al opium poppy
cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax
enforcement of money-laundering controls

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Turkmenistan

Introduction
Turkmenistan

Background:

Eastern Turkmenistan for centuries formed part of the Persian
province of Khurasan; 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 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 NYYAZOW
died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first
multi-candidate presidential electoral process in February 2007.
Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a vice premier under NYYAZOW, emerged as
the country's new president.

Geography
Turkmenistan

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: