- last held 12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT
[Saparmurat NIYAZOV] note: movements exist underground or in foreign
countries

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Mered Bairamovich ORAZOV FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697 telephone: [1] (202)
588-1500 chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Laura E. KENNEDY embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
774000 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [9] (9312)
35-00-45 FAX: [9] (9312) 51-13-05

Flag description: green field with a vertical red stripe near the
hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs)
stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches
on the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars appear in
the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe

Economy Turkmenistan

Economy - overview: Turkmenistan is largely desert country with intensive
agriculture in irrigated oases and huge gas (fifth largest reserves in
the world) and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted
in cotton, making it the world's tenth largest producer. Until the end of
1993, Turkmenistan had experienced less economic disruption than other
former Soviet states because its economy received a boost from higher
prices for oil and gas and a sharp increase in hard currency earnings. In
1994, Russia's refusal to export Turkmen gas to hard currency markets
and mounting debts of its major customers in the former USSR for gas
deliveries contributed to a sharp fall in industrial production and
caused the budget to shift from a surplus to a slight deficit. With an
authoritarian ex-Communist regime in power and a tribally based social
structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic
reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient
economy. Privatiz