wer - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 6,575,625 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 5,018,882
(2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 198,766
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $8,041,200,000 (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.8% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Taiwan

Disputes - international: involved in complex dispute over the Spratly
Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam;
claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai),
as does China

Illicit drugs: regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine;
major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Turkmenistan

Introduction

Turkmenistan

Background: Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan
became a Soviet republic in 1925. It achieved its independence upon the
dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolute
control over the country and opposition is not tolerated. Extensive
hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped
country if extraction and delivery projects can be worked out.

Geography Turkmenistan

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

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 60 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 488,100 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 488,100 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than California

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

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

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note -
Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level
that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the
lake has dropped as low as -110 m) highest point