Part 766

Geography ---------

Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakstan

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 60 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area: total area: 488,100 sq km land area: 488,100 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total: 3,736 km border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km

Coastline: 0 km note: Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

International disputes: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined

Climate: subtropical desert

Terrain: flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west lowest point: Sarygamysh Koli -110 m highest point: Ayrybaba 3,139 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 69% forest and woodland: 0% other: 29%

Irrigated land: 12,450 sq km (1990)

Environment: current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salinization, 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; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification

Geographic note: landlocked

People ------

Population: 4,149,283 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 39% (male 826,637; female 804,385) 15-64 years: 56% (male 1,154,415; female 1,188,173) 65 years and over: 5% (male 65,447; female 110,226) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.82% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 29.12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 8.89 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 81.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61.48 years male: 56.68 years female: 66.52 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.62 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Turkmen(s) adjective: Turkmen