Caspian Basin Alert- Turkmenistan

credit	Caspian Basin Alert Countries- Turkmenistan By Bill Hamilton and Lindsey Ludden
CASPIAN BASIN OIL/GAS PAGES Home Environment impacts Human impacts Industry overview Physical environment Countries Economics Pipeline politics Corporations Fossil fuel use Map gallery Photo gallery A class project by students in International Environmental Problems & Policy (Geography 378, Fall 2002, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, USA) Assistant Professor of Geography Zoltan Grossman grossmzc@uwec.edu (715) 836-4471 P.O. Box 4004, Eau Claire, WI 54702 USA	Geography Total Area: 488,100 sq. km Climate: subtropical desert, 80% of the country is the sand desert Karakumi Terrain: sandy desert dunes escalating to mountains in the south, low mountains along the southern border and the Caspian Sea to the west Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt Environmental Issues: agricultural chemicals have contaminated the soil and groundwater, Caspian Sea pollution, desertification People Population: 4,518,268 (July 2000 est.) Religions: Muslim (89%), Eastern Orthodox (9%), unknown (2%) Ethnic Diversions: Turkmen (77%), Uzbek (9.2%), Russian (6.7%), Kazakh (2%), other (5.1%) (1995 est.) Languages: Turkmen (72%), Russian (12%), Uzbek (9%), other (7%) Government Capital: Ashgabat Government Type: Republican Independence Day: October 27, 1991 (from the Soviet Union) Fun Facts The most curious of the Central Asian republics, Turkmenistan resembles an Arab Gulf state without the money. It's the second largest Central Asian country, but four-fifths of it consists of an inhospitable lunar-like desert called the Karakum which conceals unexploited oil and gas deposits. The country is sparsely populated and its people, the Turkmen, are only a generation or two removed from being nomads. Turkmenistan is as much a culture as a country since the Turkmen have never formed a real nation and have allowed their cities to become predominantly populated by other peoples. They place most esteem on a rural life revolving around their famous, traditionally patterned carpets, their ceremonies, hospitality and fleet Akhal-Teke horses. Pipeline History In the 1990s, Turkmenistan exported gas through a Russian pipeline, bringing in about $1 billion per year. But in 1993, Russia closed down Turkmenistan's only pipeline because it competed with Russia's own gas exportation. Turkmenistan was limited to exporting gas to its impoverished central Asian neighbors, who were unable to pay their bills. The nation then opened a pipeline route to Iran, generally agreed to be the most economical route for exporting Caspian oil, and thus ruffled the feathers of Iran's enemy, the U.S. So far, the new plan has not brought in money, and the country is living off loans from Western countries such as Germany who hope to partner with the oil-rich, money-poor country. More info at: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108058.html

credit


Caspian Basin Alert
Countries- Turkmenistan
By Bill Hamilton and Lindsey Ludden




CASPIAN BASIN OIL/GAS PAGES

Photo gallery
A class project by students in
International
Environmental
Problems & Policy
(Geography 378, Fall 2002, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, USA)

Assistant Professor
of Geography Zoltan Grossman grossmzc@uwec.edu

(715) 836-4471
P.O. Box 4004,
Eau Claire, WI 54702 USA

Geography
Total Area: 488,100 sq. km

Climate: subtropical desert, 80% of the country is the sand desert Karakumi

Terrain: sandy desert dunes escalating to mountains in the south, low mountains along the southern border and the Caspian Sea to the west

Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt

Environmental Issues: agricultural chemicals have contaminated the soil and groundwater, Caspian Sea pollution, desertification

People

Population: 4,518,268 (July 2000 est.)

Religions: Muslim (89%), Eastern Orthodox (9%), unknown (2%)

Ethnic Diversions: Turkmen (77%), Uzbek (9.2%), Russian (6.7%),
Kazakh (2%), other (5.1%) (1995 est.)

Languages: Turkmen (72%), Russian (12%), Uzbek (9%), other (7%)

Government

Capital: Ashgabat

Government Type: Republican

Independence Day: October 27, 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Fun Facts
The most curious of the Central Asian republics, Turkmenistan resembles an Arab Gulf state without the money. It's the second largest Central Asian country, but four-fifths of it consists of an inhospitable lunar-like desert called the Karakum which conceals unexploited oil and gas deposits. The country is sparsely populated and its people, the Turkmen, are only a generation or two removed from being nomads. Turkmenistan is as much a culture as a country since the Turkmen have never formed a real nation and have allowed their cities to become predominantly populated by other peoples. They place most esteem on a rural life revolving around their famous, traditionally patterned carpets, their ceremonies, hospitality and fleet Akhal-Teke horses.
Pipeline History
In the 1990s, Turkmenistan exported gas through a Russian pipeline, bringing in about $1 billion per year. But in 1993, Russia closed down Turkmenistan's only pipeline because it competed with Russia's own gas exportation. Turkmenistan was limited to exporting gas to its impoverished central Asian neighbors, who were unable to pay their bills. The nation then opened a pipeline route to Iran, generally agreed to be the most economical route for exporting Caspian oil, and thus ruffled the feathers of Iran's enemy, the U.S. So far, the new plan has not brought in money, and the country is living off loans from Western countries such as Germany who hope to partner with the oil-rich, money-poor country.
More info at: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108058.html