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 large gas and oil resources. One-half of its
irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it the world's
tenth-largest producer. 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. Privatization goals remain
limited. In 1998-2003, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack
of adequate export routes for natural gas and from obligations on
extensive short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total
exports rose by 38% in 2003, largely because of higher international
oil and gas prices. Overall prospects in the near future are
discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, the burden of
foreign debt, and the unwillingness of the government to adopt
market-oriented reforms. However, Turkmenistan's cooperation with
the international community in transporting humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan may foreshadow a change in the atmosphere for foreign
investment, aid, and technological support. Turkmenistan's economic
statistics are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject
to wide margins of error. In any event, GDP increased substantially
in 2003 because of a strong recovery in agriculture and rapid
industrial growth.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $31.34 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
21.1% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27% industry: 50% services: 23% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 34.4% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8 (1998)