Profile
Background and figures as recorded in the CIA World Factbook.
Present-day Turkmenistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. Various Persian empires ruled the area in antiquity, and Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians conquered it. In medieval times, Merv (located in present-day Mary province) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmen territories later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik resistance in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic;
- Capital
- Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
- Government
- presidential republic; authoritarian
- Population
- 5,744,151
- Area
- 488,100 sq km
- Location
- Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
- Climate
- subtropical desert
- Natural resources
- petroleum; natural gas; sulfur; salt
- Languages
- Turkmen (official) 72%; Russian 12%; Uzbek 9%; other 7%
- Religions
- Muslim 93%; Christian 6.4%; Buddhist <1%; folk religion <1%…
- Independence
- 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
- Administrative divisions
- 5 provinces (velayatlar, singular - velayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Velayat (Arkadag), Ashgabat*, Balkan Velayat…
- Currency
- Turkmenistani manat (TMM)
- Export partners
- China 63%; Turkey 11%; Greece 7%; Uzbekistan 6%…
- Import partners
- Turkey 21%; UAE 21%; China 20%; Kazakhstan 8%…
Source: CIA World Factbook — a work of the US government, in the public domain