)

Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways)
(2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,870 GRT/25,801 DWT
by type: cargo 4, combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 2,
refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Turkmenbasy

Military Turkmenistan

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Artillery and Rocket Forces, Navy, Air and Air
Defense Forces (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,132,833
females age 18-49: 1,162,569 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 759,978
females age 18-49: 940,179 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 56,532
females age 18-49: 55,413 (2005 est.)

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

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

Transnational Issues Turkmenistan

Disputes - international:
cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates
water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field
demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005 but
Caspian seabed delimitation remains stalled with Azerbaijan, Iran
and Kazakhstan due to Turkmenistan's indecision over how to allocate
the sea's waters and seabed

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 11,173 (Tajikistan) (2006)

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 8 February, 2007

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

@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 1965
to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate
governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982,
the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas
territory.

Geography Turks and Caicos Islands

Location:
Car