440 km
broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 24,000 km
paved: 19,488 km
unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways)
(2003)

Pipelines:
gas 6,549 km; oil 1,395 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Turkmenbasy

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT
by type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1
registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports:
69 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 45
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 36 (2003 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 7

Heliports:
1 (2003 est.)

Military Turkmenistan

Military branches:
Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border
Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 2 years (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,272,436 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,031,806 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 55,866 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$90 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Turkmenistan

Disputes - international:
prolonged regional drought created water-sharing difficulties for
Amu Darya river states; Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan reached an
agreement on improving water usage along the Amu Darya in 2004;
delimitation of Caspian seabed remains unresolved

Illicit drugs:
transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western
European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound
for Afghanistan

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Turks and Caicos Islands

Introduction Turks and Caicos Islands

Background:
The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when
they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's
independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1