Caspian countries

Russian Federation: Location: Northern Asia, bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean Area: total: 17,075,200 sq km Caspian coastline: aprox. 1930 km Climate: ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast Population: 146,001,176 (July 2000 est.) Languages: Russian, other Capital: Moscow GDP: purchasing power parity - $620.3 billion (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,200 (1999 est.) Inflation rate: 86% (1999 est.) Labor force: 66 million (1997) Unemployment rate: 12.4% (1999 est.), plus considerable underemployment Currency: 1 ruble (R) = 100 kopeks http://www.undp.org/rbec/nhdr/1996/russia/ http://president.kremlin.ru Azerbaijan Republic: Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan is bordering with Russia, Iran, Armenia and Georgia Area: total: 86,600 sq km Caspian coastline: aprox. 800 km note: Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km, est.) Climate: dry, semiarid steppe Population: 7,748,163 (July 2000 est.) Languages: Azeri 89%, Russian 3%, other 8% (1995 est.) Capital: Baku GDP: purchasing power parity - $14 billion (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,770 (1999 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): -6.8% (1999 est.) Labor force: 2.9 million (1997) Unemployment rate: 20% (1999 est.) Exports: $885 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Imports: $1.62 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) Currency: 1 manat = 100 gopiks http://www.undp.org/rbec/nhdr/1996/azerbaijan/ http://www.president.az Islamic Republic of Iran: Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Area: total: 1.648 million sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than Alaska Caspian coastline: aprox. 1000 km note: Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast Population: 65,619,636 (July 2000 est.) Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% Capital: Tehran GDP: purchasing power parity - $347.6 billion (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,300 (1999 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1999 est.) Labor force: 15.4 million Unemployment rate: 9.1% (1996 est.) Exports: $12.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) Imports: $13.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) Currency: 10 Iranian rials (IR) = 1 toman; http://www.president.ir

Kazakhstan Republic: Location: Central Asia, northwest of China Area: total: 2,717,300 sq km Caspian coastline: aprox. 2320 km Climate: continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid Population: 16,733,227 (July 2000 est.) Capital: Astana Languages: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 40%, Russian (official, used in everyday business) 66% GDP: purchasing power parity - $54.5 billion (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,200 (1999 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.3% (1999 est.) Labor force: 8.8 million (1997) Labor force - by occupation: industry 27%, agriculture and forestry 23%, other 50% (1996) Unemployment rate: 13.7% (1998 est.) Exports: $5.2 billion (1999 est.) Imports: $4.8 billion (1999 est.) Currency: 1 Kazakhstani tenge = 100 tiyn http://www.undp.org/rbec/nhdr/ 1996/kazakstan/ http://www.president.kz Turkmenistan: Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan Area: total: 488,100 sq km Caspian coastline: aprox. 1200 km note: Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) Climate: subtropical desert Population: 4,518,268 (July 2000 est.) Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% Capital: Ashgabat GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,800 (1999 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1999 est.) Labor force: 2.34 million (1996) Unemployment rate: NA% Exports: $1.1 billion (1999 est.) Imports: $1.25 billion (1999 est.) Currency: 1 Turkmen manat (TMM) = 100 tenesi http://www.undp.org/rbec/nhdr/ 1996/turkmenistan/ http://www.grida.no/enrin/htmls/ turkmen/soe2/index.htm