People
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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

Ethnic divisions: Turkmen 73.3%, Russian 9.8%, Uzbek 9%, Kazak 2%,
other 5.9%

Religions: Muslim 87%, Eastern Orthodox 11%, unknown 2%

Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
local short form: Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code: TX

Type of government: republic

Capital: Ashgabat

Administrative divisions: 5 welayatlar (singular - welayat): Ahal
Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty
(formerly Tashauz), Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), Mary Welayaty
note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when name
differs from welayat name

Independence: 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Constitution: adopted 18 May 1992

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990,
when the first direct presidential election occured) was elected to
a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 21 June
1992 (next to be held NA 2002); results - Saparmurad NIYAZOV 99.5%
(ran unopposed); note - a 15 January 1994