : one of the countries with low per capita alcohol consumption: for a number of years, it has been some 2 litres per annum. • Drug Use : increase incidene (from 8.9 per 100,000 population in 1992 to 20.1 per 100,000 in 1996) – One specific feature of the use of narcotic substances in Turkmenistan is the predominance of opiates (raw opium, koknar, heroin) and hemp preparations (hashish, anasha).

Lifestyles Nutrition. Typical diet includes: – excessive consumption of bread and farinaceous products; – insufficient consumption of animal products and seasonal consumption of vegetables and fruit; – an imbalance of basic dietary components.

• Deficiency in CHON and fat • Iron-deficient area – Thyroid enlargement – Iodization of table salt

• Anemia

Health Promotion • Media • All newspapers have special sections on health care issues • Health lessons at school

Environment and Health • Aral Sea – Tashauz velayat is in the Aral region, where cases of hepatitis and intestinal diseases are widespread owing to the existence of open and infected water sources.

Health Care Systems • The resources available to the health sector are insufficient to support the existing infrastructure and meet the traditionally high level of demand for medical services. • As under the Soviet system, health care continues to be universally available to all citizens without charge.

Tourist Spots

• Arch of Neutrality was built in 1998. On the top of the Arch is the golden statue of the President of Turkmenistan Saparmurad Niyazov, which rotates per 24 hours.

• Lenin Square with the statue of Lenin, which was built in 1927.

• Orthodox Church of Alexander Nevsky was built at the end of 19th century. After the Bolshevik Revolution was used as a storehouse. Recently returned to the Christians.

Ertogrulgazi Mosque is the biggest mosque in Turkmenistan with 4 minarets and a huge dome. It was built in 1997.

• Dekhistan is considered the most important medieval oasis of southwestern Turkmenistan .

• Badkhyz Reserve, created in 1935, is situated in Mary region. The name of the reserve means "the place where wind begins". This geographical name reflects the real climate conditions of the spot. A variety of the animals, birds and reptiles can be found here. The reserve is also famous for pistachio-trees that grow in this region.

Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum. Koneurgench Erk & Gyawur Gala Merw

Sultan Torebeg Hanum Mausoleum

Gyz Gala Merw Sultan Aly Mausoleums

Wrap up!!