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Turkmenistan:
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Other pages in this profile of Turkmenistan:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation routes to break Russia's pipeline monopoly. President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential electoral process in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a former NIYAZOV aide, emerged as the country's new president. |
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Location |
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan |
Geographic coordinates |
40 00 N, 60 00 E |
Map references |
Asia |
Area |
total: 488,100 sq km land: 488,100 sq km water: NEGL |
Area - comparative |
slightly larger than California |
Land boundaries |
total: 3,736 km border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km |
Coastline |
0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) |
Maritime claims |
none (landlocked) |
Climate |
subtropical desert |
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 |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m) highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m |
Natural resources |
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt |
Land use |
arable land: 4.51% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 95.35% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
18,000 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards |
NA |
Environment - current issues |
contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification |
Environment - international agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note |
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 |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |