Part 82

Names: conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis Digraph: TS Type: republic Capital: Tunis Administrative divisions: 23 governorates; Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Gafsa, Jendouba, Kairouan, Kasserine, Kebili, L'Ariana, Le Kef, Mahdia, Medenine, Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Sidi Bou Zid, Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine, Tozeur, Tunis, Zaghouan Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France) National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956) Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988 Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition head of government: Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab): elections last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA March 1994); results - RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%; seats - (141 total) RCD 141 Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation) Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party Other political or pressure groups: the Islamic fundamentalist party, An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ismail KHALIL chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: (202) 862-1850 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John T. McCARTHY embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] (1) 782-566 FAX: [216] (1) 789-719 Flag: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

@Tunisia, Economy

Overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism and manufacturing sectors. The economy grew rapidly in the mid-1980s, GDP growth averaging 5.4% in 1983-85. Following a foreign exchange crisis caused by a sharp drop in agricultural output and tourism, combined with the oil price collapse in 1986, Tunisia inaugurated an IMF-sponsored economic rehabilitation scheme. Subsequent government structural reforms have helped liberalize and open the economy, and GDP growth has been positive since the start of the program. A sharp rebound in tourism from the downturn caused by the Gulf war and strong agricultural performance boosted real GDP growth to more than 8% in 1992; growth fell back to 2.6% in 1993. Further privatization and further improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the challenges for the future. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $34.3 billion (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: 2.6% (1993 est.) National product per capita: $4,000 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1993 est.) Unemployment rate: 16.2% (1993 est.) Budget: revenues: $4.3 billion expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures to $NA (1993 est.) Exports: $4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals partners: EC countries 75%, Middle East 10%, Algeria 2%, India 2%, US 1% Imports: $6.4 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods partners: EC countries 70%, US 5%, Middle East 2%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%, Algeria 1% External debt: $7.7 billion (1993 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP, including petroleum Electricity: capacity: 1,545,000 kW production: 5,096 kWh consumption per capita: 600 kWh (1992) Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops - olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products - grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89) $52 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410 million Currency: 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 1.0514 (January 1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989) Fiscal year: calendar year

@Tunisia, Communications

Railroads: 2,115 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge; 1,650 km 1.000-meter gauge Highways: total: 17,700 km paved: bituminous 9,100 km unpaved: improved, unimproved earth 8,600 km Pipelines: crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis Merchant marine: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 152,683 GRT/199,273 DWT, bulk 6, cargo 6, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 1, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1 Airports: total: 31 usable: 27 with permanent-surface runways: 14 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 5 note: a new airport opened 6 May 1993, length and type of surface NA Telecommunications: the system is above the African average; facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 telephones (28 telephones per 1,000 persons); broadcast stations - 7 AM, 8 FM, 19 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya

@Tunisia, Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,229,362; fit for military service 1,281,015; reach military age (20) annually 91,941 (1994 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $618 million, 3.7% of GDP (1993 est.)

@Turkey, Geography

Location: Southwestern Asia (that part west of the Bosporus is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Iran Map references: Africa, Europe, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 780,580 sq km land area: 770,760 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Texas Land boundaries: total 2,627 km, Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km Coastline: 7,200 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only - to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea, 12 nm in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean Sea International disputes: complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Hatay question with Syria; ongoing dispute with downstream riparians (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia) Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulphur, iron ore Land use: arable land: 30% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 12% forest and woodland: 26% other: 28% Irrigated land: 22,200 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution; deforestation natural hazards: subject to very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Note: strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas

@Turkey, People

Population: 62,153,898 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 2.02% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 25.98 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 48.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.94 years male: 68.61 years female: 73.38 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.21 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Turk(s) adjective: Turkish Ethnic divisions: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews) Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 81% male: 90% female: 71% Labor force: 20.8 million by occupation: agriculture 48%, services 32%, industry 20% note: about 1,800,000 Turks work abroad (1993)

@Turkey, Government

Names: conventional long form: Republic of Turkey conventional short form: Turkey local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti local short form: Turkiye Digraph: TU Type: republican parliamentary democracy Capital: Ankara Administrative divisions: 73 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gazi Antep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanli Urfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yozgat, Zonguldak Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire) National holiday: Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923) Constitution: 7 November 1982 Legal system: derived from various continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Tansu CILLER (since 5 July 1993) National Security Council: advisory body to the President and the Cabinet cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on nomination of the prime minister Legislative branch: unicameral Turkish Grand National Assembly: (Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi) elections last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1996); results - DYP 27.03%, ANAP 24.01%, SHP 20.75%, RP 16.88%, DSP 10.75%, SBP 0.44%, independent 0.14%; seats - (450 total) DYP 178, ANAP 115, SHP 86, RP 40, MCP 19, DSP 7, other 5 note: seats held by various parties are subject to change due to defections, creation of new parties, and ouster or death of sitting deputies; present seats by party are as follows: DYP 178, ANAP 101, SHP 55, RP 39, CHP 18, MHP 13, DEP 13, BBP 7, DSP 3, YP 3, MP 2, independents 10, vacant 8 Judicial branch: Court of Cassation Political parties and leaders: Correct Way Party (DYP), Tansu CILLER; Motherland Party (ANAP), Mesut YILMAZ; Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), Murat KARAYALCIN; Welfare Party (RP), Necmettin ERBAKAN; Democratic Left Party (DSP), Bulent ECEVIT; Nationalist Action Party (MHP), Alparslan TURKES; Democracy Party (DEP), Hatip DICLE; Socialist Unity Party (SBP), Sadun AREN; New Party (YP), Yusuf Bozkurt OZAL; Republican People's Party (CHP), Deniz BAYKAL; Labor Party (IP), Dogu PERINCEK; National Party (MP), Aykut EDIBALI; Democrat Party (DP), Aydin MENDERES; Grand Unity Party (BBP), Muhsin YAZICIOGLU; Rebirth Party (YDP), Hasan Celal GUZEL; People's Democracy Party (HADEP), Murat BOZLAK; Main Path Party (ANAYOL), Gurcan BASER; Democratic Target Party, Abdul Kadir Yasar TURK Other political or pressure groups: Turkish Confederation of Labor (TURK-IS), Bayram MERAL Member of: AsDB, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NATO, NEA, OECD, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNRWA, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nuzhet KANDEMIR chancery: 1714 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 659-8200 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard C. BARKLEY embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, Ankara, or APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 468-6110 through 6128 FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana Flag: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

@Turkey, Economy

Overview: In early 1994, after an impressive economic performance through most of the 1980s, Turkey faces its most damaging economic crisis in the last 15 years. Sparked by the downgrading in mid-January of Turkey's international credit rating by two US credit rating agencies, the crisis stems from two years of loose fiscal and monetary policies that have exacerbated inflation and allowed the public debt, money supply, and current account deficit to explode. Under Prime Minister CILLER, Ankara has followed seriously flawed policies that have destroyed public confidence in the government's ability to manage the economy. Inflation is now running at an annual rate of 107% and the public sector deficit is equivalent to 16% of GDP. Turkish firms have been hurt by high interest rates and a dramatic drop in consumer demand. Three Turkish banks have folded and the stock market has fallen 48% since the beginning of the year. Economic growth may drop to between 0% and 2% in 1994, compared to 7.3% in 1993. Moreover, the government is facing a severe cash crunch. In March 1994, the treasury came close to defaulting on a loan, and official foreign currency reserves are equal to less than two months' worth of imports. The unprecedented effort by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to raise the economic costs of its insurgency against the Turkish state is adding to Turkey's economic problems. Attacks against the tourism industry have cut tourist revenues, which account for about 3% of GDP, while economic activity in southeastern Turkey, where most of the violence occurs, has dropped considerably. To cope with the economic crisis and instill domestic and international investor confidence in the fragile coalition government, CILLER has asked the IMF to endorse a stabilization package she introduced in early April 1994. Negotiations are underway for a standby agreement, which would give Turkey access to $450 million this year and enable her cash-starved government to return to the foreign capital markets. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $312.4 billion (1993) National product real growth rate: 7.3% (1993) National product per capita: $5,100 (1993) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 65% (1993) Unemployment rate: 12.2% (1993) Budget: revenues: $36.5 billion expenditures: $47.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $5 billion (1994) Exports: $14.9 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: manufactured products 72%, foodstuffs 23%, mining products 4% partners: EC countries 53%, US 6%, Russia 4%, Saudi Arabia 3% Imports: $22.9 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: manufactured products 68%, fuels 17%, foodstuffs 4% partners: EC countries 44%, US 11%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Russia 5% External debt: $59.4 billion (1993) Industrial production: growth rate 4.3% (1992); accounts for 28% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 14,400,000 kW production: 44 billion kWh consumption per capita: 750 kWh (1991) Industries: textiles, food processing, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron minerals), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and employs about half of working force; products - tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus fruit, variety of animal products; self-sufficient in food most years Illicit drugs: major transit route for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish to Western Europe and the US via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $10.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $665 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4.5 billion note: aid for Persian Gulf war efforts from coalition allies (1991), $4.1 billion; aid pledged for Turkish Defense Fund, $2.5 billion Currency: 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus Exchange rates: Turkish liras (TL) per US$1 - 15,196.1 (January 1994), 10,983.3 (1993), 6,872.4 (1992), 4,171.8 (1991), 2,608.6 (1990), 2,121.7 (1989) Fiscal year: calendar year

@Turkey, Communications

Railroads: 8,429 km 1.435-meter gauge (including 795 km electrified) Highways: total: 320,611 km paved: 27,000 km (including 138 km of expressways) unpaved: gravel 18,500 km; earth 275,111 km (1988) Inland waterways: about 1,200 km Pipelines: crude oil 1,738 km; petroleum products 2,321 km; natural gas 708 km Ports: Iskenderun, Istanbul, Mersin, Izmir Merchant marine: 390 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,664,205 GRT/8,163,379 DWT, bulk 103, cargo 195, chemical tanker 10, combination bulk 5, combination ore/oil 12, container 2, liquefied gas 4, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 41, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 2 Airports: total: 113 usable: 105 with permanent-surface runways: 69 with runways over 3,659 m: 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 32 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 27 Telecommunications: fair domestic and international systems; trunk radio relay microwave network; limited open wire network; 3,400,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 15 AM; 94 FM; 357 TV; 1 satellite ground station operating in the INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean antennas) and EUTELSAT systems; 1 submarine cable

@Turkey, Defense Forces

Branches: Land Forces, Navy (including Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie Manpower availability: males age 15-49 16,112,783; fit for military service 9,828,853; reach military age (20) annually 614,252 (1994 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $14 billion, 5.6% of GDP (1994 est.)

@Turkmenistan, Geography

Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Uzbekistan Map references: Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian States, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 488,100 sq km land area: 488,100 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than California Land boundaries: total 3,736 km, 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: landlocked, but boundaries in the Caspian Sea with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Iran are under negotiations International disputes: Russia may dispute current de facto maritime border to midpoint of Caspian Sea from shore 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 Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulphur, salt Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 69% forest and woodland: 0% other: 28% Irrigated land: 12,450 sq km (1990) Environment: current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salinization, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya river into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Ozone Layer Protection Note: landlocked

@Turkmenistan, People

Population: 3,995,122 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 2.01% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 30.42 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 7.44 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: -2.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 69.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.14 years male: 61.63 years female: 68.82 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.77 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Turkmen(s) adjective: Turkmen Ethnic divisions: Turkmen 73.3%, Russian 9.8%, Uzbek 9%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.9% Religions: Muslim 87%, Eastern Orthodox 11%, unknown 2% Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Labor force: 1.573 million by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction 20%, other 36% (1992)

@Turkmenistan, Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turkmenistan local long form: Tiurkmenostan Respublikasy local short form: Turkmenistan former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic Digraph: TX Type: 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 Saparmurad NIYAZOV (since NA October 1990); election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA 2002); results - Saparmurad NIYAZOV 99.5% (ran unopposed); note - a 15 January 1994 referendum extended NIYAZOV's term an additional five years until 2002 (99.99% approval) head of government: Prime Minister (vacant); Deputy Prime Ministers Batyr SARDJAEV, Valery G. OCHERTSOV, Orazgeldi AIDOGDIEV, Djourakuli BABAKULIYEV, Rejep SAPAROV, Boris SHIKHMURADOV, Abad RIZAEVA, Yagmur OVEZOV (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers Legislative branch: under 1992 constitution there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council (Halk Maslahaty - having more than 100 members and meeting infrequently) and a 50-member unicameral Assembly (Majlis) Assembly (Majlis): elections last held 7 January 1990 (next to be held late 1994 or early 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (175 total) elections not officially by party, but Communist Party members won nearly 90% of seats; note - seats to be reduced to 50 at next election Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: ruling party: Democratic Party (formerly Communist), chairman vacant opposition: Party for Democratic Development, Durdymurat HOJA-MUKHAMMED, chairman; Agzybirlik, Nurberdy NURMAMEDOV, cochairman, Hubayberdi HALLIYEV, cochairman note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist Member of: CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Khalil UGUR chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 412, Washington, DC, 20005 telephone: NA US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph S. HULINGS III embassy: Yubilenaya Hotel, Ashgabat mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] 36320 24-49-25 or 24-49-26 Flag: green field, including a vertical stripe on the hoist side, with a claret vertical stripe in between containing five white, black, and orange carpet guls (an assymetrical design used in producing rugs) associated with five different tribes; a white crescent and five white stars in the upper left corner to the right of the carpet guls

@Turkmenistan, Economy