Turkmenistan
Capital: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
History
Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires, and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim crusaders, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians. In medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) 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, Turkmenistan later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited, have begun to transform the country. Turkmenistan is moving to expand its extraction and delivery projects. The Government of Turkmenistan is actively working to diversify its gas export routes beyond the still important Russian pipeline network. In 2010, new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to China and to northern Iran began operating, effectively ending the Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president; he was chosen as president again in February 2012, in an election that the OSCE said lacked the freedoms necessary to create a competitive environment.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
488,100
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
3,736
km
|
| Border Countries |
Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km |
| Coastline |
0
km
|
| Terrain |
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west |
| Minimum Elevation |
-81
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
3,139
m
|
| Climate |
subtropical desert |
| Natural Resources |
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt |
| Arable Land |
3.89% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.12% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$16.16 billion |
| Export Items |
gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber |
| Export Partners |
China 59.2%, Turkey 5%, Italy 4.7%, UAE 4.3% (2011) |
| Imports |
$10.43 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs |
| Import Partners |
Turkey 21%, Russia 14%, China 11.1%, UAE 7.9%, Germany 5.8% (2011) |
People
Energy
