Turkmenistan: Country in Central Asia
Turkmenistan (/tɜːrkˈmɛnɪstæn/ (listen) or /tɜːrkmɛnɪˈstɑːn/ (listen); Turkmen: Türkmenistan, pronounced ;), also known as Turkmenia, is a country in South-Central Asia.
It has borders with Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan. It has no ocean but it is on the Caspian Sea to the west. The capital of Turkmenistan is Ashghabat. The majority of the country is Muslim at 93%.
Turkmenistan Türkmenistan (Turkmen) | |
|---|---|
 Emblem | |
| Motto: Türkmenistan Bitaraplygyň watanydyr ("Turkmenistan is the motherland of Neutrality") | |
| Anthem: Garaşsyz Bitarap Türkmenistanyň Döwlet Gimni ("State Anthem of Independent, Neutral Turkmenistan") | |
.svg) Location of Turkmenistan (red) | |
| Capital and largest city | Ashgabat 37°58′N 58°20′E / 37.967°N 58.333°E |
| Official languages | Turkmen |
| Language of inter-ethnic communication | Russian |
| Other languages | Uzbek • Kazakh • Eastern Armenian • Azerbaijani • Baluji • Kurmanji • Ukrainian • Persian and others |
| Ethnic groups (2012) | |
| Religion |
|
| Demonym(s) | Turkmenistani Turkmen Turkmenian |
| Government | Unitary dominant-party presidential republic |
| Serdar Berdimuhamedow | |
• Vice President | Raşit Meredow |
• Chairman of the Assembly | Gülşat Mämmedowa |
| Legislature | Assembly (Mejlis) |
| Independence from Russia | |
• Conquest | 1879 |
| 13 May 1925 | |
• Declared state sovereignty | 22 August 1990 |
• From the Soviet Union | 27 October 1991 |
• Recognized | 26 December 1991 |
• Current constitution | 18 May 1992 |
| Area | |
• Total | 491,210 km2 (189,660 sq mi) (52nd) |
• Water (%) | 4.9 |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 6,031,187 (113th) |
• Density | 10.5/km2 (27.2/sq mi) (221st) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $112.659 billion |
• Per capita | $19,526 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $42.764 billion |
• Per capita | $7,411 |
| Gini (1998) | 40.8 medium |
| HDI (2019) |  0.715high · 111th |
| Currency | Turkmen new manat (TMT) |
| Time zone | UTC+05 (TMT) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +993 |
| ISO 3166 code | TM |
| Internet TLD | .tm |
Turkmenistan is a non-aligned and fully neutral country.
History
Turkmenistan was part of the Soviet Union since its creation, in 1922. At first, Turkmenistan was an autonomous republic within Russian SFSR. In 1925 it was promoted to a Soviet republic. Turkmenistan is an independent country since 1991, after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Saparmurat Niyazov became Turkmenistan’s first president in 1991.
Provinces
Turkmenistan is divided into five provinces and one capital city district. The provinces are divided into districts which may be either counties or cities.
| Division | ISO 3166-2 | Capital city | Area | Pop (2005) | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkmenistan | Ashgabat | 470 km2 (180 sq mi) | 871,500 | ||
| Ahal Province | TM-A | Anau | 97,160 km2 (37,510 sq mi) | 939,700 | 1 |
| Balkan Province | TM-B | Balkanabat | 139,270 km2 (53,770 sq mi) | 553,500 | 2 |
| Daşoguz Province | TM-D | Daşoguz | 73,430 km2 (28,350 sq mi) | 1,370,400 | 3 |
| Lebap Province | TM-L | Türkmenabat | 93,730 km2 (36,190 sq mi) | 1,334,500 | 4 |
| Mary Province | TM-M | Mary | 87,150 km2 (33,650 sq mi) | 1,480,400 | 5 |
Climate
Turkmenistan is one of the driest desert areas in the world. Some places have an average annual precipitation of only 12 mm (0.47 in). The highest temperature recorded in Ashgabat is 48.0 °C (118.4 °F). Kerki, an extreme inland city located on the banks of the Amu Darya river, recorded 51.7 °C (125.1 °F) in July 1983, but this value is unofficial. 50.1C is the highest temperature recorded at Repetek Reserve, recognized as the highest temperature ever recorded in the whole former Soviet Union.
Geography
Turkmenistan is the world's 52nd-largest country. It is slightly smaller than Spain and somewhat larger than the US state of California. Over 80% of the country is covered by the Karakum Desert.
The Turkmen shore along the Caspian Sea is 1,768 kilometres (1,099 mi) long. The Caspian Sea is entirely landlocked, with no access to the ocean.
The major cities include Aşgabat, Türkmenbaşy (formerly Krasnovodsk) and Daşoguz.
Turkmenistan has a humid climate. Annual rainfall is low, particularly in summer. Winters are dry and mild. The wettest region in Turkmenistan is Köýtendağ Range. Köýtendağ is in southeastern Turkmenistan on the borders with Uzbekistan.
References
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