Population and labour resources. The population of Turkmenistan totals 6,8 million people. A high population growth is being registered in the country – on average 2 percent year. Among the inhabitance of Turkmenistan the percentage of children and teenagers is relatively high, and able-bodied population prevails. The share of persons under 25 years is 76 percent of the total population. The average age of the population is 23 years. Women comprise 50,4 percent of the country’s population, men – 49,6 percent.

      Turkmenistan is a multinational state. The representatives of more than 120 nationalities live in the country. The predominant population is Turkmen (94%). There are also many Uzbeks (2%) and Russians (1,8%).

      The most of the population (55,5 percent) lives in rural area. The proportion of the urban population is 44,5%. The country’s cities are not large. In 6 out of 20 cities, Ashgabat, Turkmenabat, Dashoguz, Mary, Nebitdag and Turkmenbashi, the population exceeds 50 thousand.

      Turkmenistan is one of the countries where high and steady rates of natural population increase provide high and steady rates of growth of labour resources. Annually the amount of labour resources is increasing by average of 2,5 percent.

      The favourable age structure of the population promotes the accelerated development of manufacturing and provides high rates of increase in labour resources and their dynamic rejuvenation. The number of persons, reaching working age, exceeds by 3,0-3,5 times the number of people leaving the workforce. The share of the employable population is 50 percent of the total amount.

      The country’s population have a high educational level. The literacy rate is 99,8 percent. 93% of people of the age above 15 have a higher and secondary education.

      The high educational level of the population creates favourable conditions for training the skilled labour personnel for the modern professions in the market economy.

Landscape. The sandy deserts of the Turan depression – Central, Zaunguz and Southeast Karakums – occupy the bulk of the area of the northern and central regions of the country. In the south the sandy deserts turn into the hills and foothills of the Kopetdag Mountains. In the south-east – into the foothills of Paropamiz (The Badhyz and Karabil Hills). The right bank of the Amudarya River is occupied by the Sundukli Sands.

       In the far east of the country the Koytendag branch of the Ghisar ridge is wedged into the territory of Turkmenistan. On the eastern side of the Caspian Sea the Turkmen seaside lowland is situated which is covered with alkaline soils and moving sands. In the central part of the western area low mountains of Maly and Bolshoi Balkan are situated.

Climate. The climate is strongly continental, excluding the littoral area and mountains. Throughout the territory the average annual air temperature is positive and fluctuates in the plain areas of Turkmenistan from12-17 degrees in the north to 15-18 degrees Celsius in the south-east. January is the coldest month. Its average temperature fluctuates from 6,0 degrees Celsius below zero in the North-eastern Turkmenistan to 4,0 degrees Celsius in the south-east and 5,0 degrees Celsius in the south-west of the country.

Water resources are irregularly distributed across the country. The most of the territory is devoid or almost devoid of rivers and surface water flows. The major rivers of the country originate from glaciers.

      Amudarya is the longest river, 1415 km and 1000 km of it flow through the territory of Turkmenistan. The rest, so-called “small” rivers, is characterized by low flow capacity during the year.

      In its turn, the Amudarya river is the water resource for the artificial “Turkmen river”, which supplies largest industrial cities of the country such as Ashgabat, Mary Buzmeyin, Nebitdag, and Turkmenbashi, and also irrigates about 1 mln. hectares of land.

The nature of Turkmenistan is unique. One of the largest deserts in the world Karakum is situated in Turkmenistan covering almost 90% of country’s territory. Eastern Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea is one of the most ecologically safe areas in the world. The south of the country is edged by the Kopetdag mountains and subtropics. The unique protected natural sites of the country are the Kopetdag (498 sq.km.), Sunt-Hazardag (265 sq.km.), Hazar (2624 km), Badhyz (877 sq.km.), Amudarya (485 sq.km.), Kugitang (271 sq.km.), Repetek (346 sq.km.), Gaplangyr (2828 sq.km.) reservations.

Economy. Turkmenistan has significant natural potential and, actually, all elements of the D.I. Mendeleyev’s periodic table can be found in the depths. Turkmenistan is exceptionally perspective from the point of view of opportunities for increasing both variety and quantity of hydrocarbon production. 80 percent of Turkmenistan has significant oil and gas reserves. The estimated resources of the country are within 21-23 trillion m³ of natural gas and 12,0 trillion tons of oil.

      Besides the strategic fuel and energy resources Turkmenistan enjoys great reserves of mining-chemical raw materials. They include iodine and bromine waters, sodium sulphate, potassium salt, common salt, carbonate raw materials for the chemical industry, phosphates, and oxidized coals. Among the mining raw materials one should note benthonite clays, kaolin, raw materials for mineral fibre production, marble onyx, ozokerit, etc., and from metal natural resources iron, gold, lead, zinc, copper. In the country there are multiple deposits of ferrous minerals which serve as raw materials for building materials industry.

      Due to the “open doors” policy  $18bln were invested into the economy of Turkmenistan during the first 8 years of independence, 25% of which are foreign investments. Turkmenistan produces 1,5 mln tons of grain and 1,3 mln tons of cotton per year. The largest sector of industry are fuel and energy complex (56%), textile (20%), and food (11%). The goods from Turkmenistan are exported to more than 80 countries of the world. Fuel and energy complex is the most perspective and attracting branch. For this purpose Turkmenistan is realizing large pipeline projects keeping to the principles of multiple choices and economic expediency, avoiding political state of affairs.

     Turkmenistan has a wide network of automobile and rail roads, highly developed communications infrastructure. The aviation park includes the newest models of passenger and cargo airplanes such as “Boeing”, “IL”, “Sikorski” helicopters, etc. High-class hotel infrastructure was created in Turkmenistan, most of which are five and four-star hotels.

EDUCATION

          It is generally known that education is a factor that determines the fate of the state. The economic, political and spiritual progress of any country, any society depends on civil and professional efforts of every citizen. If a generation is well-educated, broad-minded, energetic, deeply patriotic, morally pure the society flourishes and the state reaches new heights. It is quite natural that today when Turkmenistan is at a new historical stage the reforms aimed at fundamental and qualitative renovation of education, science and culture have been launched along the social and economic transformations.  The principles based on the national spiritual values, national practice and global achievements in these spheres underlie the new education reform. That is dictated by the concern for the wellbeing of the state and welfare of the Turkmen people, the future of young citizens of Turkmenistan and the country.

          Paramount significance attached by the Turkmen leader to improvement of the activities of educational and training establishments and compliance of the national education system with international standards is proved by the fact that a day after being elected President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed the special Decree “On Improvement of the Education System”. Few days later, on March 4, 2007 the Resolution that launched fundamental reforms in the national education system was issued. These documents profoundly contributed to establishing the national education system and bringing up the younger generation, training highly qualified personnel for all sectors of the national economy. They are aimed at implementing fundamental reforms to make high-quality education and training available to youth.

          According to these documents school education lasts for ten years. The curricular of secondary and higher schools and even pre-school establishments were revised and modified to focus on the study of the laws of development of a society, law basics, morality, economics, politics, ecology, social science and physical culture. The disciplines on vocational training were withdrawn from the curricula of the 7th and 9th forms for a great number of the vocational schools opened in the country. As is known Turkmenistan’s foreign policy strategy prioritizes wide international cooperation. Therefore, the state requires and will require specialists with the perfect knowledge of foreign languages in various sectors. To achieve this goal the educational packages at secondary schools, universities and preschool institutions focus on the study of foreign languages.

          Embracing all the levels of the education system the Re¬so¬lution regulates the weekly teaching load of secondary and vocational school teachers and university teaching staffs and a
number of children in the groups taught at schools and preschool institutions.  All of this allowed teachers to pay more attention to every child, teenager, student and therefore, create the conditions conducive to revealing their abilities and identifying their aptitudes.  Special attention was paid to children who live in remote rural areas. They continue education at the boarding schools in the administrative centres of the velayats. The number of students admitted to the higher schools was increased. School lea¬vers can enter an institute, university, academy without previous working experience as it used to be before.

          The ultimate goal of the new education policy – to establish the effective national system for training specialists, whose knowledge and skills must comply with international requirements. Today Turkmen youth has an opportunity to receive education and occupational training in compliance with international standards at the best educational institutions abroad as well. The need for the education reform is obvious for only high educational attainment, availability of new knowledge and skills to youth and high moral and ethical norms can ensure full realization of the profound potential of the country.  

          Large-scale construction of pre-school establishments and schools, health care institutions, cultural and art centres for children and youth, sports grounds and entertainment centres supplied with state-of-the-art equipment and educational and technical aids was started in Turkmenistan in the first years of independence. This tradition is maintained in the epoch of New Revival. Today dozens of schools and kindergartens, sports complexes meeting modern requirements are under construction in Turkmenistan. Construction of these important social and cultural facilities is to promote increasing the standards of living of children, implementing the large-scale education reform based on the concern for young citizens of the country.

         Along with the secondary educational establishments there are a number of the specialized schools and kindergartens, schools for gifted children, specialized educational and training centres in the country. The unique children’s complex – UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Orphan’s Palace is situated at the picturesque foothills if the Kopetdag mountains. The establishment of the Orphans Fund that has guardianship over graduates of the specilaized child care institutions vividly evidences concern for young citizens in Turkmenistan

          Turkmenistan’s policy of youth education and integrated development prioritizes encouragement of children’s art. For this purpose the schools of arts are opened in all the regions of the country, the new buildings of the Turkmen State Puppet Theatre and the Alp Arslan Turkmen National Youth Theatre, the Ice Pa¬lace and water sports complex, the World of Turkmen Fairytales – the largest amusement park in the region, sports complexes and stadiums were constructed. The list of the unique facilities is rep¬lenished every year with children’s health-improving centres in the picturesque locality of Geokdere. International cultural and art contacts play an important role in encouraging children to develop their creative abilities.  The children’s and youth groups from Turkmenistan participate in the contests and festivals in the country and abroad. Each year thousands of young reciters, dancers, drama artists, amateur singing and folk ensembles from five regions of the country and Ashgabat take part in the art competitions held in the framework of the national contests – Garashsyzlyging merjen daneleri – Altyn asyra, Gorkut owazlary Altyn asyra, Ing eyjejik gyzjagaz, Merdana nesil.

          The favourable conditions are created in the country so that young people can receive high-quality education and training and then faithfully serve the Motherland.  Today the higher schools in Turkmenistan offer a wide range of specialities and fields of learning. This range is regularly extended through introducing new specialities.

          It should be noted that the education reform affects not only the process of learning and teaching but also provides for wide-scale modernization of the education and training system. The new buildings of almost all the leading higher educational establishments are under construction – Magtymguly Turkmen State University, the Turkmen State Medical University, the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute, the Turkmen State Institute of Culture, the Turkmen State Institute of Transport and Communication, the Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management, the Institute of International Relations, the Military Academy and the Agricultural Institute in Dashoguz, the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan in Mary. The newly constructed buildings are supplied with computer and office equipment, multimedia technologies, have the gymnasiums and sports grounds.

          Turkmenistan concludes on a regular basis the agreements with the foreign states on mutual recognition of the certificates of education. Today Turkmen young people have an opportunity to study at the prestigious higher schools in the   Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, Turkey, Malaysia, Ukraine, Belarus and many other states.

          Thus, for the modern realities and grandiose tasks our country is to fulfill in the third millennium it can be said with confidence that the ongoing education reform is to be one of the major programmes aimed at wide-scale development of the Turkmen state and lay the reliable humanitarian and personnel basis for further advance.