Today, let's visit
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a country in Asia, home to about 5.9 million people. Its capital is Ashgabat (Ashkhabad).
It covers 488,100 square kilometres (188,455 square miles). That's slightly more than three times the size of Georgia.
A little history
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; it achieved independence when the USSR dissolved in 1991.
President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, a deputy chairman under NIYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOV won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in 2007, and again in 2012 and 2017 with over 97% of the vote in elections widely regarded as undemocratic. In 2022, BERDIMUHAMEDOV announced that he would step down from the presidency and called for an election to replace him. His son, Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV, won the ensuing election with 73% of the vote. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, although no longer head of state, maintains an influential political position as head of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) and as National Leader of the Turkmen People, a title that provides additional privileges and immunity for him and his family. Since Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV stepped down from the presidency, state-controlled media upgraded his honorific from Arkadag (protector) to Hero-Arkadag, and began referring to Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV as Arkadagly Serdar, which can be translated as "Serdar who has a protector to support him."
Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. Turkmenistan's reliance on gas exports has made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in the global energy market, and economic hardships since the drop in energy prices in 2014 have led many citizens of Turkmenistan to emigrate, mostly to Turkey.
What's it like there?
The weather is subtropical desert.
- Location
-
- Central Asia
- Bordering the Caspian Sea
- Between Iran and Kazakhstan
- Size
-
- Slightly more than three times the size of Georgia
- Slightly larger than California
- Climate
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Subtropical desert
- Landscape
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- Flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south
- Low mountains along border with Iran
- Borders Caspian Sea in west
- Natural resources
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- Petroleum
- Natural gas
- Sulfur
- Salt
- Land use
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Agricultural land 84.2%
Arable land 3.4%
Permanent crops 0.1%
Permanent pasture 80.8%
Forest 5%
Other 10.7%
2023 estimate
- Good to know
-
- Landlocked
- The western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country
- Eastern part is plateau
Who lives there?
About 5.9 million people live in Turkmenistan, and the biggest city is Ashgabat.
- Largest cities
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Ashgabat Capital 1,030,063 Türkmenabat 230,861 Daşoguz 201,142 Mary 167,027 Türkmenbaşy 91,745 Balkanabat 87,822 Bayramaly 70,376 Tejen 67,488 Gyzylarbat 48,558 Magdanly 44,508 - Languages
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Turkmen (official) 72% Russian 12% Uzbek 9% Other 7% - Religions
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Muslim 93% Christian 6.4% Buddhist <1% Folk religion <1% Jewish <1% Other <1% Unspecified <1% 2020 estimate
- Ethnic groups
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Turkmen 85% Uzbek 5% Russian 4% Other 6% 2003 estimate
- Where people live
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- The most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases
- Approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
- Cities and towns
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Urban population 54% of total population
2023
Rate of urbanization 2.23% annual rate of change
2020-25 estimate
- Reading and writing
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Total population 99.9%
Male 99.9%
Female 99.9%
2022 estimate
- What people are called
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Noun Turkmenistani(s)
Adjective Turkmenistani
Who's in charge?
Its government is a presidential republic.
- Leaders
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Leader President Serdar Berdimuhamedov (since 19 March 2022)
- Parliament
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Legislature name Assembly (Mejlis)
Legislative structure Unicameral
Number of seats 56 (48 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
Electoral system Plurality/majority
Scope of elections Full renewal
Term in office 5 years
Most recent election date 3/28/2021
Parties elected and seats per party - Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (DPT) (65)
- Groups of citizens of Turkmenistan (28)
- Agrarian Party (24)
- Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (8)
Percentage of women in chamber 25.5%
Expected date of next election March 2028
- Courts
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Highest court(s) Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)
Judge selection and term of office Judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms
Subordinate courts - High Commercial Court
- Appellate courts
- Provincial, district, and city courts
- Military courts
- Constitution
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History - Several previous
- Latest adopted 14 September 2016
Amendment process - Proposed by the Assembly or Mejlis
- Passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum
- Legal system
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Civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences
- Who can vote
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- 18 years of age
- Universal
How does it make a living?
- In short
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- Upper-middle-income Central Asian economy
- Houses fourth-largest natural gas reserves and rich in natural resources
- Authoritarian and dominated by state-owned enterprises
- Challenges include overvalued currency, high inflation risks, lack of economic diversification due to heavy state control and bureaucracy
- Industries
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- Natural gas
- Oil
- Petroleum products
- Textiles
- Food processing
- Farming
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- Milk
- Wheat
- Potatoes
- Cotton
- Watermelons
- Tomatoes
- Grapes
- Barley
- Beef
- Lamb/mutton
2023
Note: Top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
- Exports
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- Natural gas
- Refined petroleum
- Fertilizers
- Crude petroleum
- Electricity
2023
Note: Top five export commodities based on value in dollars
- Sells most to
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China 63% Turkey 11% Greece 7% Uzbekistan 6% Azerbaijan 4% 2023
Note: Top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
- Imports
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- Broadcasting equipment
- Cars
- Wheat
- Computers
- Iron pipes
2023
Note: Top five import commodities based on value in dollars
- Buys most from
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Turkey 21% UAE 21% China 20% Kazakhstan 8% Germany 5% 2023
Note: Top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
- Workforce
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2.445 million
2024 estimate
Note: Number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
- Electricity
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Electrification - total population 100%
2022 estimate
- Government budget
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Revenues $5.954 billion
Expenditures $6.134 billion
2019 estimate
Want to read more? Try the Wikipedia article, the Wikipedia portal or the Human Rights Watch report.
Have a great day!
I'll look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.
The more we all learn about the world, the better a place it becomes. Thank you for your curiosity!