Turkmenistan
Name
| Official name | Turkmenistan — Türkmenistan in the Turkmen of the Latin alphabet of 12 April 1993 (Туркменистан in the Cyrillic of 1940–93; the name alone, no 'republic', in the constitution of 18 May 1992 — Article 1's 'democratic, legal and secular state' and the permanent neutrality written in since 1995); 'Garaşsyz, Bitarap Türkmenistan' ('independent, neutral Turkmenistan') the state's full self-description on the anthem's title and the banners; the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic of 27 October 1924 (the union republic of 13 May 1925) to 27 October 1991; the UN's member since 2 March 1992 (with the other four of Central Asia), the permanently neutral state by the General Assembly's resolution 50/80 of 12 December 1995 (reaffirmed on 3 June 2015 and 21 March 2025 — 'the first and only' of the UN's recognized neutralities by Ashgabat's line), the OSCE's since 1992, the CIS's associate member since 2005 (the chairmanship of 2026 taken on 1 January; the summit at Türkmenbaşy on 9 October 2026), the OIC's, the ECO's, the Non-Aligned Movement's, the Organization of Turkic States' observer since 2021, the 'International Year of Peace and Trust' of 2025 by its own UN initiative and the 'International Year of International Law' of 2028 adopted on 24 July 2026 |
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| Former names | The Turkmen SSR (1924–91; the Turkmen Oblast of the Turkestan ASSR of 1921–24 before it), the Transcaspian Oblast of the Russian Empire (1881–1917; the Transcaspian Government of the White and British months of 1918–19), Turkmenia (Туркмения) of the Russian usage still heard, the Khiva and Bukhara khanates' Turkmen marches and the Persian Khorasan's north of the 16th–19th centuries, Khwarazm for the north (the Chorasmia of the Greeks; Kunya-Urgench its capital), Margiana for the Mary oasis (Merv — the Marguş of the Bronze Age, the Alexandria and Antiochia Margiana of the Greeks, the Marw ash-Shahijan of the Arabs, 'the Queen of the World' of the Seljuks), Parthia for the Köpetdag's foot (Nisa the Arsacids' first seat), Dehistan for the southwest, Turkestan for the whole Russian Central Asia; 'Turkmenbashi' the title of Niyazov (1993) given to the port of Krasnovodsk, the months and the bread |
| Demonym | Turkmen (Türkmen; Türkmenler for the people; 'Turkmenistani' for the citizens of every nationality in the English of the state) — the Oghuz Turks of the 11th century's name ('Turk-like' or 'Turk of the faith' by the disputed etymologies) carried by the tribes of the Karakum: the Teke (over a third; Ahal and Mary), the Yomut (the Caspian west and Daşoguz), the Ersary (the Amu Darya's Lebap), the Chowdur (Daşoguz), the Saryk (the Murghab), the Salyr (Sarahs), the Göklen (the Sumbar) — the five guls of the flag the first five; the citizens 7,057,841 by the census of 2022 (86.7% Turkmen, 9.1% Uzbek, 1.6% Russian, 1.2% Baloch by its count) and the Turkmens beyond the border — about a million each in Iran's Golestan and Afghanistan's Faryab and Jowzjan, Uzbekistan's 194,000, Pakistan's, Turkey's 114,000 of the migrant workers (2024), Russia's 41,000 (2021); the Turkmen of the carpets' and the horses' fame |
| Meaning of the name | 'Turkmenistan' — 'the land of the Turkmen' (the Persian -stan, 'the place of'): 'Türkmen' by the readings either 'Turk-like' (türk + the Sogdian or Persian -man of likeness — the Muslim Oghuz distinguished from the pagan Turks by the 11th-century writers Mahmud al-Kashgari and al-Biruni) or 'the Turk of the faith' (türk + iman, 'belief') by the folk and the state's etymology, or 'the pure Turk' by a third; 'Ashgabat' from the Persian eshq-abad, 'the city of love' (the Arsacid Ashk's city by the state's preferred reading — 'Aşgabat' in the Turkmen spelling since 1991), 'Karakum' the Turkic 'black sand', 'Köpetdag' 'the many mountains', 'Daşoguz' 'the stone spring', 'Mary' from Merv's Marguş, 'Arkadag' 'the Protector' (the title of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow since 2010 given to the new city of 2023), 'Türkmenbaşy' 'the head of the Turkmens' (Niyazov's title of 1993 on the port, the month of January and the mosque) |
| Motto | 'Türkmenistan — Bitaraplygyň watany' ('Turkmenistan is the motherland of Neutrality') by the state's self-description; 'Döwlet adam üçindir!' ('The state is for the people!') Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow's slogan of 2007–22 on every hoarding; 'Halk, Watan, Türkmenbaşy!' ('People, Motherland, Turkmenbashi!') of the Niyazov years; the yearly mottos of the Mejlis — 'Independent, neutral Turkmenistan: the homeland of purposeful winged horses' for 2026 (the resolution of 26 December 2025) after 2025's 'International Year of Peace and Trust' and 2024's 'The Fount of Wisdom Magtymguly Pyragy'; 'the Era of the Revival of a New Epoch of a Powerful State' the official name of Serdar's years and 'the Era of Might and Happiness' of his father's; the oath of the schools to the President, the flag and the homeland |
Quick facts
| Capital | Ashgabat (Aşgabat) — on the Ahal oasis at 220 m at the foot of the Köpetdag, 30 km from the Iranian line, 1,030,063 people at the census of 2022 (about 1.2 million by the 2025 estimates); the Russian garrison town of 1881 and the railway station of 1885 on the site of a Teke village beside the Parthian Nisa, the capital of the Turkmen ASSR and SSR from 1924, flattened by the earthquake of 6 October 1948 and rebuilt in the Soviet grid, remade in white marble since the 1990s (the Guinness record of 2013; the Polimeks and Bouygues contracts); the Oguzhan presidential palace, the Mejlis, the Maslahat Köşgi of the Halk Maslahaty (2016), the ministries' marble towers, the Independence Monument (2001; 118 m), the Arch of Neutrality (1998; moved in 2010 with its gold Niyazov), the Monument to the Constitution (2011; 185 m), the Turkmenistan Tower (2011; 211 m with the Oguzhan star), the flagpole of 133 m (2008), the Älem Ferris wheel (2012), the Olympic complex (2017), the Wedding Palace, the Carpet Museum (1993), the Magtymguly statue of 60 m (2024), the Türkmenbaşy Ruhy mosque of Gypjak (2004) beside Niyazov's tomb; the airport of 2016 (the falcon; 14 million capacity), the white cars' rule of the streets; Arkadag the new city 30 km west (2023); the capital's 470 km² |
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| Largest cities | Ashgabat (1,030,063 at the 2022 census — the city district; about 1.2 million by the estimates), Türkmenabat (230,861; the Chardzhou of the Soviet years on the Amu Darya, Lebap's seat; the 2017 bridges), Daşoguz (201,142; the Khwarazm oasis's city near Kunya-Urgench), Mary (167,027; the Merv oasis, the gas fields and the Mary power station; the Russian Merv of 1884), Balkanabat (123,190; the Nebit-Dag of the oil, Balkan's seat), Türkmenbaşy (91,745; the Krasnovodsk of 1869, the port of 2018 and the refinery), Baýramaly (70,376; beside Ancient Merv), Tejen (67,488), Gyzylarbat (48,552; the Serdar of 2002–22), Arkadag (the new city of 2023 for 73,000 planned; the Ahal welayat's seat), Abadan, Kerki, Atamyrat, Köneürgenç, Gumdag, Hazar (the Cheleken of the oil); the 47.1% urban of the census (52.9% in the villages and settlements — the oasis countryside of Lebap, Daşoguz and Mary the most peopled welayats at 1.4–1.6 million each) |
| Official language | Turkmen — the Oghuz Turkic tongue of the Teke standard (the Yomut, Ersary, Salyr, Saryk, Göklen and Chowdur dialects), the Latin alphabet of the decree of 12 April 1993 (the 30 letters; the currency-sign letters of the first version replaced in 1999; the Arabic script to 1928, the Latin of 1928–40, the Cyrillic of 1940–93) — about 6.8 million mother-tongue speakers at home by the counts and the Turkmens of Iran and Afghanistan beyond; Russian the language of interethnic communication by the usage (the constitution's 'guaranteed' use of other languages; the Russian schools cut to one — the Pushkin joint school of 2002 — and the Russian press banned in the 2000s; the 54,000 Turkmen students in Russia by Putin's December 2025 count), Uzbek in Daşoguz and Lebap (the 9.1%), Kazakh in the northwest, Baloch in Mary, Persian of the Iranian frontier; English the schools' foreign language of the 2010s and the state's second language of the forms; the Turkmen names of the months of 2002–08 (Türkmenbaşy for January, Gurbansoltan for April — Niyazov's mother) the alphabet's strangest decade |
| Currency | Turkmen manat (ISO code TMT; m), of 100 tenge — the official rate 3.50 to the U.S. dollar since January 2015 (the only change in a decade; 2.85 from April 2009) and about 27.5 Indian rupees to the manat by the cross rates of 2 October 2026 at that rate; the parallel market's dollar about 17–17.5 manat in mid-September 2026 by the Chronicles of Turkmenistan's quotes (19.50 on 2 January 2026, 19–19.25 in July, 18 on 1 September, 17–17.5 by 16 September — the first fall below 18 'in many years'; the 23 of 2020 and the 40 of April 2021 the worst) — about 5.5 rupees to the manat at that rate; the Central Bank of Turkmenistan (1991; Chairman Toýly Mälikow since 5 April 2022), the dollar's cash exchange banned since January 2016, the FX purchases of US$300 a month and the transfers of US$200 by the 2020 rules, the Western Union's ceilings, the cards' withdrawal limits abroad (US$50 a day of 2017); the redenomination of 1 January 2009 (5,000 old = 1 new; the first manat of 1 November 1993 at 500 rubles), the 500-manat note of 2020; the IMF's 'unification of the highest priority' (June 2026) — the state's 'stability' and the IMF's line both stated (LAW 2); the crypto law of 1 January 2026 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 the year round (Turkmenistan Time, TMT; no daylight saving — dropped in 1991) — the same clock as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan's single zone of 2024, an hour ahead of Azerbaijan and Iran's winter (Iran's UTC+3:30), half an hour behind India; the 24-hour clock; the week of Monday to Friday with the Saturday half-day of the state offices; the dates in day.month.year (05.10.2026); the Turkmen calendar's Niyazov months of 2002–08 (Türkmenbaşy, Baýdak, Nowruz, Gurbansoltan, Magtymguly, Oguz, Gorkut, Alp Arslan, Ruhnama, Garaşsyzlyk, Sanjar, Bitaraplyk) restored to the international names on 1 July 2008 |
| Calling code, internet and ISO codes | +993 (the eight-digit numbers; Altyn Asyr — TM Cell — the state's mobile monopoly since MTS's exit of 2017, about 3 million subscribers; Türkmentelekom's fixed lines and the Aşgabat Şäher Telefon Ulgamy), internet .tm (the registry run from abroad for the state; the domain sold to the world's 'tm' trademark users), about 3.2 million users by the 2023–24 counts (about 40% of the census population; among the world's slowest and most filtered — the 122,000 domains blocked by the 2023 count, the whole /16 subnets of 2025, the VPN keys sold at 1,000 manat a month by the independent press, the state's 'cybersecurity' line both stated, LAW 2); ISO 3166 TM, TKM, 795; the vehicle code TM; the IOC and FIFA code TKM; the aircraft registration EZ-; the Type F plugs at 220 V and 50 Hz; the metric system; the Turkmen keyboard of the ä, ň, ö, ü, ý, ž, ş, ç letters |
| Area | 491,210 km² (189,657 sq mi) by the common count (488,100 km² by the other — both stated; 469,130 km² of land and 18,170–24,069 km² of water by the two divisions) — the 52nd country of the world by area, Central Asia's second after Kazakhstan and the fourth of the former Soviet republics; about 15% of India's area, 1.4 times Rajasthan's, 331 times Delhi's, twice the United Kingdom's; about 70–80% the Karakum Desert (the 350,000 km² of black sand between the Caspian and the Amu Darya), the oases of the Amu Darya, the Murghab, the Tejen and the Köpetdag foothills the peopled 5%; the 1,100 km from the Caspian to the Uzbek line and the 650 km from north to south; the land borders of four neighbors — 4,158 km by one count (Uzbekistan 1,793, Iran 1,148, Afghanistan 804, Kazakhstan 413) and 3,736 km by another — both stated; the Caspian coast about 1,768 km by the common count with the Garabogazköl's shore (1,748 by another, 1,035 by the Caspian's measure); the five welayats — Balkan 139,270 km², Ahal 97,160, Lebap 93,730, Mary 87,150, Daşoguz 73,430 — and Ashgabat's 470 |
| Population | 7,057,841 at the census of 17 December 2022 by the State Committee for Statistics (the results presented on 14 July 2023; 3,526,421 men and 3,531,420 women; 47.1% urban) — the first published census since 1995's 4.48 million (the 2012 census never released; its leak of 4.75 million); the UN's World Population Prospects at about 7.6 million for 2025 (7.49 million for 2024; the growth of 1.7% a year by its model) — and the independent lines: the leaked state survey of 2019 of about 2 million emigrants in 2008–18, Radio Azatlyk's 2.7–2.8 million of 2021, the 'barely more than 5 million' of the BTI 2026, the 'fewer than 4 million' of the exiled press — the census the state's count and the doubts stated beside it (LAW 2); the ethnic shares of the census — Turkmen 86.7%, Uzbek 9.1%, Russian 1.6%, Baloch 1.2%, Kazakh 0.2%; the 34.9% under the working age, 57% of it and 8.1% above by the census's lines; the Turkmens abroad about a million each in Iran and Afghanistan |
| Density | About 14 people per km² by the census on the 491,210 km² (14.4 by the Committee's own line; 16 by the UN's estimate) — among the emptiest states of Asia with Mongolia and Kazakhstan; the oases crowded and the desert empty: Ashgabat's 2,200 per km² on its 470, the Mary welayat's 1,613,386 on 87,150 km² (18.5), Lebap's 1,447,298 on 93,730 (15.4), Daşoguz's 1,550,354 on 73,430 (21.1), Ahal's 886,845 on 97,160 (9.1), Balkan's 529,895 on 139,270 (3.8) by the 2022 census's lines; the Amu Darya's left bank, the Murghab and Tejen deltas and the Köpetdag foothills that hold nine in ten of the people on a tenth of the land, the Karakum's wells and the Caspian shore the rest; 47.1% in the towns and the cities by the census (46.5% by the UN's line) — the republic the least urban of Central Asia with Tajikistan |
| Religion | Islam the religion of about 93% by the U.S. State Department's 2022 count (94.7% by the 2025 estimates — Sunni of the Hanafi school 93.7%, Shia 1.1%) — the Turkmen Sufi shrines of the saints (Gözli Ata, Paraw Bibi, the Nejameddin Kubra of Kunya-Urgench), the mosques from the four of the Soviet years to about 700 (the Türkmenbaşy Ruhy mosque of Gypjak of 22 October 2004 — the 10,000 worshippers, the 91 m minarets, the Ruhnama's verses on its walls beside the Quran's; the Ertuğrul Gazi of Ashgabat of 1998), the state's Muftiate under the Council on Religious Affairs (the chief mufti Rahman Gurbanmyradow since 19 June 2026 after Ýalkap Hojagulyýew's), the 2016 law of the 50 founders and the ban on home worship, the pilgrims' Hajj quotas; the Russian Orthodox about 6.4% (the Church of St Alexander Nevsky of Ashgabat; the 5.3% and 270,000 of the Pew count), the Armenian Apostolic, the Catholics of the Ashgabat chapel, the Protestants and the Jehovah's Witnesses of the fines, the Jews few, the Bahá'ís, the irreligious about 3% by the counts; the secular state of Article 1 with the Ruhnama's decade in the mosques — the state's 'freedom of conscience' and the USCIRF's 'country of particular concern' both stated (LAW 2) |
| Government type | Presidential republic under the constitution of 18 May 1992 (the new editions of 26 September 2008 and 14 September 2016 — the seven-year term and the age limit's removal; the bicameral National Council of 25 September 2020 and the return to the unicameral Mejlis of 21 January 2023) in which the Halk Maslahaty (the People's Council) chaired by the National Leader is 'the supreme body of the people's power' with the right to change the constitution and set the policy, the President the head of state and of the executive (the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers; the decrees; the häkims appointed), the Mejlis of 125 the legislature; a one-family state by the political scientists' line — the Berdimuhamedows father and son — and 'the Era of the Revival' by the state's; Freedom House's 1 of 100 in 2026 (the lowest of the world with Syria's and Eritrea's lines), the Economist's 'authoritarian' index, the RSF's 173rd of 180 — the state's 'the people's unity around the Leader' and the indexes' readings both stated (LAW 2); the three parties of the law, the elections without opposition (72.97% of 2022; the 91% turnout of 2023), the permanent neutrality of 1995 the foreign policy's constitution; the capital Ashgabat; the five welayats under appointed häkims |
| Head of state | President Serdar Gurbangulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow — born 22 September 1981 at Ashgabat, the son of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow (2007–22) and the grandson of the schoolteacher Mälikguly; the Turkmen Agricultural University's graduate, the diplomat of the Russian and Geneva years, the Mejlis deputy of 2016, the Ahal häkim of 2019, the industry and construction minister of 2020, the deputy prime minister of February 2021, the candidate of the Democratic Party in the early election of 12 March 2022 (72.97% of the 97% turnout against eight candidates) sworn in on 19 March 2022 at the Ruhyýet Palace for the seven-year term to 2029 — the head of state and of the executive, the Chairman of the Cabinet, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Army General; the State Security Council of 4 September 2026), the Democratic Party's chairman; the Cabinet meetings of every Friday (the nine-month results of 2 October 2026 — 'GDP 6.3%'), the welayat häkims' online meetings of the Mondays, the state visits of 2025–26 (Mongolia, Japan twice, the White House C5+1 of 6 November 2025, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Seoul's first Korea–Central Asia summit of 16 September 2026), the 35th independence parade of 27 September 2026 (the Akhal-Teke 'Watan' received), the Avaza and Türkmenbaşy summits of 8–9 October 2026 the host; his father the National Leader above him by the 2023 law — the 'dual power' of the analysts' line and the 'continuity' of the state's both stated (LAW 2) |
| Head of government | The President — the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers (no prime minister since the 1992 constitution; the Cabinet of about 30 ministers and the deputy chairmen who answer at the Friday meetings): the deputy chairmen of 2 October 2026 — Hojamyrat Geldimyradow (the economy and finance; the CIS heads-of-government council of 22 May 2026), Raşit Meredow (foreign affairs; the foreign minister since July 2001 and the deputy chairman since 17 February 2007 — the republic's longest-serving minister), Guwanç Agajanow (oil and gas; the Türkmennebit chairman before 13 February 2026), Täçmyrat Atahallyýew (agriculture), Baýmyrat Annamämmedow (construction and industry), Nokerguly Atagulyýew (trade, textiles and the private sector), Bahar Seýidowa (culture and the media), Batyr Mämmedow (education, science and health; the construction institute's rector before 13 February 2026), Batyr Annaýew (transport and communications; the maritime agency's head before 13 February 2026); the reshuffle of 13–14 February 2026 — Mämmethan Çakyýew, Baýramgül Orazdurdyýewa and Batyr Amanow out, the National Security Minister Nazar Atagaraýew replaced by Döwletgeldi Meredow, the health, environment and food ministers changed, a Ministry of Automobile Roads created (Hangeldi Kerimow), the three new ministries of 11 July 2025 (railways, communications, motor transport); Finance and Economy Minister Mämmetguly Astanagulow (since February 2025), Defense Minister Begenç Gündogdyýew (since 14 June 2018), Interior Minister Muhammet Hydyrow (since April 2022), Justice Minister Merettagan Taganow (since 2021); the National Leader's Halk Maslahaty above the Cabinet by the 2023 law |
| Legislature | The Mejlis (the Assembly) of 125 deputies elected for five years in single-member districts — the election of 26 March 2023 (258 candidates of the three parties and the citizens' groups; the turnout 91.1% by the Central Election Commission's count; 32 women) with the Democratic Party 65, the citizens' groups' independents 28, the Agrarian Party 24 and the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs 8 by the IPU's count (65/24/18/18 by Freedom House's — both stated); Speaker (Chairperson) Dünýägözel Gulmanowa (since 6 April 2023; born 1989 — the Justice Ministry's lawyer; the Ankara visit of 25 February 2025); the laws of 2025–26 — the e-visa law of 18 April 2025, the Civil Code in force since January 2026, the virtual assets law of 28 November 2025, the 2026 budget of 24 November 2025, the yearly motto's resolution of 26 December 2025, the jubilee medal of the 35th independence of 25 September 2026; the Halk Maslahaty (the People's Council) above it since 21 January 2023 — the supreme representative body chaired by the National Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow with the right to amend the constitution and to set the domestic and foreign policy (the sessions of 19 September 2025 and 23 September 2026 at the Maslahat Köşgi; the Presidium of 15 July 2026), the bicameral National Council of 2021–23 (the 56-member upper house elected on 28 March 2021) its forerunner, the 2,500-member Halk Maslahaty of 1992–2008 the first; the next Mejlis election due by 31 March 2028 by the IPU's line |
| National Day | 27 September — Independence Day (the declaration of 27 October 1991 kept on 27 October to 2017 and moved a month back by the 2018 decision; the 35th anniversary of 2026 with the parade at the State Tribune, the naval display on the Caspian and the pardon of 1,054 convicts; the holiday extended to 29 September 2026 by the decree of 23 September); 12 December — Neutrality Day (the UN resolution of 1995; the 30th anniversary forum of 12 December 2025 with Putin, Erdoğan, Pezeshkian and the Central Asian presidents); 18 May — the Constitution and State Flag Day (1992); 12 January — Memorial Day (the Geok Tepe battle of 1881); 27 January — Defenders of the Fatherland Day; 21–22 March — Nowruz; 6 October — the Day of Remembrance (the 1948 earthquake and the war dead); 8 March — the Women's Day; 9 May — Victory Day; the last Sunday of April — the Turkmen Horse Day and the Alabai Day; the last Sunday of May — the Carpet Day; the second Sunday of August — the Melon Day; the third Sunday of July — the Harvest (Galla) Day; 27 June — Magtymguly Day and the Culture Workers' Day; the religious Gurban and Oraza bayrams by the lunar calendar |
| Driving side and HDI | Right (the Soviet rule; the white and silver cars of Ashgabat's streets since the 2015–18 bans on the dark colors by the independent press's reports — the state's 'the city's look' line; the Toyota Land Cruisers of the officials, the Hyundai buses of 2013–19); Human Development Index 0.764 (2023), 95th of 193, 'high' by the UNDP's 2025 report (the expected schooling 13.2 years; the GNI a head US$17,716 by purchasing power — the official data's HDI by the independent economists' line, both stated); no Gini published; life expectancy 70.5 years by the UN's 2024 estimate (73.3 for women, 67.2 for men; 71.8 by the other estimate and the official 'above 73' claim — all stated); the minimum wage 1,410 manat a month and the base pension 550 (since 1 January 2025; the yearly 10% rises of 2008–25 not decreed for 2026 — the pensioners' complaint and the state's 'protected payments' line both stated, LAW 2); the unemployment 4.3% by the ILO's model against the 50–60% of the independent estimates — both stated; the median age about 27; the RSF press index 173rd of 180 (2026); Freedom House 1 of 100 (2026) |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | The green flag of 19 February 1992 in its form of 24 January 2001 — a dark green field with a vertical red carpet stripe at the hoist bearing five carpet guls (the Teke, Yomut, Saryk, Chowdur and Ersary tribes' medallions in gold, white and red) above two crossed olive branches, and a white crescent with five white five-pointed stars in the upper canton, the proportion 2:3 (1:2 before 2001): the green of the Turkmen and of Islam, the red stripe the tribal carpets of the ancestors, the five guls and the five stars the five welayats and the five senses by the readings, the crescent the bright future, the olive branches added on 29 January 1997 for the permanent neutrality of 1995 — the most intricate national flag of the world by the vexillologists' usual line; the State Flag Day of 18 May; the flag of 420 kg on the 133 m pole of Ashgabat (2008; the world's tallest until 2010)Flag of Turkmenistan |
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| Coat of arms | The State Emblem of 2003 — the eight-pointed green star (the Rub el Hizb of the Islamic ornament, chosen at Niyazov's proposal in place of the round emblem of 1992) ringed in red and gold, the five carpet guls of the flag's tribes on the red ring, the blue disk at the center with Yanardag, the golden Akhal-Teke stallion of President Niyazov's stable (the champion of 1999), the wheat ears of the harvest, the cotton bolls, the crescent and the five stars of the welayats on the green; the law of 15 August 2003 and the regulations of the state seal; the emblem on the presidential standard, the passports of 2013 (the biometric), the manat notes and the marble gates; the Akhal-Teke horse the state's living emblem (the Turkmen Horse Day, the President's rides at the hippodrome of the televised mornings) |
| National anthem | 'Garaşsyz, Bitarap Türkmenistanyň Döwlet Gimni' ('The State Anthem of Independent, Neutral Turkmenistan') — the music by Weli Muhadow, the words by Saparmyrat Niyazov adopted by the People's Council at Baýramaly on 27 September 1996 and in use from 1997 ('Türkmenbaşyň guran beýik binasy' — 'the great creation of Türkmenbaşy' the first line of the original), the lyrics changed in December 2008 after Niyazov's death (the 'Türkmenbaşy' references replaced by 'the people', the third verse dropped) — 'Halkyň guran baky beýik binasy' ('the eternal great creation of the people') since; the Soviet anthem of the Turkmen SSR of 1946 (Muhadow's too; the words without Stalin since 1978) its forerunner; sung at the parades of 27 September and the schools' mornings with the oath |
| National motto | 'Türkmenistan — Bitaraplygyň watany' ('Turkmenistan is the motherland of Neutrality') by the state's line on the monuments and the portal; 'Döwlet adam üçindir!' ('The state is for the people!') of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow's presidency (2007–22) on the hoardings; 'Halk, Watan, Türkmenbaşy!' of the Niyazov years; 'Watan diňe halky bilen Watandyr! Döwlet diňe halky bilen Döwletdir!' ('The motherland is the motherland only with its people; the state is the state only with its people') of Serdar's presidency on the Cabinet's banners; the Mejlis's yearly mottos (2026's 'the homeland of purposeful winged horses'); 'Arkadagly Serdarly Watan' ('the motherland of the Protector and the Leader') of the 2023–26 slogans |
| National colors | Green and red — the green of the flag and of the state's buildings' domes, the red of the carpet stripe and the tribal guls, the gold of the emblem's horse and of Ashgabat's statues (the rotating gold Niyazov of the Neutrality Arch of 1998–2010, the gold Alabai of 2020, the gold Gurbanguly on the horse of 2015), the white of the marble city (the Guinness record of 2013 — the 543 white-marble buildings of the count) and of the cars; the national teams in green, the Olympic team's green and white; the Akhal-Teke's gold-metallic coat the horse's own color |
| National animal | The Akhal-Teke horse — the ancient breed of the Ahal oasis (the 'golden horses' of the metallic coat; about 6,600 in the world and 3,000 at home by the counts; Yanardag of the emblem; the UNESCO intangible listing of the breeding art of 2023; the Turkmen Horse Day of the last Sunday of April with the beauty contest of 25 April 2026 — the winner's owner given a car by the President's order; the presidential rides and the 2013 fall at the hippodrome the memory) and the Alabai, the Central Asian shepherd dog (the gold statue of 15 m of November 2020 at Ashgabat, the Alabai Day of the last Sunday of April since 2021, the Alabai Association chaired by Serdar, the Alabai breeding art inscribed by UNESCO on 11 December 2025 at New Delhi; the 'Alabai' of the AIMAG mascot and of the yearly gift to the visiting presidents); the Turkmen kulan of Badhyz (the wild ass of the 877 km² reserve — from 200 at its founding of 1941 to 5,000 and back to about 650), the goitered gazelle, the Caspian seal, the Transcaspian urial, the leopard of the Köpetdag and the cheetah gone by the 1980s, the saxaul jay of the Karakum, the Repetek's monitor lizard, the bustard |
| National flower and tree | None by law — the cotton boll of the emblem and of the fields ('the white gold'), the wheat ears of the state seal, the pomegranate of the carpets' guls, the tulip of the Köpetdag's spring (the wild Tulipa of the foothills), the rose of Ashgabat's parks; the trees — the saxaul (sazak) of the Karakum, the sand-binding shrub of the Repetek reserve and of the state's desert-planting campaigns, the mulberry of the silk, the plane (çynar) of the villages' shade, the pistachio of Badhyz (the world's largest wild pistachio woodland by the claim), the juniper (arça) of the Köpetdag, the poplar of the canals; the Turkmen melon (the gawun of the 400 varieties by the claim; the Melon Day of 1994) and the Mary pomegranate the fruits of the state's pride; the state's 'green belt' plantings of millions of trees around Ashgabat each spring and autumn (the 2026 campaign of March by the portal) the arboreal ritual |
| National dish | None by law — the palaw (the pilaf of rice, carrots and mutton or chicken 'the king of the cuisine'), the dograma (the shredded bread, mutton, onion and tomato of the feasts and the Gurban), the çorba (the mutton soup), the gutap and the işlekli (the stuffed flatbreads of the tamdyr), the manty, the şaşlyk, the çörek bread of the clay tamdyr oven, the kakmaç dried meat, the gowurdak, the fish of the Caspian (the sturgeon of the old days), the melons of the 400 varieties (the Melon Day of the second Sunday of August; the 'Türkmenbaşy' variety), the Mary pomegranates, the grapes of the Ahal, the green tea (gök çaý) of every meeting, the çal (the fermented camel's milk of the desert), the gatyk; the bread (çörek) sacred — never thrown, never cut with a knife; the Turkmen tea culture of the çäýnek |
| National sport | Turkmen wrestling (göreş — the belt wrestling of the toý feasts and of the state's championships; the Olympic-style wrestling and the sambo of the Soviet school), the Akhal-Teke racing of the Ashgabat hippodrome (the Horse Day's races; the President's own rides), the kuraş; football the mass game (the Ýokary Liga of eight clubs — FK Arkadag of the new city the champion of 2023, 2024 and 2025 and the leader of 2026 at 66 points of 22 games by 28 September, the AFC Challenge League winner of 10 May 2025 over Svay Rieng, the Super Cup of 3 August 2026; Altyn Asyr's eight titles of 2014–21; the national team at the Asian Cups of 2004 and 2019 and out of the 2026 World Cup's second round (Group E behind Iran and Uzbekistan) and of the 2027 Asian Cup's qualifying on 31 March 2026 at Bangkok (Thailand 2–1) after the 3–1 of 10 June 2025 at Ashgabat; the FIFA rank 141 of July 2026; Rowşen Meredow the coach); the weightlifting of Polina Gurýewa — the first Olympic medal of the state, the 59 kg silver of Tokyo on 27 July 2021 (217 kg; the Lexus, the flat and the US$50,000 of the reward); the Asian Games of Aichi-Nagoya of 19 September – 4 October 2026 — two silvers (Dawut Nazmyradow's karate of 24 September, Şahzadbek Matýakubow's 110 kg weightlifting of 2 October with 410 kg); the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat's US$5 billion complex (the host first with 74 golds by the official table — 89 by another count; 226 medals); the chess Olympiad of Samarkand of September 2026 — the women's silver of the rating category B; the 554 international medals of January–September 2026 by the deputy chairman's count |
| Heritage listings | Five World Heritage properties by UNESCO's list — the State Historical and Cultural Park 'Ancient Merv' (1999; the Sultan Sanjar mausoleum of 1157, the Gyz Gala, the Erk Gala of the Achaemenids), Kunya-Urgench (2005; the Khwarazmshahs' capital, the Kutlug-Timur minaret of 60 m, the Törebeg Hanym and Nejameddin Kubra mausoleums), the Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (2007; the Arsacids' first seat 18 km west of Ashgabat — the rhytons of ivory), the Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (2023; with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan — the Amul of Türkmenabat and the Dehistan sites) and the Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (2023; natural, with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan — the Repetek and Bereketli Garagum reserves); the convention ratified on 30 September 1994; the tentative list of nine (Dehistan/Mishrian of 1998, the Badhyz, Sünt-Hasardag, Köýtendag dinosaurs and caves, Repetek, Amudarya and Hazar reserves of 2009, the Silk Roads sites of 2010, the Kugitang karst of 2025); the intangible heritage of ten elements — the Görogly epic (2015), the Kuştdepdi rite of singing and dancing (2017), the Turkmen carpet-making (2019), the dutar making and the bagşy music (2021), the needlework with Iran, the sericulture and the Nasreddin anecdotes (2022; multinational), the Akhal-Teke horse breeding (2023), Nowruz (multinational), the Alabai breeding (11 December 2025); the nine state nature reserves (19,750 km²; Repetek of 1927 the UNESCO biosphere reserve); the Magtymguly anniversary of 2024 on UNESCO's calendar |
| Symbol status | The flag by the law of 19 February 1992 with the amendments of 29 January 1997 (the olive branches) and 24 January 2001 (the proportion 2:3; the State Flag Day of 18 May by the 1995 decree), the emblem by the law of 15 August 2003 (the octagon), the anthem by the People's Council of 27 September 1996 and the amended text of 2008, the constitution's Article 21 on the symbols; the 'National Leader of the Turkmen People' title and the 'Arkadag' order by the laws of 21 January 2023 (the immunity, the protection and the assets of the Leader and his family written into the law — the state's 'gratitude' and the rights groups' 'dynasty' both stated, LAW 2); the medal 'Arkadag' of 30 September 2023, the jubilee medals of the 30th neutrality (2025) and the 35th independence (2026); the holidays by the Labor Code and the yearly decrees; the Akhal-Teke and the Alabai by the laws on the breeds and the associations the President chairs; no national flower, tree, dish or motto by law — the palaw, the saxaul and the neutrality motto by custom and by the state's usage |
Geography
| Location | Central Asia's southwest between 35°08′ and 42°48′ N and 52°27′ and 66°41′ E — the Caspian Sea to the west (the only sea; the landlocked state's shore of about 1,768 km with the Garabogazköl), Kazakhstan to the north across the Ustyurt plateau (413 km by one count, 379 by another), Uzbekistan to the north and east along the Amu Darya and the Khwarazm oasis (1,793 or 1,621 km — the longest border), Afghanistan to the southeast (804 or 744 km; the Murghab and Kushka valleys of Serhetabat), Iran to the south along the Köpetdag crest and the Atrek and Tejen rivers (1,148 or 992 km) — 4,158 km of land border by the first set and 3,736 by the second, both stated; the Karakum Desert the center of everything (the black sands of 350,000 km² between the Caspian and the Amu Darya; the Turan Depression that holds 80% of the land), the Köpetdag wall of the south, the Köýtendag of the far east, the Great and Little Balkan of the west, the Ustyurt and the Sarygamyş basin of the north; the 1,100 km from the Caspian to the Uzbek line, the 650 km north to south; Ashgabat at 38° N on the latitude of Athens and San Francisco, 30 km from Iran; the Amu Darya the northeast's lifeline and the Karakum Canal's source; the heart of the old Khorasan and the Silk Road's Merv |
|---|---|
| Regions | The five welayats (provinces) and the capital — Ahal (97,160 km²; the seat Arkadag since 2023 — the Köpetdag oasis of Ashgabat's surroundings, the Teke heartland, the Tejen; 886,845 people at the 2022 census), Balkan (139,270 km² — the Caspian west of Balkanabat's oil and Türkmenbaşy's port, the Garabogazköl, the Yangykala canyon; 529,895), Daşoguz (73,430 km² — the Khwarazm oasis of the Amu Darya's lower reaches, Kunya-Urgench, the Uzbek minority; 1,550,354), Lebap (93,730 km² — the Amu Darya's middle valley of Türkmenabat, the Köýtendag, the Repetek; 1,447,298), Mary (87,150 km² — the Murghab oasis of Merv, the gas fields of Galkynysh and Ýolöten, the Badhyz; 1,613,386) and the city of Ashgabat (470 km²; 1,030,063) with Arkadag the 'city of state importance' of 2023; the etraps (districts) of about 50 and the cities of etrap rank under the häkims appointed by the President (the welayat häkims of 7 September 2026 — Ahal T. Nurmyradow, Balkan R. Jumaýew, Daşoguz D. Babaýew, Lebap H. Aşyrmyradow, Mary B. Orazgylyjow; the Mary, Lebap and Balkan häkims changed in June–July 2026 after the power cuts' protest — the independent press's reading and the state's 'rotation' both stated, LAW 2), the gengeşlik (village) councils and the arçyns; the welayats renamed from the Soviet oblasts of Ashkhabad, Krasnovodsk, Tashauz, Chardzhou and Mary in 1992 |
| Highest point | Aýrybaba — 3,139 m (10,299 ft) by the common count, 3,137 and 3,138 by the others, the summit of the Köýtendag (Kugitang) range of the Pamir-Alay's western end on the Uzbek line in the Lebap welayat's far east (named the Great Saparmyrat Türkmenbaşy Peak in 2004; the glacier-free limestone of the Köýtendag Nature Reserve of 1986 — the Dinosaur Plateau of Hojapil with the 2,500 Jurassic footprints and 31 trackways, the Kyrk Gyz cave of the forty maidens, the 300 caves and the Kap-Kutan system among Asia's longest, the Garlyk potash mine of 2017 below); the Köpetdag's heights on the Iranian line — Şahşah (Rizeh) 2,912–2,940 m above Ashgabat (the range's highest on the Turkmen side; the Kuh-e Quchan of 3,191 m across the line), the Dushak; the Great Balkan's Arlan 1,880 m by the Caspian; the Badhyz plateau's hills of the south; the mean elevation about 230 m — the desert plain's country below the rim of mountains it shares with Iran and Uzbekistan |
| Lowest point | The Akjagaýa depression — 81 m below sea level by the common count (about 100 m by the other, the floor fluctuating by the lake's level), in the Daşoguz welayat's northwest beside the Sarygamyş lake on the Uzbek line (the Vpadina Akchakaya of the Soviet maps; the Karashor and the other hollows of the Ustyurt's edge); the Caspian Sea's surface at about 28 m below the world's oceans (the record low of below −29 m reported in July 2025 — the Türkmenbaşy and Awaza shore receding 25–30 m in three years by the visitors' counts, the ferries' lighter loads and the ports' dredging by the 2026 reports), the Garabogazköl lagoon at the Caspian's level behind its strait (the dam of 1980 that dried it by 1984 and the breach ordered in June 1992), the Sarygamyş at about 5 m by the surveys; the Caspian's floor at about 1,025 m below sea level in its southern basin off the Turkmen coast the deepest water the country touches; the Karakum's own hollows of the Unguz; the 'depression' country of a land whose mean height is a few hundred meters |
| Longest river | The Amu Darya (the Oxus of the Greeks; the Jeyhun of the Arabs) — 2,540 km in all from the Pamir's Panj and Vakhsh to the Aral's dry bed (2,400 by the other count), the Turkmen stretch of about 1,000 km along the Uzbek line and through Lebap and Daşoguz (Atamyrat, Türkmenabat, the Khwarazm oasis), the only great river, the Karakum Canal's source at Bosaga; THE KARAKUM CANAL of 1,375 km (1954–88; 13 km³ a year to Mary, Tejen, Ashgabat, Gökdepe and the Balkan west — the longest irrigation canal of the world by the usual line and the Aral's drainer by the environmentalists'), the Murghab (850 km from Afghanistan to its death in the Mary oasis — the Merv of the ages), the Tejen (the Hari Rud of Herat; 1,100 km with the Iranian border stretch; the Friendship Dam of 2005 with Iran), the Atrek (669 km; the Iranian border to the Caspian, reaching it only in flood), the Sumbar of the Göklen valley; the Daryalyk and Ozerny collectors that feed the Sarygamyş; the Altyn Asyr ('Golden Century') lake project of 2009 in the Karashor hollow for the drainage of the fields; the Tejen and Murghab deltas the oases of the ancients, the Amu Darya's 2017 road and rail bridges at Türkmenabat; the water the state's scarcest good — the per-head among the world's lowest by the counts |
| Largest lake | The Sarygamyş (Sarykamysh) — 3,955 km² by the common count (about 5,000 by the other), the salt lake of the Daşoguz northwest on the Uzbek line fed since the 1960s by the Daryalyk collector's drainage water (about a quarter in Uzbekistan; the fish and the flamingos of the brackish water), the largest lake of the country by surface; the Garabogazköl (Kara-Bogaz-Gol) — the Caspian's lagoon of about 18,000 km² behind its strait on the Balkan coast (the world's largest lagoon by the count; the 35% salinity, the sodium sulfate of the Garabogazsulfat works, the dam of March 1980 that dried it by 1984 and the breach of June 1992 by Niyazov's order), the Caspian Sea itself (371,000 km² — the world's largest lake by the common line; the Turkmen sector's Cheleken and Block I oil, the seals, the sturgeon), the Altyn Asyr artificial lake of the Karashor (2009; the 2,000 km² planned), the reservoirs of the Karakum Canal (Hanhowuz, the Kopetdag of Ashgabat, the Zeýit), the Kow Ata underground lake of the Bakharden cave (the sulfur spa of 33 °C), the Mollagara salt lake of the Balkan spa |
| Largest island | Ogurjaly (Ogurchinsky) — the Caspian sandbar island of about 45 km by 1–2 km off the Balkan coast south of the Cheleken peninsula (the goitered gazelles' sanctuary of the Hazar reserve; the old quarantine station of the Russians), the largest island of the country; the Cheleken peninsula (the Hazar of the ozokerite and oil; an island until the Caspian's fall of the 1930s joined it), the islands of the Türkmenbaşy Gulf (the Dagada, the Gyzylsuw), the Awaza shore's resort islands of the 2010s' plans; the Amu Darya's river islands of Lebap; a desert state of few islands — the Caspian's Turkmen sector of 80,000 km² of water the country's 'sea' and the sturgeon's and the seals' home |
| Climate | Cold desert by the Köppen map (BWk — the Karakum and the whole plain; the hot desert BWh of the far south's Serhetabat and the Amu Darya's lower valley by some maps; the semi-arid BSk of the Köpetdag foothills) — the most arid of the former Soviet states: Ashgabat's 221–230 mm a year (the record high 47.2 °C of June 2015 and the low −24.1 °C of January 1969), the Köpetdag's 300 mm the wettest, the Karakum's and the northwest's 80 mm the driest, Daşoguz's 100 mm; the summers of 40–45 °C (the national record 50.1 °C at Repetek on 28 July 1983 — the Soviet Union's hottest), the winters of the Daşoguz north to −30 °C and below (the −36 °C of the record by the count); the Caspian's mild coast, the Köpetdag's snow; the sandstorms of the spring, the 2026 heat that broke the Mary grid in June; the Caspian's shrinking (the record low of 2025), the Aral's dust from the north, the Amu Darya's falling flow (the Afghan Qosh Tepa canal of 2022–26 the upstream threat); the drought years of 2021–23, the climate the state's 'green belt' and the Altyn Asyr lake answer |
| Natural hazards | Earthquakes — THE ASHGABAT EARTHQUAKE OF 6 OCTOBER 1948 (Ms 7.3 at 01:12; the city destroyed; the toll 10,000 by the lowest count, 40,000 by the Soviet report, 110,000 by the 2000s' official count and up to 176,000 by the highest claim — all stated; Niyazov's mother among the dead; the Day of Remembrance), the Balkan quake of 6 December 2000 (Mw 7.0; four to eleven dead), the Köpetdag fault's tremors; the drought and the water (the Amu Darya's 2021–23 lows, the Karakum Canal's seepage, the Caspian's record fall of 2025); the heat (50.1 °C at Repetek 1983; the June 2026 heat of 40 °C and the Mary blackouts), the sandstorms and the Aral dust; the desertification and the salinization of the irrigated lands (about half salinized by the counts); the Caspian seal die-offs (2,500 carcasses of December 2022 on the Russian and Kazakh shores); the flash floods of the Köpetdag wadis; the methane leaks (the nine of the world's top 50 by the 2026 satellite counts); the blackout of 30 August 2026 across four welayats (the Mary power plant's accident by the independent press — no official statement, both stated); the pandemic the state never declared (no COVID case 'ever' by the official line; the excess deaths of 2020–21 by the independent counts — both stated, LAW 2) |
| Nearby countries | Uzbekistan (1,793 or 1,621 km; the Amu Darya and the Khwarazm line — the Farap and Daşoguz gates, the free-trade regime of 25 February 2025, the Shavat–Daşoguz trade zone of November 2025, the US$1.2 billion trade of 2025 and the US$2 billion target; the Consultative Meeting's chair passed to Ashgabat on 17 November 2025), Kazakhstan (413 or 379 km; the Ustyurt line, the Garabogaz–Temir Baba gate, the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran railway of 2014, the treaty of friendship of 1 July 2026 at Ashgabat, the half-billion trade), Iran (1,148 or 992 km; the Köpetdag line — the Bajgiran and Sarahs gates, the Tejen's Friendship Dam, the gas disputes of 2017 and the swap route to Turkey and Iraq of 2025, the Caspian convention Iran alone has not ratified, the region's wars' shadow), Afghanistan (804 or 744 km; the Serhetabat–Torghundi gate of TAPI's pipe and the Herat railway, the Taliban's envoy accredited since 18 March 2022 without recognition, the gas MoU of 10 August 2026, the Qosh Tepa canal's threat to the Amu Darya); Azerbaijan across the Caspian (the Baku ferries from Türkmenbaşy, the Dostluk field, the tanker 'Dostluk' gifted on 22 June 2026, the trans-Caspian pipeline talk), Russia across the water (the gas of Gazprom to 30 June 2024, the Putin visit of 12 December 2025), Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan of the Central Asian five (the Avaza summit of 8 October 2026 with Azerbaijan the sixth); the CIS summit at Türkmenbaşy of 9 October 2026 the host |
| Minerals and resources | Natural gas above all — 480.3 trillion cubic feet (13.6 trillion m³) of proved reserves by the Energy Institute's 2025 review, the world's fourth (400 tcf and the fifth by the U.S. EIA's count — both stated); the Galkynysh field of the Mary welayat (the world's second-largest gas field by the usual line; 27 trillion m³ with the Yashlar and Garakol by the state's count; the phase 1 of 2013, the phase 4 contract with CNPC of 16 April 2026 — 10 bcm a year, 30 wells, about US$5.1 billion, done by 2030), the Dauletabad, Shatlyk, Ýolöten and Amu Darya right-bank fields (CNPC's Bagtyýarlyk), the Caspian blocks (Dragon Oil's Cheleken of 100,000 barrels a day at its 2015 peak, Petronas's Block I, the Dostluk field shared with Azerbaijan); the production 76.5 billion m³ of gas and 8.38 million t of oil in 2025 by the ministry (about 80 bcm the target; the exports to China 30–40 bcm by the two counts); the oil of Balkanabat, Cheleken and Hazar (about 275,000 barrels a day by the EIA's 2024 count), the Türkmenbaşy refinery; the iodine and bromine of Cheleken, the sodium sulfate of the Garabogazköl, the potash of Garlyk (the 2017 mine of the Köýtendag; the Belarusian-built works), the salt, the sulfur of the Gaurdak, the bentonite, the ozokerite of Cheleken, the building stone and the white marble of the imports (the Carrara of Ashgabat's facades by the trade); the methane leaks the resource's shadow — the 'nine of the world's top 50' of the satellite counts and the 2023 Global Methane Pledge; the sun of 300 days and the water of the Amu Darya; the cotton and the wheat of the oases |
| Protected areas | Nine state nature reserves (zapovedniks) of 19,750 km² — above 4% of the land — with 13 sanctuaries of 11,560 km²: Repetek (1927; 346 km² of the eastern Karakum's saxaul — the UNESCO biosphere reserve of 1979 and part of the Cold Winter Deserts World Heritage site of 2023; the sand-desert station of the Soviet science), Badhyz (1941; 877 km² of the Afghan border's pistachio savanna — the kulan, the gazelle, the leopard; on the tentative list), Köpetdag (1976; 497 km²; the leopard's mountains), Sünt-Hasardag (1977; 303 km² of the Sumbar valley's subtropical corner — the Göklen pomegranates and the Mediterranean flora), Gaplaňgyr (1979; 2,822 km² of the Ustyurt's north — the largest), Amyderýa (1982; 495 km² of the river's tugai forests), Köýtendag (1986; 271 km² of the dinosaur plateau and the caves), Hazar (2,690 km² of the Caspian coast — the Ogurjaly sanctuary, the flamingos and the seals; the Ramsar site of the Türkmenbaşy Gulf of 2009), Bereketli Garagum (2013; the central Karakum); the five World Heritage properties; the Yangykala canyon of the Balkan (the 'fiery fortresses' of the 60–100 m cliffs) and the Darvaza crater the natural sights outside the reserves; the Ashgabat 'green belt' of the state's plantings; the hunting of the Houbara bustard by the Gulf's falconers the quarrel of the 2010s; the 'Turkmen Lake' of Altyn Asyr the state's reclamation |
| Extreme points | North: the Ustyurt plateau's edge northwest of Köneürgenç on the Kazakh line at 42°48′ N; South: Çilduhtar south of Serhetabat (the Kushka of the Russians — the Soviet Union's southernmost town) on the Afghan line at 35°08′ N; West: Cape Suwe (Suw) on the Caspian's Garabogaz coast at 52°27′ E; East: the Hezretaksar peak of the Köýtendag on the Uzbek line at 66°41′ E; the highest Aýrybaba 3,139 m and the lowest the Akjagaýa at −81 m; the geographic center in the Karakum's heart north of Mary; the Darvaza crater at 40°15′ N on the Ashgabat–Daşoguz road 260 km north of the capital; the farthest welayat seat from Ashgabat Daşoguz at 560 km by road (the Karakum crossing); the longest beach the Awaza strip of Türkmenbaşy; the deepest cave the Kap-Kutan of the Köýtendag (56 km of passages by the count — the longest of Central Asia); the Köpetdag's Kow Ata underground lake 60 m down; the 1,100 km of the country's width from the Caspian to the Amu Darya |
| Land and water | 491,210 km² by the common count (488,100 by the other) — 469,130 km² of land and about 18,000–24,000 km² of water (the Garabogazköl's share, the Sarygamyş, the reservoirs) by the two divisions, both stated; the arable land about 4% (the 1.7–2 million hectares of irrigated fields along the Amu Darya, the Karakum Canal, the Murghab and the Tejen — the cotton's 550,000 hectares and the wheat's 760,000 by the counts), the permanent crops under 1%, the pastures about 65% (the Karakum's camel and karakul-sheep ranges), the forests about 9% by the state's count (the saxaul 'forests' of the sand and the tugai of the river), the desert the rest; the irrigation of the Karakum Canal (1,375 km) and the Amu Darya's offtakes the whole agriculture — the salinization of about half the irrigated land and the water loss of the unlined canals by the counts; the renewable water about 25 billion m³ a year, almost all from the Amu Darya's shared flow (the 1987 Soviet quotas; the Afghan Qosh Tepa canal's 10 billion m³ claim of the 2020s the threat), the per-head among the world's lowest by the UN's line; the Altyn Asyr lake of the drainage (2009–), the Friendship Dam of 2005; the 'Turkmen Lake' and the 'green belt' the state's answers — the state's 'rational water use' and the hydrologists' 'the Aral's drainer' both stated (LAW 2) |
| Islands and coasts | The Caspian coast of about 1,768 km by the common count (1,748 by another; 1,035 km by the Caspian's own measure without the Garabogazköl's loop) from the Kazakh line at the Garabogaz gate to the Iranian line at the Atrek's mouth — the Türkmenbaşy Gulf and port (the Krasnovodsk of 1869; the new port of 2018 of 17 million t and 400,000 TEU, the ferries to Baku and Aktau), the Awaza national tourist zone (2007; the 18-odd hotels of the state's resort — the UN LDC conference of August 2025, the Central Asia summit of 8 October 2026), the Cheleken peninsula's oil and the Hazar oil town, the Ogurjaly island, the Esenguly of the Yomut fishermen, the Garabogazköl's sulfate shore, the Hazar reserve's flamingo bays; the Caspian's record fall of 2025 (below −29 m; the shore 25–30 m out at Awaza, the dredging of the port) the coast's own crisis; the Caspian convention of 12 August 2018 (the Aktau summit; Turkmenistan's ratification of 1 December 2018; Iran's pending), the 'sea' and 'lake' question of the seabed (the Dostluk field's 2021 deal with Azerbaijan; the trans-Caspian pipeline's 300 km the unbuilt dream); the Caspian seal, the sturgeon and the caviar's ban; the navy of the Deniz Han corvette (2021) at Türkmenbaşy |
| The country | The desert state between the Caspian and the Oxus in five pictures — the white-marble Ashgabat under the Köpetdag with its gold statues, its empty boulevards and its white cars; the Karakum's black sands with the Darvaza crater burning low since the 2022 order, the saxaul and the camels of the wells; the oases of the Amu Darya, the Murghab and the Tejen where the cotton, the wheat and the melons grow and nine in ten people live — Merv's ruins beside Mary's gas fields, Kunya-Urgench's minaret beside Daşoguz's Uzbek bazaars, Türkmenabat's bridges; the Caspian west of Balkanabat's oil derricks, Türkmenbaşy's port and Awaza's resort towers on a shrinking shore; the Köýtendag's dinosaur tracks and the Badhyz's kulans at the Afghan edge; the carpets, the Akhal-Teke horses and the Alabai dogs of the state's symbols; the gas that pays for everything, the manat of two prices, the census of 7.06 million and the doubts of the exiles — the neutral republic of 1995, the Berdimuhamedows' of 2007, the 35 years of 27 September 2026 |
People
| Population | 7,057,841 at the census of 17 December 2022 by the State Committee for Statistics (the results of 14 July 2023; the 3,526,421 men and 3,531,420 women; 47.1% urban) — 4,483,251 at the census of 10 January 1995, 3,522,717 at the Soviet census of 1989, 2,765,000 in 1979, 1,516,000 in 1959, 1,002,000 in 1939 — the sevenfold growth of a century; the 2012 census held and never published (the 4,751,120 of the leak); THE COUNT'S QUESTION — the UN's World Population Prospects at about 7.6 million for 2025 (7,618,847; 7.49 million for 2024), the World Bank's 7.6 million by the same line, against the independent press's and the exiles' estimates of 2.7–5 million (the leaked state survey of 2019 of the 1.9 million emigrants of 2008–18, Radio Azatlyk's 2.7–2.8 million of 2021, the BTI 2026's 'barely more than 5 million') — the census the state's figure, the doubts stated beside it, the truth unknowable from outside (LAW 2); the welayats — Mary 1,613,386, Daşoguz 1,550,354, Lebap 1,447,298, Ashgabat 1,030,063, Ahal 886,845, Balkan 529,895; the Turkmens abroad about a million each in Iran and Afghanistan by the counts |
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| Growth rate | About 1.6–1.7% a year by the UN's model (the 7.49 million of 2024 to 7.62 million of 2025 — the natural increase of the 2.6 births per woman less the emigration of about 13,000 a year by its count) — against the independent press's reading of a shrinking population (the emigration to Turkey, Russia and the Gulf of the 2010s — the leaked 1.9 million of 2008–18, the Turkey residence permits of about 112,000–134,000 of 2019–24, the 54,000 students in Russia, the exit bans and the passport refusals that slowed it since 2020 by the rights groups' reports) — both stated (LAW 2); the births about 150,000 a year and the deaths about 50,000 by the UN's lines (the crude birth rate about 20 per thousand, the death rate about 7); the state's 'demographic growth' line of the census (7.06 million from the 4.48 million of 1995 — 1.7% a year) and the silence of the vital statistics since the 2010s; the UN's projection of about 9 million by 2050 |
| Fertility rate | About 2.6 children per woman by the UN's 2024 estimate (2.66 for 2024, 2.63 for 2025 — among Central Asia's lower with Kazakhstan's and above the replacement line; the 4–5 of the Soviet 1970s–80s) — the state's own figure unpublished since the 2010s; the census's 34.9% below the working age (the 0–15s) the young country's mark; the 'Ene mähri' ('Mother's Tenderness') title and the flat for the mothers of eight (the 2008 law), the marriage payments of the Gurbanguly years, the bride price (galyň) of the custom in the thousands of dollars, the early marriages of the villages; the abortion limited to five weeks by the 2015 rules (the HRW line), the contraception's scarcity; the Turkmen family of the toý feasts (the weddings of 500 guests), the sons' preference; the UN's median age about 27 |
| Life expectancy | 70.5 years at birth by the UN's 2024 estimate (73.3 for women, 67.2 for men — Central Asia's lowest with Afghanistan's neighborhood by the counts), 71.8 by the other estimate (68.8 and 75.0) and 'above 73' by the state's own claim — all stated (LAW 2); the HDR 2025's 70.1 for 2023; the infant mortality 27 per 1,000 live births by the UN's line (the state's single digits by its own count — both stated); the leading causes the heart diseases, the cancers and the respiratory diseases by the WHO's lines; the pandemic the state never declared — no COVID-19 case reported to the WHO 'ever' (the WHO mission of 6–10 July 2020; the Sputnik V registered on 18 January 2021 and the vaccination made mandatory for adults on 7 July 2021; the 'pneumonia' deaths of 2020–21 by the independent press — the official and the independent lines both stated, LAW 2); the health system of the free Soviet inheritance cut in the 1990s–2000s (the hospitals outside the capital closed in 2005 by Niyazov's order and reopened), the Ashgabat marble hospitals of the 2010s, the doctors' emigration; the smoking's ban in the public places of 2013 (the President the anti-tobacco campaigner); the 65-and-over about 5–6% by the UN |
| Age structure | 0–14 years about 28%, 15–64 about 66%, 65 and over about 6% by the UN's 2024 lines (the census's own three bands — 34.9% below the working age, 57% of it, 8.1% above by the Committee's 2023 presentation) — the median age about 27 (26.6 by the UN's 2024 count against Kazakhstan's 31 and Uzbekistan's 28), the young population of the oases; the working-age 4.02 million by the census (4.87 million by the World Bank's model — both stated); the pensioners about 600,000 by the counts on the base pension of 550 manat; the youth's unemployment and emigration the state's unstated problem (the 'brain drain' of the students to Russia, Turkey and Belarus — the exit controls of the airports by the rights groups' reports); the conscripts of the two-year service at 18 (the army's exodus of the officers by the 2026 report of the independent press — the minister's 'lock them in the armory' line quoted); the dependency ratio about 55 per 100 by the UN |
| Urbanization | 47.1% urban by the 2022 census (3,321,497 in the cities and the towns, 3,736,344 in the villages) — the least urban of Central Asia with Tajikistan (46.5% by the UN's 2025 line; 52.9% rural) — Ashgabat's 1,030,063 (the city of the marble and the ministries; the capital cleared of its old quarters by the demolitions of the 2000s–10s for the white districts, the Çoganly resettlement), the welayat seats of Türkmenabat (230,861), Daşoguz (201,142), Mary (167,027), Balkanabat (123,190), the port of Türkmenbaşy (91,745), the new Arkadag (73,000 planned; the 12,000 families of the first phase by the count) — the oasis villages of the cotton and the wheat the majority's home (the daýhan associations of the Soviet kolkhoz's heirs); the housing of the state's marble apartments for the officials and the mortgage program of 2016–26 (the 1% loans of the 'Housing Program' by the portal), the villages' clay houses and the Soviet blocks; the Ashgabat residence permit (propiska) of the Soviet rule still in force — the state's 'the happiest city' and the exiles' 'the emptied capital' both stated (LAW 2) |
| Ethnic groups | Turkmens 86.7% by the 2022 census (6,120,854), Uzbeks 9.1% (642,476; the Khwarazm and Lebap oases of Daşoguz and Türkmenabat), Russians 1.6% (114,447 — from 333,892 at the 1989 census; the 1990s' exodus, the dual citizenship's end of 2003), Baloch 1.2% (87,503; the Mary oasis's Baloch of the 1920s migration from Iran and Afghanistan), Kazakhs 0.2% (11,825; the Caspian north), the others 0.4% — the Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Koreans, Persians, Kurds and Lezgins of the Soviet mix by the older counts; the leaked 2012 census's 85.6% Turkmen, 5.8% Uzbek and 5.1% Russian — the two counts stated; the Turkmen tribes within the nation — the Teke (over a third; the Ahal and Mary oases; the Berdimuhamedows' own), the Yomut (the Balkan west and Daşoguz north), the Ersary (Lebap's Amu Darya; the Afghan Turkmens' tribe), the Chowdur, the Saryk, the Salyr, the Göklen, the Nohur of the Köpetdag — the tribal identity the state's taboo and the politics' key by the analysts' line (the Ahal Teke's hold of the posts; both stated, LAW 2); the Turkmen diaspora of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Syria (the Turkmens of the Ottoman lands by the other name) |
| Languages | Turkmen the state language (Article 21; the Latin alphabet of 1993 with the 1999 fix — the ä, ň, ö, ü, ý, ž, ş, ç; the Teke-based standard, the dialects of the tribes; the 6.8 million speakers at home by the counts and the 7.8 million in all — the Turkmens of Iran in the Arabic script, of Afghanistan in the Arabic too), the closest tongue of Turkish, Azerbaijani and Gagauz in the Oghuz branch; Russian the 'language of interethnic communication' of the practice (the 1992 constitution's guarantee of other languages; the Russian-language schools reduced to the Pushkin joint school of 2002 and the Russian classes of the state schools, the Russian press and the Mayak radio shut in the 2000s, the Russian still the officials', the oil men's and the trade's second tongue; the 54,000 students in Russia), Uzbek of the 9.1% (the Uzbek schools closed in the 2000s — the minority's complaint), Kazakh, Baloch (the Mary villages), Persian of the frontier, Armenian and the others; English the foreign language of the schools since the 2010s and of the state's 'Türkmenistan' portal; the Turkmen names of the places restored and invented — Türkmenbaşy for Krasnovodsk (1993), Serdar for Gyzylarbat (2002; reversed in 2022), Arkadag for the new city; the literacy 99.7% by the state's count |
| Religion | Sunni Islam of the Hanafi school about 93% (the U.S. State Department's 2022 count; 94.7% Muslim by the 2025 estimate with 1.1% Shia — the Azerbaijanis and the Iranians) — the Turkmen Islam of the Sufi shrines and the pilgrimages (Gözli Ata, Paraw Bibi, Nejameddin Kubra, the Ýusup Hemedany of Merv), the Hanafi mosques of the state's building program (the four of 1990 to about 700; the Türkmenbaşy Ruhy mosque of 2004 at Gypjak — Central Asia's largest by the claim, the Ruhnama's verses on the walls, Niyazov's mausoleum beside it; the Ertuğrul Gazi mosque of Ashgabat built by Turkey in 1998; the Mary mosque of 2009), the Muftiate under the state's Council on Religious Affairs (the chief mufti Rahman Gurbanmyradow since 19 June 2026 — the third change of the decade by the independent press's count), the Hajj quotas of the state's lists, the 2016 law on religious organizations (50 adult founders; no home worship; the registration of the Protestants refused — the Jehovah's Witnesses' conscientious objectors jailed by the Forum 18 counts); the Russian Orthodox about 6.4% (the Alexander Nevsky church of Ashgabat, the St Nicholas of Türkmenabat; the Central Asian diocese), the Armenian Apostolic, the Catholics (the Ashgabat chapel of the nuncio's visits), the few Jews, the Bahá'ís, the irreligious about 3%; the secular state of Article 1 — the state's 'freedom of conscience' and the USCIRF's 'country of particular concern' since 2014 both stated (LAW 2) |
| Health | The Ministry of Health and the Medical Industry's state system (the free care of the constitution's Article 52 with the fees of the practice) — the marble hospitals of Ashgabat's 2010s (the Cardiology Center, the Mother and Child Center, the International Center of the Head and Neck Diseases, the 'Arkadag' city's hospital complex of 2023), the welayat hospitals (the Mary and Daşoguz centers of the 2020s), the village health houses of the 2000s' rebuilding after Niyazov's 2005 closure of the regional hospitals; the doctors about 2.2 per 1,000 by the WHO's old count (the emigration and the 'medical universities' quotas), the beds about 4 per 1,000; THE PANDEMIC THE STATE NEVER DECLARED — no COVID-19 case reported in 2020–23 by the official line (the WHO mission of July 2020, the 'pneumonia' wards and the oxygen shortages of the independent press, the masks made mandatory 'against dust' in July 2020, the Sputnik V and the Sinopharm vaccination mandatory from 7 July 2021, the borders shut to 2022) — both lines stated (LAW 2); the life expectancy 70.5 by the UN; the infant mortality 27 by the UN's line against the state's single digits; the smoking's ban in the public places (2013; the Gurbanguly campaign — the WHO's award), the alcohol's limits of 2017; the free medicines' list of the children; the medical tourism outward to Turkey, Iran and India; the health minister Myratberdi Gaýypow since 14 February 2026 (Myrat Mämmedow retired) |
| Education | Free and compulsory for 12 years by the 2012 law (the 12-year school from 2013/14 after Niyazov's cut to nine years of 2002 — the 'Ruhnama' decade of the curriculum, the mandatory reading dropped from the exams in 2011 and the universities in 2014), the Turkmen-language schools with the Russian and the English classes, the state's 'digital education' of the tablets of the first-graders (the President's gift each 1 September), the Arkadag city's schools of 2023; the universities 23 by the count (18 civil, 5 military) — the Magtymguly State University (1950), the State Medical University, the Oguz Han Engineering University (2016), the International University of the Humanities and Development (2014; the English-language), the Agricultural University, the Institute of International Relations, the Arkadag city's medical and 'Arkadag' universities of 2023; the students abroad — the 54,000 in Russia by Putin's count, Turkey, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan — and the foreign-diploma recognition's hurdles and the exit bans by the rights groups' reports (the 'brain drain' both lines stated, LAW 2); the entrance exams' bribes of the independent press's reports; the literacy 99.7%; the Soviet-era Academy of Sciences restored in 2007 after its 1998 closure; the 2026 school year's 'parent donations' and the uniforms' costs the families' complaint by the press; the Education Minister under the deputy chairman Batyr Mämmedow |
| Migrants and diaspora | The Turkmen diaspora — about a million Turkmens of Iran (the Golestan, North Khorasan and Razavi Khorasan of the Yomut and Göklen; the Gonbad-e Kavus of Magtymguly's birthplace), about a million of Afghanistan (the Ersary of Faryab, Jowzjan and Balkh — the 3% of Afghanistan by the count; the 1920s' exodus from the Soviet collectivization), the Turkmens of Uzbekistan (194,000), of Iraq and Syria (the Ottoman-era Turkmens of another history), the Stavropol Turkmens of Russia; the emigrants of the 2000s–20s — Turkey (113,762 by the 2024 count of residence permits; the Istanbul and Antalya workers, the 2022 visa change), Russia (41,328 at the 2021 census; the 54,000 students), the Gulf, Belarus, the United States (the lottery visas and the 2025 travel restrictions — the ban on the immigrant visas kept and the tourist and student visas restored on 16 December 2025), Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan — about 1.9 million by the leaked 2019 survey of 2008–18, the UN's emigrant stock of 366,000 (2024) — both stated (LAW 2); the exit bans and the passport refusals of the 2010s–20s (the HRW's 2026 report), the return of the stranded of the pandemic years; the immigrants few — the Afghan Turkmens' refugees of the 1990s, the Russians' remnant, the Turkish and Chinese contractors; the dual citizenship of Russia ended in 2003 (the 'thousands' who left); the diaspora's remittances small by the Western Union limits; the Turkmen of the exile press — Azatlyk, the Chronicles, Turkmen.news, Progres |
| Social indicators | HDI 0.764 (2023; 95th of 193, 'high' — the official data's HDI by the independent economists' caveat); no Gini published (the World Bank's 'no reliable poverty estimates'; the BTI's 'at least a third' in poverty; the 'extreme poverty is low' of the Bank's April 2026 line — all stated); the minimum wage 1,410 manat a month and the base pension 550 (since 1 January 2025; about US$400 and US$157 at the official rate, about US$80 and US$31 at the parallel rate of 17.5 — both stated; the yearly 10% rises of 2008–25 skipped for 2026 by the pensioners' and the press's reading, 'protected' by the state's), the unemployment 4.3% by the ILO's 2024 model (the youth's 9.6%) against the 50–60% of Azatlyk's and the Chronicles' estimates — both stated (LAW 2); the free gas, electricity, water and salt of 1993–2018 ended on 1 January 2019; the state stores' subsidized flour, bread, oil and sugar by ration and the queues of 2018–26 (the chicken at 39 manat a kilo and the beef at 200–230 in September 2026 by the independent press; the 'abundance' of the state television — both stated); the car and housing loans of the state banks; the internet 40% and filtered; the women's 25.6% of the Mejlis; the femicide and the domestic violence the unmeasured; the prisoners' pardons of each holiday (1,054 on 26 September 2026); the 'happiest country' of the state's polls and the Freedom House 1 of 100 both stated |
| Cities and provinces | The five welayats and the two cities of state rank by the 2022 census — Mary 1,613,386 (the seat Mary 167,027; Baýramaly, Ýolöten, Serhetabat), Daşoguz 1,550,354 (Daşoguz 201,142; Köneürgenç, Boldumsaz), Lebap 1,447,298 (Türkmenabat 230,861; Kerki, Farap, Gazojak, Seýdi), Ashgabat 1,030,063, Ahal 886,845 (Arkadag the seat since 2023; Tejen 67,488, Gökdepe, Kaka, Änew, Bäherden), Balkan 529,895 (Balkanabat 123,190; Türkmenbaşy 91,745, Gyzylarbat 48,552, Hazar, Gumdag, Bereket, Esenguly); the etraps (about 40 after the 2022 mergers) and the cities of etrap rank, the geňeşliks; the häkims appointed and dismissed by the President (the Mary, Lebap and Balkan häkims of June–July 2026; the Türkmenbaşy, Türkmenabat and Mary city heads of February 2026); Arkadag the 'smart city' of 73,000 planned on 1,000 hectares (US$3.3 billion for the first phase of 29 June 2023, US$1.5 billion for the second due in 2027 — the state's 'city of the future' and the exiles' 'Potemkin' readings both stated, LAW 2); the Soviet names of the maps — Krasnovodsk (Türkmenbaşy), Chardzhou (Türkmenabat), Tashauz (Daşoguz), Nebit-Dag (Balkanabat), Kizyl-Arvat (Gyzylarbat), Kushka (Serhetabat), Kerki (Atamyrat and back) |
| Names and customs | The names — Serdar, Gurbanguly, Myrat, Batyr, Döwlet, Begenç, Nazar, Amangeldi for the men (Berdimuhamedow — 'given by Muhammad'; the patronymics of the Russian form kept: Gurbangulyýewiç), Ogulgerek, Gülşat, Dünýägözel, Bahar, Maral, Aýna for the women (the 'Ogul-' names of the sons' wish), the surnames of the Soviet -ow and -owa with the Turkmen -yýew of the 1990s' choice; the customs — the telpek sheepskin hat (white for the young, black and gray for the elders), the women's long köýnek dress of red and the ýaglyk headscarf, the silver jewelry of the Teke, the carpets of every home (the gul of the tribe; the Carpet Day), the bride price (galyň) and the toý feasts of hundreds, the gelin's veil of the first year, the kurte and the Gurban's sheep, the çay of the çäýnek, the bread never thrown, the Nowruz of the sumalak, the hospitality's myhman, the shoes off, the respect of the ýaşuly elders (the Halk Maslahaty's old men), the Alabai and the horse of the yard; the Ruhnama's decade of the 'Turkmen soul', the state's festivals of the horse, the dog, the carpet, the melon and the wheat; the portraits of the Leader in every office and the gold of the statues; the 'ak öý' of the Yomut yurts and the 'oba' villages |
| Media and sport culture | The state's eight television channels (Altyn Asyr, Ýaşlyk, Miras, Türkmenistan, Türkmen Owazy, Aşgabat, Türkmenistan Sport, Arkadag) and the radio, the TDH state news agency and the 'Türkmenistan' portal of the Cabinet's Fridays, the newspapers of the state (Türkmenistan, Neýtralnyý Türkmenistan in Russian) — no private media by law; THE RSF INDEX 173rd of 180 (2026; 174th in 2025) and the Freedom House 'Not Free' with the world's lowest score — the jailed and the disappeared journalists (Nurgeldi Halykow's exit ban, Murat Duşemow's eight years of 16 September 2025, the bloggers vanished after a Turkish detention in July 2025 by the HRW's report), the satellite dishes removed from the facades of 2015, the internet's 122,000 blocked domains and the VPN hunts — the state's 'information security' line both stated (LAW 2); the exile press of Azatlyk (RFE/RL), the Chronicles of Turkmenistan (Vienna), Turkmen.news, Progres; the social media blocked (Facebook, YouTube, X, WhatsApp — the five days of February 2025); the sport — football (FK Arkadag, Altyn Asyr, the derby-less league of eight; the Asian Cups of 2004 and 2019), the wrestling and the weightlifting (Gurýewa's silver of 2021; the 2026 Asian Games' two silvers), the horse racing and the Alabai shows of the state television, the 2017 AIMAG's US$5 billion complex, the Olympic Stadium of 45,000 with the horse's head, the ice rinks of Ashgabat's 40 °C summers, the chess Olympiad silver of the women (Samarkand, 2026), the 554 medals of the deputy chairman's count; the Turkmen film of the Soviet years (the 'Turkmenfilm' of the 1960s' Bulat Mansurov), the bagşy singers of the dutar and the gyjak, the Görogly epic, the pop of Maral Hudaýberdiýewa and the state concerts of the holidays |
Government
| System | Presidential republic under the constitution of 18 May 1992 (the Constitution Day; the editions of 26 September 2008 — the 2,500-member Halk Maslahaty of 1992 abolished and the Mejlis grown from 65 to 125 — and of 14 September 2016 — the presidential term from five to seven years and the age ceiling of 70 removed; the Constitutional Law of 25 September 2020 that made a bicameral National Council with the Halk Maslahaty as its upper house of 56 elected on 28 March 2021; the laws of 21 January 2023 that returned the Mejlis to a single chamber and made the Halk Maslahaty, chaired by the National Leader, 'the supreme body of the people's power' with the right to amend the constitution, adopt constitutional laws and set the domestic and foreign policy) — the President the head of state and of the executive (the Chairman of the Cabinet; no prime minister), the Mejlis of 125 the legislature of the laws and the budget, the courts appointed by the President; the permanent neutrality in the constitution since 1995 and the constitutional law 'on the legal foundations of the policy of peace and trust' presented at the Halk Maslahaty of 19 September 2025; the secular state of Article 1; 'the Era of the Revival of a New Epoch of a Powerful State' by the state's own name for the years since 2022 — the state's 'the people's unity around the Leader and the President' and the indexes' 'the most closed state of the world after North Korea' (Freedom House's 1 of 100 in 2026 — 0 of 40 for the political rights; the RSF's 173rd of 180) both stated (LAW 2); the three parties of the law and no opposition party registered since 1991; the Ombudsman since 2017 by the law of 2016 |
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| Head of state | President Serdar Gurbangulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow (since 19 March 2022; born 22 September 1981 at Ashgabat; the agricultural university's and the Russian diplomatic academy's graduate, the Geneva and Moscow diplomat, the Mejlis deputy of 2016, the deputy foreign minister of 2018, the Ahal häkim of 2019, the industry and construction minister of 2020 and the deputy chairman of the Cabinet of February 2021 before the early election of 12 March 2022 — 72.97% of the 97.17% turnout by the Central Election Commission's count against eight candidates, the results of 15 March, the oath of 19 March at the Ruhyýet Palace for the seven-year term to 2029) — the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Army General by the decree of 2022; the State Security Council's chair — the meeting of 4 September 2026 on the eight months of the year), the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers (the Friday meetings — the nine-month results of 2 October 2026), the Democratic Party's chairman, the Alabai Association's chairman, the welayat häkims' Monday meetings (7 September 2026), the pardons (1,054 on 26 September 2026), the decrees on the ministries (the three of 11 July 2025, the reshuffle of 13–14 February 2026), the state visits (Mongolia 1–2 June 2025, Japan 15 April and 20 December 2025, Washington's C5+1 of 6 November 2025, Uzbekistan 17 November 2025, Kazakhstan 25 November 2025, Azerbaijan 22 June 2026, Georgia 16–17 July 2026, Seoul's Korea–Central Asia summit of 16 September 2026), the 35th independence parade of 27 September 2026 (the Akhal-Teke 'Watan' received); his father Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow (born 29 June 1957 at Babarap; the dentist, the health minister of 1997, the President of 14 February 2007 – 19 March 2022) the 'National Leader of the Turkmen People' and the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty by the laws of 21 January 2023 (the immunity, the protection and the assets of the Leader and his family in the law) — the 'dual power' of the analysts' line and the 'continuity' of the state's both stated (LAW 2) |
| Head of government | The President — the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers (the constitution of 1992 abolished the prime minister's office; the Cabinet of the ministers, the agency chairmen and the deputy chairmen who report at the Friday meetings): the deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of 2 October 2026 — Hojamyrat Geldimyradow (the economy, finance and the banks; the CIS heads-of-government council at Ashgabat of 22 May 2026), Raşit Meredow (foreign affairs — the foreign minister since July 2001 and the deputy chairman since 17 February 2007; born 29 May 1960), Guwanç Agajanow (the fuel and energy complex; the Türkmennebit chairman before 13 February 2026), Täçmyrat Atahallyýew (agriculture and the environment), Baýmyrat Annamämmedow (construction, industry and the power), Nokerguly Atagulyýew (trade, the textiles and the private sector), Bahar Seýidowa (culture and the media), Batyr Mämmedow (education, science, health and sport; the architecture and construction institute's rector before 13 February 2026), Batyr Annaýew (transport and communications; the maritime and river transport agency's head before 13 February 2026); the ministers — Finance and Economy Mämmetguly Astanagulow (since February 2025, after Serdar Joraýew), Defense Begenç Gündogdyýew (since 14 June 2018; the Secretary of the State Security Council), Interior Muhammet Hydyrow (since 6 April 2022), National Security Döwletgeldi Meredow (since 14 February 2026, after Nazar Atagaraýew — the presidential security service's head before), Justice (Adalat) Merettagan Taganow (since 2021), Health Myratberdi Gaýypow (since February 2026), Environment Öwezgeldi Goşjanow (February 2026), Automobile Roads Hangeldi Kerimow (the ministry created 14 February 2026), Railway Transport Mämmet Akmämmedow, Communications Hajymyrat Hudaýgulyýew and Motor Transport Begenç Annadurdyýew (the three ministries of 11 July 2025), Trade Nazar Agahanow (July 2025), Prosecutor General Begmyrat Muhamedow (since 16 January 2024), Central Bank Chairman Toýly Mälikow (since 5 April 2022); the Halk Maslahaty of the National Leader above the Cabinet by the 2023 law — the Cabinet's 'the President's instructions fulfilled' and the exiled press's 'the decrees without reasons' both stated (LAW 2) |
| Legislature | The Mejlis (the Assembly) — 125 deputies for five years from single-member districts, elected on 26 March 2023 (258 candidates of the three parties and the citizens' initiative groups; 3,185,935 votes of 3,496,368 registered — the 91.1% turnout; 32 women, 25.6%): the Democratic Party 65, the citizens' groups 28, the Agrarian Party 24 and the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs 8 by the IPU's count — 65, 24, 18 and 18 independents by Freedom House's (both stated); Chairperson Dünýägözel Gulmanowa (since 6 April 2023; born 14 January 1989; the Justice Ministry's lawyer of 2012–21) — the Ankara visit of 25 February 2025, the women leaders' dialogue of 21 April 2026; the sessions of the laws (the e-visa law of 18 April 2025, the Civil Code of June 2025 in force from January 2026, the virtual assets law of 28 November 2025, the state budget of 24 November 2025, the resolution of 26 December 2025 on the year's motto, the jubilee medal of the 35th independence of 25 September 2026); the Halk Maslahaty (the People's Council) above it since 21 January 2023 — the supreme representative body under the National Leader with the right to amend the constitution and set the policy (the session of 19 September 2025 at the Maslahat Köşgi; the Presidium of 15 July 2026; the session of 23 September 2026 — the Industrial Development Strategy 2030–2045 signed, the State Youth Policy Program to 2031, the 2027 socio-economic and investment program ordered, the Arkadag second phase set for 2027); the 65-seat Mejlis of 1992–2008 and the 2,500-member Halk Maslahaty of 1992–2008 the first form, the bicameral National Council of 2021–23 the second; the next Mejlis election due by 31 March 2028; no opposition deputy since 1991 — the state's 'the deputies of the people' and the ODIHR's absence from the observation both stated (LAW 2) |
| Parties | Three by the law of 2012 on political parties — the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (16 December 1991; the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR renamed; Chairman Ata Serdarow since 2 April 2018; the President its chairman by the usage; 65 of 125 seats by both counts), the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (21 August 2012; the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs' party; Chairman Saparmyrat Owganow since December 2017; 8 or 18 seats by the two counts), the Agrarian Party (28 September 2014; Chairman Rejep Bazarow; 24 seats) — all three in the government's support, the 'citizens' initiative groups' the fourth nominating channel (28 of 2023 by the IPU's count); the presidential elections' 'competition' of the three parties' and the groups' candidates (nine in 2022, eight in 2017, eight in 2012, six in 2007); the opposition abroad — the Republican Party of Turkmenistan in exile (Vienna; 2000s), the Democratic Choice of Turkmenistan and the diaspora groups of Turkey, the exiles of the 2002 purge; no opposition party registered at home since independence, the Communist Party's remnant of 1991–2002 unregistered; the exiled press (the Chronicles of Turkmenistan of Vienna, turkmen.news, Radio Azatlyk — RFE/RL's Turkmen service — Gündogar) the de facto opposition by the usual line — the state's 'the multi-party system of the law' and Freedom House's 'no genuine political competition' both stated (LAW 2) |
| Judiciary | The Supreme Court (Chairman Begenç Hojamgulyýew since 3 February 2023 — appointed by the President with the Mejlis's consent for five years), the welayat and Ashgabat city courts, the etrap and city courts, the Arbitration Court of the economic disputes, the Supreme Court's military collegium, the Prosecutor General's office (Begmyrat Muhamedow since 16 January 2024) — all the judges appointed by the President; no constitutional court (the Halk Maslahaty and the President's decrees the constitutional voice); the Justice (Adalat) Ministry (Merettagan Taganow since 2021; the 1972 ministry of the Turkmen SSR renamed in 2003), the bar of the state's lawyers' colleges; the death penalty abolished by the decree of 28 December 1999 (29 December by Amnesty's date — both stated; the last execution of 1997, the moratorium of December 1998) and by the constitution since; the new Civil Code of June 2025 in force since January 2026, the Criminal Code of 1997 as amended (the Article 135 on the men's same-sex conduct, the Article on the insult of the President), the Code on Administrative Offenses (the VPN fines); the trials closed by the usual line — the 'Prove They Are Alive!' campaign's 162 enforced disappearances of the 2021 list (the whereabouts of 12 disclosed in early 2025, five of them dead; at least 21 with the expired sentences unaccounted for by HRW's 2026 report), the blogger Murat Duşemow re-sentenced to eight years on 16 September 2025, the Ovadan Depe prison of the political cases (the 2014 report of the 50 °C cells); the pardons of the holidays (1,054 on 26 September 2026; the yearly thousands); the 'rule of law' of the state's line and the 'no independent judiciary' of the indexes' both stated (LAW 2) |
| Administrative divisions | Five welayats (provinces) and the capital city of state importance, with Arkadag the second city of state importance since 2023 — Ahal (97,160 km²; 886,845 at the 2022 census; the seat Arkadag since 20 December 2022, Änew before; häkim Täçmyrat Nurmyradow), Balkan (139,270 km²; 529,895; Balkanabat; häkim R. Jumaýew since the summer of 2026), Daşoguz (73,430 km²; 1,550,354; Daşoguz; häkim D. Babaýew), Lebap (93,730 km²; 1,447,298; Türkmenabat; häkim H. Aşyrmyradow since the summer of 2026, the Balkan häkim before), Mary (87,150 km²; 1,613,386; Mary; häkim B. Orazgylyjow since the summer of 2026 after Döwranberdi Annaberdiýew's year — the power-cut protest of 17 June 2026 at Baýramaly the backdrop), Ashgabat (470 km²; 1,030,063; the city häkim appointed by the President) and Arkadag (the Ahal seat; häkim Gülşat Mämmedowa since 6 May 2024 — the Mejlis's chairperson of 2018–23 — after Şamuhammet Durdylyýew, the first of 28 April 2022) — the häkims appointed and dismissed by the President (the welayat häkims by the decrees of July 2025 for Lebap and Mary and of mid-2026 for Mary, Lebap and Balkan — by the portal's rolls of 30 June 2025 and 20 July 2026; both stated); the etraps (districts; about 40 after the mergers of 2022 by the usual count) and the cities with etrap rights under appointed häkims, the geňeşlikler (the village councils) elected with the Mejlis; the welayat and etrap halk maslahatys (councils) elected on 26 March 2023; the census's 47.1% urban; the 2022 reform of the etraps and the cities (Gyzylarbat's name restored from 'Serdar' on 9 November 2022 by the usual line); the time zone single, the postal codes of six digits, the vehicle plates by welayat (AG for Ashgabat) |
| Constitution and rights | The constitution of 18 May 1992 in its edition of 14 September 2016 with the amendments of 2020 and 21 January 2023 — the Section II on the rights (the equality, the speech, the assembly, the religion, the movement, the property, the free education and health) and the Section on the Halk Maslahaty's supremacy; the practice by the indexes' lines — Freedom House's 'Not Free' at 1 of 100 (2026; 0 of 40 political rights, 1 of 60 civil liberties), the RSF's 173rd of 180 (score 23.06; 174th in 2025), the Economist's 'authoritarian' index, the USCIRF's 'country of particular concern' since 2014; HRW's World Report 2026 — the arbitrary exit bans (the journalist Nurgeldi Halykow and the relatives of Murat Duşemow barred), WhatsApp opened on 23 February 2025 and blocked five days later, the National Security officials' pressure on the shops to install the state's VPNs (August 2025), the bloggers Sahatow and Orusow missing since 24 July 2025 after a detention in Turkey, the abortion banned after five weeks, the men's same-sex conduct a crime; the internet's whole /16 subnets blocked (2025) and the VPN keys sold at about 1,000 manat a month by the Chronicles' and turkmen.news's reporting, the 122,000 domains blocked by the 2023 investigation; the cotton harvest's mobilization of the public-sector workers 'reverted to widespread' in 2025 by the Cotton Campaign's report of 12 May 2026 against the state's 'voluntary' line — both stated (LAW 2); the death penalty abolished in 1999; the dual citizenship with Russia ended in 2003; the women's 25.6% of the Mejlis, the men's conscription of 24 months; the Ombudsman (since 2017), the national human rights plan of 2021–25 — the state's 'the guarantees of the constitution' and the rights groups' 'among the most repressive' both stated (LAW 2) |
| Military | The Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (27 January 1992 — the Defenders of the Fatherland Day) — about 36,500 active by the IISS's relayed count (the Army 33,000, the Air Force 3,000, the Navy 500; no organized reserve), the conscription of 24 months for the men under 27 (the students' deferments; the officers' pay and the housing privatization's end behind the 'exodus of personnel' reported on 16 March 2026 by the Times of Central Asia — the minister's 'lock them in the armory if you must, but don't let them leave' quote by its line; the state's silence; both stated, LAW 2); the Global Firepower 2026 rank 78 of 145 (the budget about US$1.46 billion by its estimate; 91 aircraft, 16 patrol vessels); Defense Minister Begenç Gündogdyýew (since 14 June 2018; the Border Troops' commander before; the State Security Council's secretary), the Chief of the General Staff; the Supreme Commander-in-Chief the President; the equipment of the parades — the Bayraktar TB2 drones first shown on 27 September 2021 (the fifth operator), the Turkish Dearsan corvette 'Deniz Han' commissioned on 11 August 2021 at Türkmenbaşy, the T-90S tanks, the Chinese FD-2000, KS-1A and FM-90 air-defense systems, the Israeli SkyStriker and Orbiter drones, the Italian M-346 trainers and C-27J transports, and at the 35th independence parade of 27 September 2026 the U.S. M7 rifles and M250 machine guns by the defense press's reading; the Caspian flotilla of Türkmenbaşy, the air bases of Mary and Ashgabat; the permanent neutrality's bar on alliances, foreign bases and blocs (no CSTO, no SCO membership — the observer's seat declined), the Afghan border of 804 or 744 km the only tense line (the border guards killed in February and May 2014 — three and three; the 2016 reports of 27 dead by RFE/RL's sources, never confirmed — both stated); the military universities of Ashgabat and the cadet schools; the 2026 parade's naval display on the Caspian |
| Foreign relations | The permanent neutrality — the General Assembly's resolution 50/80 A of 12 December 1995, the resolution 69/285 of 3 June 2015 and the resolution of 21 March 2025 (by consensus), the 'International Year of Peace and Trust' of 2025 by Turkmenistan's initiative (the resolution of 21 March 2024; the Ashgabat forum of 12 December 2025 with Putin, Erdoğan, Pezeshkian, Tokayev, Mirziyoyev, Rahmon, Japarov, Shehbaz Sharif, Kobakhidze and the Iraqi and Armenian presidents — the 'Ashgabat Declaration'), the 'International Year of International Law' of 2028 adopted on 24 July 2026 (78 co-sponsors), the UN's preventive-diplomacy center for Central Asia (UNRCCA) at Ashgabat since 2007 (the special representative Kaha Imnadze); the diplomatic relations with 159 states (China the first on 6 January 1992, San Marino the newest on 7 November 2025 by the counts); China — the gas partner of 2009 (the 450–460 bcm delivered by March 2026; the Galkynysh phase 4 of 16 April 2026), the record trade of US$10.46 billion in 2025, Xi's meetings with Serdar (18 June 2025 at Astana's China–Central Asia summit, 2 September 2025 at Beijing) and with Gurbanguly (18 March 2026 at Beijing); Russia — the CIS's associate member since 2005 and the chair of 2026 (the heads of government at Ashgabat on 22 May, the heads of state at Türkmenbaşy on 9 October 2026 with Putin expected), the trade up 35% in the first ten months of 2025 by Putin's count, the 54,000 Turkmen students in Russia, the Gazprom contract ended on 30 June 2024; the Central Asian Consultative Meetings (the chair since 17 November 2025; the eighth at Avaza on 8 October 2026 with Azerbaijan the full participant), the Kazakhstan treaty of 1 July 2026, the Uzbekistan free-trade regime of 25 February 2025 (the trade US$1.2 billion in 2025), the Azerbaijan state visit of 22 June 2026 (the tanker 'Dostluk' gifted; the Trans-Caspian pipeline's talks of 2025–26 unresolved); Iran — the gas swaps to Turkey (1.3 bcm a year from 1 March 2025) and the undelivered Iraq contract of 10 bcm, the Caspian Convention of 12 August 2018 (Turkmenistan's ratification of 1 December 2018; Iran the one non-ratifier moving to ratify in August 2026); Afghanistan — the Taliban's envoy accredited on 18 March 2022 (the first in Central Asia) without de jure recognition by the usual line, the TAPI pipe to Herat (about 80% of the 153 km section by 15 September 2026; the gas MoU of 10 August 2026 at Torghundi), the Torghundi–Herat railway; Turkey — the Organization of Turkic States' observer since November 2021 (the Gabala summit of 7 October 2025), the gas via Iran, the 84% of the cotton exports, the 113,000 Turkmen workers; the United States — the C5+1 summit at the White House of 6 November 2025, the travel restrictions of 4 June 2025 eased on 16 December 2025 (the immigrant visas still suspended); the EU — the strategic partnership of the Samarkand summit of 3–4 April 2025, the trade of €1.4 billion (the fourth partner by the EU ambassador's count of 1 October 2026), the OSCE's center at Ashgabat since 23 July 1998; Japan (the summits of 15 April and 20 December 2025), South Korea (16 September 2026), Mongolia (1–2 June 2025), Georgia (16–17 July 2026), Malaysia (Anwar at Ashgabat 18–19 June 2026), India (the Ashgabat Agreement's transport corridor of 2011 joined in 2018; the TAPI's fourth partner; the ambassador's talks of 26 January 2026), Pakistan (the TAPI; the ambassador's '2027' line), the Gulf's funds; the OIC, the ECO, the Non-Aligned Movement; the UN's 'Decade of Sustainable Transport' proposed on 22 September 2025 at UN80 |
| Police and security | The Ministry of Internal Affairs (Muhammet Hydyrow since 6 April 2022; the police of the welayats, the traffic police of the white-car rules and the Ashgabat checkpoints, the passport and registration regime), the Ministry of National Security (20 September 1991 — the KGB's heir; Döwletgeldi Meredow since 14 February 2026 after Nazar Atagaraýew's three years; Ýaýlym Berdiýew and Gurbanmyrat Annaýew before — the ministers of the security dismissed in turn by the usual pattern), the State Border Service (Ilaman Ilamanow since 21 January 2026), the State Migration Service (A. Sazakow; the exit bans, the e-visa portal of 1 October 2026), the State Customs Service (M. Hudaýkulyýew), the Prosecutor General, the presidential security service; the State Security Council under the President (the sessions of the months' results — 4 September 2026); the internet controls — the Türkmentelekom monopoly, the blocking of the whole subnets, the state's own VPNs, the 'cybersecurity' fines, the 2025 WhatsApp window of five days; the exit bans on the journalists and the relatives, the forced returns of the students; the drugs of the Afghan line — the 59.7 kg of opium and 109.5 kg of heroin seized in 2025 by the CARICC's count (65.9 and 9.5 kg in 2024), 'the most opaque link of the northern route' by the Global Initiative's July 2026 report; the prisons — Ovadan Depe of the political cases (the 2014 report), the overcrowding and the torture with impunity by HRW's line, the pardons of the holidays (1,054 on 26 September 2026); the Caspian coast guard of the Border Service; the capital's cameras and the registration of the visitors; the state's 'public order and stability' and the rights groups' 'surveillance state' both stated (LAW 2) |
| Elections | The vote at 18 by the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums; the presidential elections — 27 October 1990 (Niyazov 98.3%, unopposed), 21 June 1992 (99.5%, unopposed), the plebiscite of 15 January 1994 (99.9% to extend the term to 2002), the 'president for life' of 28 December 1999, 11 February 2007 (Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow 89.23% of six), 12 February 2012 (97.14% of eight), 12 February 2017 (97.69% of nine), 12 March 2022 (Serdar Berdimuhamedow 72.97% of nine, the turnout 97.17%) — the next in 2029 by the seven-year term; the Mejlis elections — 26 March 2023 (the turnout 91.1%; 3,496,368 registered voters against the census's 7.06 million people — the 34.9% under the working age by the census's own line), 25 March 2018, 15 December 2013, 14 December 2008 — the next by 31 March 2028; the Halk Maslahaty's upper house of 28 March 2021 (56); the welayat, etrap and geňeşlik councils with the Mejlis; the referendum of 26 October 1991 (94.1% for independence); the observers — the CIS's and the SCO's missions' praise and the OSCE/ODIHR's absence from full observation ('no genuine choice' by Freedom House's line) — both stated (LAW 2); the candidates of the three parties and the citizens' groups only; the turnouts above 90% by the Commission's counts; the early voting of the last five days |
| The politics of 2024–26 in dates | 16 January 2024 — Begmyrat Muhamedow Prosecutor General; 21 March 2024 — the UN's 2025 'Year of Peace and Trust' adopted on Turkmenistan's motion; 6 May 2024 — Gülşat Mämmedowa the Arkadag häkim; May 2024 — the 60 m Magtymguly statue unveiled for the 300th anniversary; 30 June 2024 — the Gazprom contract ended; 12 July 2024 — the decree of the 10% rises for 1 January 2025 (the minimum wage 1,410 manat, the base pension 550); 11 September 2024 — the TAPI Afghan section begun at the border with Serdar, Gurbanguly and the Taliban's prime minister; October 2024 — the Iraq gas-swap contract; 7 February 2025 — Mämmetguly Astanagulow Finance and Economy Minister; 10 February 2025 — the BOTAŞ–Türkmengaz deal, the gas to Turkey via Iran from 1 March; 25 February 2025 — the free-trade regime with Uzbekistan; 21 March 2025 — the UN's third neutrality resolution; 3–4 April 2025 — the EU–Central Asia summit at Samarkand; 18 April 2025 — the e-visa law; 4 June 2025 — the U.S. travel restrictions; 11 July 2025 — the three ministries created, the Lebap and Mary häkims replaced; 19 September 2025 — the Halk Maslahaty: the constitutional law on peace and trust, the elder's proposal to end the yearly rises; 7 October 2025 — Gurbanguly at the Turkic states' Gabala summit; 10 October 2025 — the CIS chairmanship for 2026 taken at Dushanbe; 20 October 2025 — the Serhetabat–Herat TAPI stretch opened; 6 November 2025 — the C5+1 at the White House; 17 November 2025 — the Consultative Meetings' chair; 24 November 2025 — the 2026 budget signed; 28 November 2025 — the virtual assets law; 12 December 2025 — the 30th neutrality forum; 16 December 2025 — the U.S. visitor visas restored; 26 December 2025 — the motto of 2026; 1 January 2026 — the CIS chair, the Civil Code and the crypto law in force; 21 January 2026 — Ilaman Ilamanow the Border Service chief; 13–14 February 2026 — THE RESHUFFLE: three deputy chairmen out (Çakyýew, Orazdurdyýewa, Amanow), Annaýew, Mämmedow and Agajanow in, the National Security Minister replaced, the Automobile Roads ministry created, the city heads of Türkmenbaşy, Türkmenabat and Mary changed; 17–19 March 2026 — Gurbanguly's China visit; 25 March and 16 April 2026 — the Galkynysh phase-4 decree and contract; 22 May 2026 — the CIS heads of government at Ashgabat; 17 June 2026 — the Baýramaly power-cut protest and the dismissals after it; 19 June 2026 — the chief mufti replaced; 1 July 2026 — the Kazakhstan treaty; 15 July 2026 — the Halk Maslahaty's Presidium; 24 July 2026 — the UN's 2028 'Year of International Law'; 4 September 2026 — the State Security Council; 23 September 2026 — the Halk Maslahaty's session (the 2027 program ordered); 26–27 September 2026 — the pardon of 1,054 and the 35th independence parade; 1 October 2026 — the e-visa live; 2 October 2026 — the nine-month results (GDP +6.3%) |
| Current issues | The two rates of the manat (3.50 official, about 17–17.5 on the street in September 2026 after 19.50 in January — the IMF's 'unification of the highest priority' of June 2026 and the state's 'stable currency' both stated, LAW 2); the count of the people (7.06 million by the census, 7.6 million by the UN, 2.7–5 million by the independent lines — all stated); the shortages and the prices of the independent press's reports (the chicken at 39 manat a kilogram and the beef at 200–230 in September 2026, the state stores' rations of flour, oil and sugar, the queues) against the state's 'abundance' line; the pensions and wages frozen for 2026 after the yearly 10% of 2008–25 (the elder's proposal of 19 September 2025; the pensioners' complaints by the Times of Central Asia's line); the power — the 110-volt summers of Mary, the protest of several hundred at Baýramaly on 17 June 2026, the blackout of 30 August 2026 across four or six welayats (the suspected Mary station accident; no official statement); the gas dependence on China (30–40 bcm of the 76 bcm a year; Line D unbuilt; the Russian and Iranian routes closed; the Iraq swap undelivered; the TAPI's Herat gas promised for 2027); the methane — 192 satellite alerts in a year, nine of the world's 50 largest leaks, 'about 40' under repair by September 2026, the EU's import rules of 2027 ahead; the cotton harvest's forced mobilization (the 2025 report; the 2026 harvest from 9 September); the internet's blocks and the VPN economy; the exit bans and the disappeared; the army's exodus of the officers (March 2026); the Caspian's falling level at Avaza and Türkmenbaşy (the ferries' lighter loads, the dredging); the succession's shape — the National Leader at 69 and the President at 45, the 'dual power' of the analysts' line; the Arkadag second phase of 2027 (about US$1.5 billion) against the frozen pensions; the e-visa of 1 October 2026 as the opening's test (the 'secretive state opens' of the agencies' headlines); the Afghan frontier and the Qosh Tepa canal's draw on the Amu Darya (2022–26); the drought and the Aral's dust |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | US$77.4 billion for 2025 by the IMF's World Economic Outlook of April 2026 as relayed (US$68.7 billion for 2024; US$83.1 billion projected for 2026) — the World Bank's April 2026 outlook on the same US$77.4 billion with US$10,159 a head on the UN's 7.6 million people; the IMF's US$12,300 a head for 2026 on its own smaller population line — the two per-head figures both stated (the denominator the census's 7.06 million, the UN's 7.6 million or the independent 2.7–5 million — the per-head figure doubles on the lowest line); about 2% of India's GDP, about the size of Kerala's or Gujarat's by the states' counts; the gross national income US$8,250 a head in 2023 by the Atlas method — 'upper-middle income' in the World Bank's December 2024 report; the manat GDP of about 270 billion by the official rate (the 2026 budget of 131.8 billion manat about half of it); the official statistics without the detailed accounts published — the State Committee for Statistics' growth lines and the IMF's own estimates both stated (LAW 2); the gas about 64–68% of the exports (2022–23) and the hydrocarbons about 90%; the state-owned enterprises 59% of the total sales (2023) |
|---|---|
| GDP (PPP) | US$164.4 billion by purchasing power for 2026 by the IMF's April 2026 lines as relayed, US$24,349 a head — about twice India's purchasing-power income a head and about 1% of India's total; the HDR 2025's GNI a head of US$17,716 by purchasing power (2023) behind the HDI of 0.764 (95th of 193) — 'a misleading picture' by the independent economists' line because the official exchange rate inflates every dollar figure five times against the parallel rate (the minimum wage 1,410 manat US$403 at 3.50 and about US$80 at 17.5 — both stated, LAW 2); the price level's two faces — the state stores' subsidized bread, flour and gasoline (among the world's cheapest at the official prices) and the bazaars' meat at 200 manat a kilogram; the per-head figure the fourth of the former Soviet republics by the IMF's PPP ranking (after the Baltics, Russia and Kazakhstan by the usual order) and the first of Central Asia by the official line — Kazakhstan's by the independent one; the IMF's and the World Bank's both stated |
| Growth and inflation | Growth 6.3% in 2025 by the State Committee for Statistics (6.3% in 2023 and 2024, 6.2% in 2021–22, 5.9% in 2020 — the same figure year after year by the official series; +6.3% in the nine months of 2026 by the Cabinet of 2 October 2026 with industry +3%, construction +6.7%, transport and communications +10.4%, trade +8.4%, agriculture +4.1%, services +8.4%, retail +10.5%; 'will reach 6.3%' for 2026 by the Halk Maslahaty of 23 September) — against the IMF's Article IV estimates of 3.4% for 2024, 3.6% for 2025 and about 2.4% for 2026 (the mission of 4–16 June 2026; 3.0% and 2.3% by the 2025 mission's lines) and the BTI's 'around 2%'; the ADB's September 2026 outlook on the official 6.3% for 2026 and 6.2% for 2027, the EBRD's 6.3% — the official and the IMF's figures both stated (LAW 2); inflation 3.9% in 2025 by the official line (3.8% in 2024), 2.7% for 2025 and about 6.9% by the end of 2026 by the IMF's (the April 2024 forecast of 8%), 13–15% 'and higher' by the BTI's realistic line, the 19.5% of 2021 and 11.2% of 2022 by the EBRD's series and the −1.6% of 2023; the prices of the bazaars doubled for the meat in two years by the independent press's counts; the current account 1.7% of GDP for 2025 by the IMF (4.7% for 2024), the fiscal surplus small; the investments 18.6 billion manat in the first half of 2026 (16.5% of GDP by the official count) |
| Monetary policy and the manat | The Central Bank of Turkmenistan (1991; Chairman Toýly Mälikow since 5 April 2022) — the manat pegged at 3.50 to the U.S. dollar since January 2015 (2.85 of April 2009 – 2014; 1.04 new manat before the redenomination of 1 January 2009 at 5,000 to 1; the first manat of 1 November 1993 at 500 rubles) and the parallel market's rate by the Chronicles of Turkmenistan's quotes — 7.5–9 in November 2017, 23 in May 2020, 40–41 in April 2021, 18.5–19.5 in November 2022, about 19.5 through 2025, 19.50 on 2 January 2026 (a rumored bank rate of 10.75 that never came), 19–19.25 on 21 July, 18 on 1 September ('the reason unknown'), 17–17.5 on 16 September 2026 ('the first time in many years below 18'); the exchange controls — the cash exchange of the banks halted in January 2016, the FX purchases at US$300 a month and the transfers at US$200 from 1 April 2020, the FX accounts cashable only in manat at the official rate, the Western Union ceilings (US$200 a month from 2019), the cards abroad at US$50 a day (2017); the refinancing rate unpublished by the usual line; the bank cards 'Altyn Asyr' and 'Milli Kart' of the state banks, the ATM withdrawals 17.7 billion manat in January–August 2026 (+2%); the IMF's June 2026 line — 'exchange rate unification is of the highest priority', 'a large gap between the official and parallel exchange rates' — and the Bank's 'the national currency's stability' both stated (LAW 2); the virtual assets law of 28 November 2025 in force from 1 January 2026 (the mining and the exchanges licensed; no legal tender; the banks barred from the crypto services) |
| Public finances | The state budget of 2026 — 131,845.1 million manat of revenues and the same of expenditures (US$37.7 billion at the official rate; about US$7.5 billion at the parallel) signed on 24 November 2025 (the centralized budget 119,703.3 million; the first-tier 36,500 million; the local budgets 15,521 million), the social sphere 'more than 77.1%' of the first tier (education 37.5%, social security 37.4%, health 13.2%, housing 9.1%, culture 2.8%), the investment program of 41.2 billion manat (68.5% production, 31.5% social); the 2025 budget's execution — the revenues at 100.1% and the expenditures at 97.2% of the plan in the nine months of 2026 by the Cabinet's line; the 2027 'Program of Socio-Economic Development and Investment' ordered on 23 September 2026 for the November adoption; the public debt 5.6% of GDP (2024) and 5.2% (2025) by the World Bank — 3.8% at mid-2024 by the BTI; the external debt about US$5 billion (2021), the Chinese pipeline loans repaid by the state's 2020s line (the figures unpublished); the Stabilization Fund of the gas revenues (the size unpublished); no income tax above 10% (the flat 10% of the wages by the Tax Code of 2004 — the usual line), the VAT 15%, the gas and oil the revenues' base; the free utilities of 1993–2019 ended (the gas, water, electricity and salt free to the households for 25 years; the meters and the tariffs since 1 January 2019); the minimum wage 1,410 manat and the base pension 550 since 1 January 2025 — the yearly 10% of 2008–25 not decreed for 2026 (the elder's proposal of 19 September 2025; 'indexation discontinued' by the Times of Central Asia's January 2026 line, the payments 'protected' by the budget law's Article 6 — both stated, LAW 2); the budget's transparency 'among the lowest' by the Open Budget Survey's line |
| Structure and labor | Services about 49% of GDP, industry about 33% (the gas and oil, the refining, the chemicals, the textiles, the construction), agriculture about 11% by the World Bank's 2023 lines — the hydrocarbons about 90% of the exports and the state the owner of the economy's core (the SOEs 59% of the total sales in 2023; the private sector 14–15% of the industrial output by the BTI's count; the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of about 29,000 members and its Rysgal bank); the labor force about 2.3–2.6 million by the official and the ILO's lines (agriculture about 40% of the jobs by the 2019 count, the state sector the employer of the towns), the unemployment 4.3% by the ILO's 2024 model (4.4% of 2020–22 by the World Bank; the youth 9.6–10.6%) against the 50–60% of the independent estimates (Radio Azatlyk's 60% of 2017, the Chronicles' 'about half', the U.S. State Department's 10–50% band) — all stated (LAW 2); the 'working poor' about 47% by the ILO dataset's reading; the emigration of up to 1.9 million in 2008–18 by the leaked survey — the labor migrants of Turkey (113,000 permits), Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Cyprus; the cotton harvest's 'voluntary' public-sector pickers by the state and 'forced' by the Cotton Campaign (the 150 brands' pledge) — both stated; the minimum wage 1,410 manat (US$403 official, about US$80 parallel); the women's share of the workforce about 40% by the ILO's line; the five-day week of the state offices; the Labor Code's rights on paper and no independent union (the state's trade unions of the Soviet form); the e-government portal launched in July 2025 |
| Trade | Exports about US$12–15 billion a year by the official and the UN Comtrade lines (the gas 64–68%, the oil products, the cotton fiber and textiles, the urea and the polymers, the electricity) — China the buyer of 66.5% of the exports by the 2021 count (the gas: 30 bcm by the Chinese ambassador's 2025 figure, 40 by the National Leader's — both stated; the bilateral trade a record US$10.46 billion in 2025), Turkey 9.2%, Uzbekistan 8.8%, Afghanistan (the electricity, the fuel, the flour), Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan the ports' route; imports about US$5–6 billion (Turkey 28.2%, China 14.8%, Russia 13.6%, the UAE, Germany, Kazakhstan, Iran — the machinery, the vehicles, the food, the pharmaceuticals, the construction goods); the foreign trade turnover +8.3% in the nine months of 2026 by the Cabinet's line (+7.5% in the first half); the EU's trade €1.4 billion (the fourth partner by the ambassador's count of 1 October 2026), Uzbekistan's US$1.2 billion in 2025 (US$807.4 million in January–August 2026, +5.7%; the free-trade regime of 25 February 2025; the Shavat–Daşoguz border trade zone of November 2025; the US$2 billion target), Kazakhstan's above US$500 million (the quadrupling in five years by Tokayev's line), Russia's +35% in the first ten months of 2025 by Putin's; the cotton products to Turkey about 84% of the cotton exports (2020–23); the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange of Ashgabat (1994) the auction of the state's exports (the oil products, the polymers, the cotton); the Turkmenistan International Investment Forum (TIF-2026 of 1 October 2026); the Lapis Lazuli corridor of 13 December 2018 to Turkey via Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Türkmenbaşy port's ferries to Baku and Aktau, the Sarahs rail gate to Iran, the Kerki and Torghundi gates to Afghanistan; the WTO observer since July 2020 by the usual line (the accession working party of 2022); the current account surplus 1.7% of GDP (2025, IMF) |
| Agriculture | About 11% of GDP and 40% of the jobs — the irrigated oases of the Amu Darya (Lebap, Daşoguz), the Murghab (Mary), the Tejen and the Köpetdag foothills (Ahal) on the Karakum Canal's 13 km³ a year (1,375 km; 1954–88), the state's two crops of the plan: cotton — the target 'over 1.2 million metric tons' for 2025 (Mary 359,000 t on 162,000 ha, Lebap 320,000, Ahal 280,000, Daşoguz 275,000, Balkan 16,000; about 551,000 ha) against the independent estimates of under half (the 450,000 t of 2018 by the exiled press against the official 1.1 million — both stated, LAW 2), the harvest of 2026 from 9 September with the public-sector pickers (the state's 'voluntary' and the Cotton Campaign's 'forced' both stated); wheat — 1.407 million metric tons delivered to the state in the 2024–25 season by the official line on about 761,000 ha (the 2018 gap of the official 1.6 million against the independent 538,000 the bread lines' cause), the Galla Baýramy harvest festival of the third Sunday of July; the rice of Daşoguz, the melons of the 400 varieties (the Melon Day), the pomegranates and the grapes of Mary and Ahal, the vegetables of the greenhouses (the 2020s' tomato exports to Russia), the licorice root, the silk cocoons (the sericulture on UNESCO's list), the Karakul sheep of the astrakhan and the wool of the carpets, the Arvana camels of the çal, the Akhal-Teke and Yomut horses, the Alabai dogs, the cattle few; the daýhan (farmer) associations and the leaseholds of the state land (the private farmers of 2021's reforms), the state's procurement prices, the water's salinization (the Aral's basin; the Qosh Tepa canal's draw since 2022), the 2021–23 drought; the Agriculture and Environment Ministry under the deputy chairman Atahallyýew |
| Industry | The gas above all — 76,527.1 million m³ produced in 2025 by the Ministry of Oil and Gas (about 80 bcm by Türkmengaz's line; 39.1 bcm in the first half of 2026 against 38.9; the plan 109.1% in the nine months), the oil 8,382,300 metric tons in 2025 (4.13 million in the first half of 2026; about 275,000 barrels a day by the EIA's 2024 count), the refineries of Türkmenbaşy (over 10 million t a year; the gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, the polypropylene of 2000s) and Seýdi (6 million t), the gas chemistry — the Garabogaz urea plant of 18 September 2018 (1.16 million t a year; the exports by the port), the Mary ammonia-urea complex of 17 October 2014, the Kiýanly polymer plant of 17 October 2018 (381,000 t of polyethylene and 81,000 of polypropylene — idle by January 2023 by the independent press), the Ovadan Depe gas-to-gasoline plant of 28 June 2019 (US$1.7 billion; 600,000 t of gasoline a year — the world's first of its kind by the Danish Haldor Topsøe's line), the Türkmenhimiýa concern's iodine, bromine, sulfate and sulfur of the Caspian (the Balkanabat iodine); the electricity 33.8 TWh from 6.5 GW of gas-fired plants (2023), the Mary combined-cycle plant of 2018 the largest; the textiles of the state's cotton mills (the Türkmenbaşy jeans complex, the Gökdepe and Aşgabat mills — about 84% of the cotton products to Turkey), the carpets of the Türkmenhaly state concern, the cement (the Lebap, Balkan and Ahal plants), the glass, the Türkmen marble's quarries and the Ashgabat construction (645,000 m² of housing in 2025; 116 facilities), the food industry (the Ministry of 2026's new minister), the shipyard of Türkmenbaşy (the Balkan shipyard of 2018); the industry +3% in the nine months of 2026 by the official line against the IMF's lower reading; the Industrial Development Strategy 2030–2045 of 23 September 2026; the private share 14–15% by the BTI; the Dragon Oil of Cheleken (100,000 barrels a day at its 2015 peak; the PSA of 1999 to 2025), Petronas's Block I, CNPC's Bagtyýarlyk right bank, Eni's Burun |
| Tourism | The closed state's small tourism — about 15,000 foreign tourists a year by the pre-pandemic counts of the usual line (the guided groups of the visa's letter of invitation; the transit visas of five days), the e-visa of 1 October 2026 (the law of 18 April 2025; the portal of 2 October — the tourist e-TU, the business e-BS of 30 days and the humanitarian e-HM; the processing in seven, three days or 24 hours; the fees in dollars) 'the secretive state opens' by the agencies' headlines — the state's 'hospitality' and the exiled press's 'the registration and the minders remain' both stated (LAW 2); the sights — Darvaza's burning crater (260 km north of Ashgabat; fading since 2022), Ancient Merv and the Sultan Sanjar mausoleum at Baýramaly, Kunya-Urgench's minaret, Nisa's Parthian fortress, the Yangykala canyon's 'fiery' cliffs, the Köýtendag's dinosaur plateau, the Kow Ata underground lake (the sulfur cave bath by Bäherden), Gözli Ata's shrine, the Repetek dunes, the Garabogazköl, the Caspian's Avaza (the resort of 2007; 18 hotels; about 150,000 guests a year by the Anadolu count — mostly the state's own; the UN's LDC3 conference of August 2025; the Avaza summit of 8 October 2026), the white marble of Ashgabat (the Guinness records, the Neutrality Arch, the Independence Monument, the Älem wheel, the Carpet Museum, the Nisa and the Gypjak mosque); the Turkmenistan Airlines' Ashgabat flights to Moscow, Istanbul, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Beijing, Bangkok, Delhi and Amritsar by the schedules; the Melon Day and the Horse Day as the festivals; the heritage's five World Heritage properties; the hotels of Ashgabat (the Oguzkent, the Ýyldyz, the Arçabil), the Awaza's Berkarar and the Hazyna |
| Energy | Gas — the reserves 480 trillion cubic feet (13.6 trillion m³) by the Energy Institute's 2025 review (the world's fourth after Russia, Iran and Qatar), 400 tcf by the EIA (the fifth, 5.3% of the world) — both stated; Galkynysh (the 'Renaissance'; the South Ýolöten–Osman of 2006) above 27 trillion m³ by the state's count (4–14 tcm by the 2008 audit of Gaffney, Cline & Associates — both stated), the phase 1 of September 2013 (30 bcm), the phase 4 contract with CNPC's subsidiary of 16 April 2026 (10 bcm a year; 30 wells; about US$5.1 billion; the work from 17 April; by 2030) — the seven phases to 200 bcm by the plan; Dauletabad, Shatlyk, Bagtyýarlyk (CNPC), Ýolöten; the production 76.5 bcm (2025) and the exports — China 30–40 bcm by the two counts (the Central Asia–China pipeline's lines A, B and C of 2009–14 at 55 bcm; the 450–460 bcm delivered since 14 December 2009; Line D of 30 bcm unbuilt), Russia nothing since the Gazprom contract's end of 30 June 2024 (5.5 bcm a year of 2019–24; the halt of 2016–19; the 2009 blast), Iran nothing since 1 January 2017 (the arrears' dispute), Turkey 1.3 bcm a year via the Iran swap from 1 March 2025 (the BOTAŞ deal of 10 February 2025; 'suspended' by one October 2025 report — both stated), Iraq's 10 bcm contract of 2024 undelivered (the U.S. sanctions on the letters of credit), Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan the small swaps, Afghanistan the TAPI's promise of 2027; TAPI — 1,814 km (214 in Turkmenistan done by 2019; 774 in Afghanistan — the 153 km to Herat about 80% laid by 15 September 2026; 826 in Pakistan unbuilt), 33 bcm a year by the design, about US$10 billion; the Trans-Caspian pipeline (about 300 km) still on paper; the East–West pipeline of 773 km (2015); oil 275,000 barrels a day (2024), the reserves about 600 million barrels; the electricity 6.5 GW all gas-fired (Mary, Zerger of Lebap, Ahal, Balkan, Derweze, Daşoguz, Ashgabat) with the exports to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Iran (1,803.5 GWh in 2019 by the count) — and the cuts of the 2026 summer and the blackout of 30 August 2026; the methane — 'more than a third' of the world's oil and gas super-emitter observations by the IEA's 2026 tracker, 192 alerts in a year, 'about 40' leaks under repair (September 2026), the Global Methane Pledge joined in December 2023; Darvaza's crater fading (the heat down 75% in three years by the 2026 infrared reading); the gasoline at the state's subsidized prices among the world's cheapest; the 10 MW solar-and-wind plant of the Altyn Asyr lake (the Çalık build begun in 2019) the first by the usual line |
| Banks and markets | The Central Bank of Turkmenistan (Chairman Toýly Mälikow since 5 April 2022) and the state banks — the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs (TDDYIB), Türkmenbaşy Bank, Daýhanbank (the farmers), Halkbank (the savings), Türkmenistan Bank, Senagat Bank, the Rysgal Bank of the entrepreneurs' union (2011), the Turkish-Turkmen bank's and the Garagum International's joint ventures — about 10 banks by the count, the state the owner of the sector's core; the cards 'Altyn Asyr' and 'Milli Kart' of the salaries and the pensions (the ATM queues of the cash shortages by the independent press), the ATM withdrawals 17.7 billion manat in January–August 2026; the deposits in manat only at the official rate (the FX accounts cashable in manat since 2020), the mortgage of the state housing at 1% over 30 years by the decrees, the farmers' credits at 1–5%; the Ashgabat Stock Exchange of 2016 (the state's shares and bonds; the trading thin by the usual line) and the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange of 1994 (the exports' auctions; the foreign buyers' dollars), the Interbank Currency Exchange of the official rate; no sovereign credit rating from the three agencies by the usual line, no Eurobond; the Islamic finance absent; the virtual assets law of 1 January 2026 (the licensed mining and exchanges; the banks barred); the IMF's Article IV every year (the June 2026 mission), the World Bank's and the ADB's loans small (the ADB's president's meeting with the Bank's chairman of November 2025), the EBRD's 'limited engagement' by the political conditions; the insurance of the Türkmenstandartlary; the remittances via Western Union under the caps |
| Infrastructure projects | Arkadag — the 'smart city' of the Ahal foothills named on 20 December 2022 and opened on 29 June 2023 (the first phase of 336–339 facilities on about 1,000 ha for 73,000 people; US$3.3 billion by the official count; the FK Arkadag stadium, the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow hospital complex, the horse statue), the second phase of 220-plus facilities (about US$1.5 billion) set for 2027 by the Halk Maslahaty of 23 September 2026 (the organizing committee ordered); Ashgabat — the 'Ashgabat-City' district of 2021 for 107,000, the Olympic complex of 2017 (US$5 billion), the airport of 17 September 2016 (US$2.3 billion; 14 million passengers' capacity), the Maslahat Köşgi, the Magtymguly park of 2024, the white-marble towers of the Polimeks, Bouygues, Vinci and Gap İnşaat contracts of 1997–2020; the Türkmenbaşy International Seaport of May 2018 (US$1.5–2 billion by the counts; 17–25 million t and 400,000 TEU of capacity; the Gap İnşaat build of 2013–18), the Türkmenabat airport (February 2018), Kerki airport (June 2021), the Jebel airport of 2024; the Ashgabat–Türkmenabat motorway of 600 km in three stages (the Ashgabat–Tejen stretch of 2021, the Tejen–Mary of 2023, the Mary–Türkmenabat the last), the Ashgabat–Türkmenbaşy highway suspended after the Polimeks years; the railways — the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran line of December 2014 (677 km; US$620 million), the Kerki–Ymamnazar–Akina line to Afghanistan of November 2016, the Amu Darya road and rail bridges of Türkmenabat of 7 March 2017 (the Ukrainian Altcom's; 1.6 and 1.75 km), the Torghundi–Herat line's first 22 km since 2024; the pipelines — the TAPI (US$10 billion), Galkynysh phase 4, the East–West line of 2015, the 500 kV Mary–Herat line under discussion (15 September 2026); the Altyn Asyr 'Golden Age' lake of the Karashor depression (the first stage of 15 July 2009; the drainage water's collectors of 2,650 km by the plan); the Avaza resort of 2007–; the 2027 program's 68.5% of investment to production; the 2026 investment plan 41.2 billion manat |
| Poverty and inequality | No poverty line published and 'no reliable estimates on the international poverty line' by the World Bank's December 2024 report ('extreme poverty is low' by its April 2026 line on the official data) — 'at least one-third' poor by the BTI 2026's reading and the 'working poor' about 47% by the ILO dataset's; the minimum wage 1,410 manat and the base pension 550 (US$403 and US$157 at the official rate; about US$80 and US$31 at the parallel — both stated, LAW 2), frozen for 2026 after 17 years of the 10% rises; the state stores' subsidized flour, bread, oil, sugar and chicken by the ration cards and the queues of 2017–26 (the chicken at 39 manat a kilogram at the bazaars of September 2026, the beef 200–230, the eggs and the flour by the Chronicles' price lists) against the state's 'abundance of the holidays' line; the free utilities of 1993–2019 ended (the meters), the gasoline and the bread still the world's cheapest by the official prices; the housing of the state's mortgages (1% over 30 years) for the state employees and the demolitions of the old districts of Ashgabat and Mary without compensation by the rights groups' reports (the state's 'improvement' line — both stated); the Gini unpublished (about 40 by the old 1998 survey's relay); the welayat gap — Ashgabat's marble and Daşoguz's villages, the 110-volt summers of Mary; the emigration of up to 1.9 million (2008–18) the poverty's measure by the demographers' line; the HDI 0.764 'high' on the official data, the life expectancy 70.5 by the UN; the cotton pickers' forced labor and the children's schools used by the harvests of the 2000s (ended by the 2010s by the ILO's line); the pensioners' 550 manat the 'empty pockets' of the Times of Central Asia's headline — the state's 'social state' and the independent press's reports both stated (LAW 2) |
| Economic history in brief | The Soviet cotton republic — the Karakum Canal of 1954–88 (the Amu Darya to Mary by 1959, Ashgabat by 1962 and the west by the 1980s; the Aral's loss), the gas of the 1960s (Shatlyk 1968, Dauletabad 1974) sent north by the Central Asia–Center pipeline of 1967 at Moscow's price, the 1948 earthquake's rebuilding; 1991 — independence on the gas and the cotton, the manat of 1 November 1993, the free gas, water, electricity and salt of 1993 ('the gift of Türkmenbaşy'), the gas sold to Russia and Ukraine for barter and arrears (the 1990s' cut-offs), the Korpeje–Kurt Kui pipeline to Iran of December 1997 the first non-Russian route; 2003 — the 25-year Gazprom contract; 2006 — the Chinese agreement; 9 April 2009 — the pipeline blast and Russia's cut (the purchases from 40 bcm to 10), 14 December 2009 — the China pipeline opened at Samandepe, 1 January 2009 — the redenomination and the 2.85 peg; January 2010 — the second Iran line; September 2013 — Galkynysh's first phase; 2014–15 — the oil's fall, the devaluation to 3.50 (January 2015), the TAPI's start (13 December 2015), the East–West pipeline; January 2016 — the cash exchange banned, Gazprom's halt; 1 January 2017 — Iran's cut-off; 2017–19 — the shortages, the bread lines, the parallel rate at 7.5 and then 20, the 2018 harvest gap, the free utilities ended (1 January 2019), the Gazprom return (April 2019), the gas-to-gasoline plant; 2020–21 — the pandemic undeclared, the rate at 23 and 40, the FX rules of 1 April 2020; 2022 — the 35 bcm to China at US$10.3 billion, the war's trade shifts; 30 June 2024 — the Gazprom contract's end; 2025 — the Turkey swap, the Iraq contract undelivered, the 6.3% official and the 3.6% IMF; 2026 — the crypto law, the frozen pensions, the Galkynysh phase 4, the rate below 18, the IMF's unification call, the blackout of 30 August, the e-visa of 1 October — the economy of two rates and two counts |
Transport
| Roads | About 58,000 km by the old count (about 47,000 paved) — the Ministry of Automobile Roads created on 14 February 2026 (Hangeldi Kerimow) beside the Ministry of Motor Transport of 11 July 2025 (Begenç Annadurdyýew) and the Türkmenawtoulaglary agency; the trunk roads — the Ashgabat–Türkmenabat motorway of 600 km in three stages (the Ashgabat–Tejen 203 km of October 2021, the Tejen–Mary of December 2023, the Mary–Türkmenabat stretch the last; the toll road of 140 km/h), the M37 Türkmenbaşy–Ashgabat–Mary–Türkmenabat of the Soviet grid (the Ashgabat–Türkmenbaşy highway of the Polimeks contract suspended), the Ashgabat–Daşoguz road across the Karakum by Darvaza (the 'Door to Hell' stop), the Türkmenbaşy–Garabogaz–Kazakhstan road of the Caspian shore, the Mary–Serhetabat road to Afghanistan, the Ashgabat–Gaudan road to Mashhad; the right-hand traffic, the white and silver cars of Ashgabat (the dark colors' ban of the 2010s by the independent press — the state's 'the city's look'), the Toyota and Hyundai fleets of the state, the Lada and the used Japanese imports, the women's driving licenses' restrictions reported by the exiled press and denied by the state (both stated), the traffic police's checkpoints at the city gates, the speed cameras; the fuel at the state's prices (the gasoline among the world's cheapest), the Türkmennebit stations; the bus lines of the Türkmenawtoulaglary between the cities (the Hyundai and the Yutong coaches), the shared taxis of the bazaars; the 9M 2026 transport-and-communications growth +10.4% by the official line |
|---|---|
| Rail | 3,181 km of the 1,520 mm Russian gauge under Türkmendemirýollary (the Ministry of Railway Transport of 11 July 2025; Mämmet Akmämmedow) — the Trans-Caspian Railway of 1880–88 (Uzun-Ada to Gyzylarbat in 1881, Ashgabat in 1885, Merv in 1886, Chardzhou and the Amu Darya in 1887–88, Samarkand in 1888; the terminus moved to Krasnovodsk in 1896) the spine from Türkmenbaşy through Ashgabat, Mary and Türkmenabat to the Uzbek line (the Amu Darya rail bridge of 7 March 2017 at Türkmenabat of about 1.75 km, the Altcom build, after the 1901 bridge of the Russians), the Türkmenabat–Daşoguz line of the Amu Darya's left bank (the Soviet 1950s), the Tejen–Sarahs–Mashhad line to Iran of May 1996 (the first new link of independence), the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran line of 3 December 2014 (Uzen–Bereket–Gorgan; 677 km, 470 in Turkmenistan; US$620 million) the North–South corridor's Caspian east shore, the Kerki–Ymamnazar–Akina line to Afghanistan of 28 November 2016 (88 km), the Serhetabat–Torghundi line restored in February 2018 and the Torghundi–Herat extension's first 22 km since 2024 (about 120 km in all; the 500 kV line beside it discussed on 15 September 2026), the Atamyrat–Kerkiçi bridge of 2009 over the Amu Darya; the passenger trains of Ashgabat–Türkmenbaşy (the Caspian), Ashgabat–Türkmenabat, Ashgabat–Daşoguz (the Karakum crossing of the 2000s' Ashgabat–Garagum–Daşoguz line), the sleeping cars of the Soviet stock and the Chinese coaches of the 2010s; the freight — the cotton, the urea, the oil products, the Afghan transit (the Lapis Lazuli corridor of 13 December 2018), about 24 million t a year by the count; the Ashgabat station of 2009's marble; the capacity about 5.5 million passengers a year; the electrification none |
| Ashgabat transit | No metro — the Hyundai and Yutong buses of the state's fleet (the fares by the 'Altyn Asyr' card), the trolleybuses of 1964–2011 (closed on 31 December 2011), the state taxis of the Toyota Corollas and the Hyundai Elantras (the white cars; the ride apps absent by the usual line), the shared taxis and the Teke bazaar's marshrutkas (the minibuses) curbed by the 2010s' decrees; the Ashgabat cable car of 2006 (3.5 km to the Köpetdag's foothills), the monorail of the Olympic complex (2016; 5.1 km), the Ferris wheel of the Älem center; the bicycle — the World Bicycle Day of 3 June by Turkmenistan's UN initiative of 12 April 2018, the mass rides of the President, the Guinness record of the 2018 lesson; the airport of 2016 at the city's edge (the falcon), the Ashgabat station's trains; the wide avenues of the Soviet grid remade (the Archabil and Bitarap Türkmenistan avenues; the underpasses and the fountains), the pedestrian crossings' underpasses, the cars' white rule, the parking of the marble districts; the city's 1,030,063 people on 470 km² — the commute of the Änew, Gökdepe and Arkadag suburbs (the Arkadag electric buses and taxis of 2023 the 'smart city' fleet); the bus diversions of the holidays reported by the independent press (27 September 2026) |
| Air | Ashgabat International Airport (ASB; the terminal of 17 September 2016 in the shape of a falcon — US$2.3 billion by the count; 14 million passengers' capacity a year; the Guinness record of the largest 'gol' carpet motif on its roof, 2016; the Polimeks build) — Turkmenistan Airlines (Türkmenhowaýollary; 4 May 1992; the flag carrier of the state; the fleet of Boeing 737-700 and 737-800, 777-200LR and 777-300ER by the 2025 count with four 737 MAX 8 on order, the two Airbus A330-200P2F freighters of 2023 and the Il-76 cargo; about 25 aircraft) to Moscow, Kazan, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Frankfurt, London, Beijing, Bangkok, Delhi, Amritsar, Jeddah, Tashkent and Almaty by the schedules (the EU's safety suspension of February 2019 lifted; the Kuala Lumpur air services agreement of 19 June 2026), the domestic flights to Türkmenbaşy, Türkmenabat, Mary, Daşoguz, Balkanabat's Jebel (2024) and Kerki (June 2021) at the state's cheap fares; the airports of Türkmenabat (February 2018), Türkmenbaşy (2010), Mary (2009), Daşoguz (2010), Kerki (2021), Jebel (2024) — 26 airports by the 2014 count; the Turkish Airlines, Flydubai, S7, Belavia, China Southern and Lufthansa (to 2019) flights by the years; the aircraft registration EZ-; the airport's new runway of 3,800 m; the presidential flights' Boeings; the air force's M-346s and C-27Js |
| Ports and waterways | The Türkmenbaşy International Seaport (the Krasnovodsk of 1869; the new port of May 2018 built by Gap İnşaat from 15 August 2013 — US$1.5 billion by one count, US$2 billion by another; 1.3 km² of terminals, 3.6 km of berths; the ferry terminal of 300,000 passengers and 75,000 vehicles, the ro-ro, the container terminal of 400,000 TEU, the general cargo and the bulk, the shipyard; the capacity 17–25 million t a year by the counts) — the Caspian ferries and ro-ro to Baku's Alat and Aktau's Kuryk (the Middle Corridor's Turkmen leg; the Lapis Lazuli corridor), the tankers of the Türkmendeňizderýaýollary fleet (the 'Dostluk' gifted by Azerbaijan on 22 June 2026), the Balkan shipyard of 2018; the Caspian's level at a record low below −29 m in 2025 — the shoreline 25–30 m out at Avaza by 2024, the ferries' lighter loads and the dredging of 2026 by the Times of Central Asia's line; the oil terminals of Türkmenbaşy and Hazar (Cheleken), the Garabogaz port of the urea plant, the Ekerem and Alaja oil jetties; the Amu Darya's navigation of Türkmenabat and Kerki (the barges of the Soviet river fleet; the river's falling flow), the Karakum Canal's first 400 km once navigable; the Caspian flotilla's naval base; the Caspian Convention of 2018 on the sea's legal status (Iran the one non-ratifier); the Aral's loss the north's old waterway gone; the sturgeon's and the seal's fisheries closed |
| Energy and utilities | The electricity 6.5 GW of installed capacity and 33.8 TWh a year (2023) — all gas-fired by Türkmenenergo (the Ministry of Energy): the Mary state district power station (the Soviet 1,685 MW and the combined-cycle plant of September 2018 of 1,574 MW — the largest of Central Asia's gas plants by the usual line), the Zerger plant of Lebap (2021; 432 MW), the Ahal (Derweze) plant of 2014, the Balkan, Daşoguz, Türkmenbaşy, Awaza and Ashgabat plants, the 500 kV ring line of 2021–24 (Ahal–Balkan–Daşoguz) by the state's line; the exports to Afghanistan (the Herat line; the 500 kV Mary–Herat discussed), Uzbekistan, Iran and Kyrgyzstan's swaps (1,803.5 GWh in 2019) against the home cuts — the 110-volt summers of Mary (the Baýramaly protest of 17 June 2026; the 3–4 hours a day), the blackout of about 17:20 on 30 August 2026 across Ahal, Mary, Lebap and Balkan (Ashgabat and Daşoguz too by some reports; the suspected Mary station accident; restored by 19:40 to 00:30 — the Chronicles', turkmen.news's and Fergana's reports; no official statement — both stated, LAW 2), the blackout of 29 December 2020 before it; the regional blackout of 14 August 2026 that spared Turkmenistan; the gas to every town's homes by Türkmengaz, the water of the Karakum Canal and the Amu Darya (the Ashgabat reservoirs; the desalination of Awaza), the free gas, water and electricity of 1993–2019 ended (the meters; the tariffs low), the 10 MW solar-and-wind plant of the Altyn Asyr lake (the first; begun in 2019); the telecoms — Altyn Asyr (TM Cell) the mobile monopoly since MTS's exit of 2017 (about 3 million subscribers), Türkmentelekom's fixed and fiber, the Ministry of Communications of 11 July 2025, the TürkmenÄlem 52°E satellite of 27 April 2015 (the Thales build; the SpaceX launch), the internet's 3.1–3.2 million users, the world's slowest and most filtered by the Ookla and the Freedom House lines |
| Border crossings and bridges | With Uzbekistan (1,793 or 1,621 km): Farap–Alat (the Türkmenabat–Bukhara road and rail), Şawat–Daşoguz (the border trade zone of November 2025; the Khiva road), Köneürgenç–Hojeýli (the Nukus road), the Amu Darya's Kerkiçi crossings; with Kazakhstan (413 or 379 km): Garabogaz–Temirbaba (the Caspian shore road), Serhetýaka–Bolashak (the 2014 railway; the Türkmenbaşy–Aktau route); with Iran (1,148 or 992 km): Sarahs (the 1996 railway Tejen–Sarahs–Mashhad and the road), Gaudan–Bajgiran (the Ashgabat–Mashhad road of 45 km through the Köpetdag), Artyk–Lotfabad (the Kaka road; the free zone planned), Etrek–Inçeburun (the 2014 railway's Gorgan gate), the working hours extended to 13 a day by the Tehran Times' line; with Afghanistan (804 or 744 km): Serhetabat–Torghundi (the TAPI's pipe, the railway of 2018, the 2024 Herat rail start, the gas MoU of 10 August 2026 signed there), Ymamnazar–Akina (the 2016 railway; the Andkhoy road), Kerki; the Caspian ferries to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan the 'fifth border'; the bridges — the Türkmenabat road and rail bridges over the Amu Darya of 7 March 2017 (1.6 and 1.75 km; the Altcom build), the Atamyrat–Kerkiçi rail bridge of 2009, the Daşoguz pontoon bridges of the old days, the Türkmenbaşy bay's causeway; the Friendship Dam on the Tejen (the Iran–Turkmenistan dam of 2005), the Amu Darya's Tüýamoýun waterworks with Uzbekistan; the e-visa of 1 October 2026 at the air and land gates; the transit of the Afghan trade and the Iranian trucks (the 20 million t target by Tehran's line) |
History in dates
| c. 7000 BCE – 2000 BCE | JEITUN — the Neolithic farmers of the Köpetdag foothills about 30 km north of Ashgabat (c. 7200–4500 BCE by the digs of Kuftin and Masson from the 1950s; the oldest arable farming of Central Asia — the wheat and barley, the mud-brick houses), Anau's mounds from c. 5500 BCE (Raphael Pumpelly's American dig of 1904 and 1908; the painted pottery), the Chalcolithic towns of Namazga-Depe and Altyn-Depe (the ziggurat-like platform; the 3rd millennium's proto-urban south), the Bronze Age Margiana of Gonur Depe about 60 km north of Mary (c. 2400–1600 BCE; the Bactria–Margiana complex's 'capital' of about 55 ha found by Viktor Sarianidi in 1972 and dug to 2013 — the fire temples, the royal necropolis, the ephedra and poppy vessels of the soma question), the Murghab delta's oasis the first state of the land by the archaeologists' line; the Oxus civilization's end about 1600 BCE and the Indo-Iranian pastoralists' arrival |
|---|---|
| 2000 BCE – 330 BCE | The Iron Age of the Yaz culture (the Margiana and Bactria of the Avesta's lands — Mouru the third of Ahura Mazda's creations by the Vendidad's list), the Medes' reach, the Achaemenid satrapies of Margiana (Margu), Parthava and Chorasmia from Cyrus's conquest of the 540s BCE — Frada's revolt of Margiana crushed in December 522 BCE by the Behistun inscription's count (55,243 killed by Darius's boast), the Erk Gala citadel of Merv the Achaemenid fort (the 20 ha mound inside the later city), the Massagetae of the Caspian steppe (Tomyris and Cyrus's death of 530 BCE by Herodotus's tale on the Syr Darya or the Amu — the place disputed), the Dahae of the Karakum's edge the Parni's ancestors; the Khwarazmian kingdom's independence in the 4th century BCE; the Royal Road's eastern ends |
| 330 BCE – 224 CE | Alexander's passage of 330–328 BCE (the Alexandria Margiana of the legend 'merely legendary' by the usual line; the Margiana's satrapy under his Seleucid heirs), Antiochus I's refounding as Antiochia Margiana (281–261 BCE; the Gyaur Gala walls of 230 ha around Erk Gala — the 'Merv of the Greeks'), THE PARNI OF THE DAHAE under Arsaces I seized Parthia in 247 BCE — Nisa (Mithradatkert) their first royal seat 18 km west of Ashgabat (the ivory rhytons, the clay archive, the treasury; the Parthian Fortresses of Nisa on UNESCO's list since 2007), the Parthian Empire of 247 BCE – 224 CE from the Köpetdag to Mesopotamia (Mithridates I and II; Carrhae of 53 BCE against Rome; the Silk Road's middlemen — Merv the eastern bastion), the Yuezhi and the Kushans at the Amu Darya's east; the Chinese envoy Zhang Qian's reports of 'Anxi' (Parthia) of the 120s BCE; Nisa ruined by an earthquake in the first decade BCE by the archaeologists' date; Ardashir's victory at Hormozdgan of 224 ended the Arsacids |
| 224 – 651 | The Sasanian marzbans of Merv (the mint, the fortress, the frontier against the nomads of the north — the Chionites and the Hephthalites who killed Peroz in 484, the Göktürks of the 560s who broke the Hephthalites with Khosrow I), the Christians of Merv (the Nestorian bishopric of the 4th–5th centuries, the metropolitan see — the Church of the East's station to China), the Buddhists' stupa and monastery of Gyaur Gala (the westernmost Buddhist site by the archaeologists' line; the Buddha head and the birch-bark manuscripts of the 5th–6th centuries), the Zoroastrian fire temples, the Dehistan oasis's cities of the southwest, Khwarazm's Afrighid kings of the Amu Darya's delta (the 4th–10th centuries by the dynasty's long roll), the Turkmen name not yet born — the Oghuz Turks on the Syr Darya's steppe; Yazdegerd III, the last Sasanian, murdered near Merv in 651 by a miller by the chronicles' tale — the Arabs' arrival the same year |
| 651 – 1040 | The Arab conquest of 651 (Merv the Umayyads' base for the conquest of Khorasan and Transoxiana — Qutayba ibn Muslim's campaigns of 705–15), ABU MUSLIM'S RISING OF FEBRUARY 748 from Merv that made the Abbasid caliphate, al-Ma'mun's court at Merv of 813–18 (the caliph who ruled from the Murghab before Baghdad), the Tahirids of Khorasan (821–873), the Saffarids (873), the Samanids of Bukhara (from 901) — Merv's golden age of the libraries and the astronomers (Habash al-Hasib, the Merv observatory), the Khwarazm of the Ma'munids (the late 10th century to 1017; al-Biruni's city of Kath and Gurganj), the Ghaznavids of the 990s–1040 (Mahmud's Khorasan), THE OGHUZ TURKS crossing the Syr Darya and the Karakum in the 10th–11th centuries — the 'Turkmen' name first written by the 10th–11th-century geographers for the Muslim Oghuz (Mahmud al-Kashgari's dictionary of 1072–74 the first full account), the Seljuk clan's migration to Khorasan under Tughril and Chaghri (1035), THE BATTLE OF DANDANAQAN near Merv on 23 May 1040 — the Seljuks beat Mas'ud of Ghazni and took Khorasan: the Turkmen's first empire began on the Turkmen land |
| 1040 – 1221 | THE GREAT SELJUKS — Tughril (1040–63) the sultan at Nishapur, Rayy and Baghdad (1055), Alp Arslan (Manzikert of 1071), Malik Shah and Nizam al-Mulk's empire from the Amu Darya to the Mediterranean; SANJAR'S MERV (1118–57) — 'the Queen of the World', the capital of the eastern Seljuks, the largest city of the world about 1150 by one historian's count (Chandler's), the Sultan Kala walls, the libraries, the Sultan Sanjar mausoleum of about 1157 (the 38 m dome; the Seljuk architecture's summit), the Oghuz rising of 1153 that captured Sanjar for three years and sacked the city — the Turkmen tribes against the Turkmen sultan; the Khwarazmshahs of Gurganj (Kunya-Urgench) from Anushtegin's line (1077–1231) — the capital of 1077–1212 (the Kutlug-Timur minaret's forerunner, the Fakhr al-Din Razi mausoleum), Alauddin Tekish's and Muhammad II's empire of 1200–20 over Khorasan and Persia, the Sufi Nejameddin Kubra's school at Gurganj; the Ghurids' and the Kara-Khitans' wars; the Turkmen tribes' migrations west to Anatolia and the Caucasus (the Oghuz of the Seljuks of Rum, the Danishmends, the later Aq Qoyunlu — the Turkmen who ruled others' lands) |
| 1221 – 1500 | THE MONGOLS — Tolui's siege and sack of Merv in 1221 (700,000 dead by the chroniclers' count; 1.3 million by Juvayni — the city never recovered its rank), Gurganj taken and drowned by the Amu Darya's diverted dam in 1221, Nejameddin Kubra killed in its defense, Jalaluddin Mangburni's last stand, the Chagatai and the Golden Horde dividing the land (Khwarazm to the Horde — Kunya-Urgench's revival of the 14th century: the Kutlug-Timur minaret of 60 m restored about 1330, Törebeg Hanym's mausoleum, Ibn Battuta's visit of 1333), the Ilkhans' Khorasan; TIMUR razed Urgench in 1388 (the 1370s–1405 conquests; the Timurids' Herat the capital of the south — the Anau mosque of Seyit Jemaleddin of 1456–57 the Timurid jewel destroyed in 1948), the Turkmen tribes of the Balkan and Mangyshlak (the Salyr, the Teke's and Yomut's ancestors), the Oguz Khan epic and the 'Book of Dede Korkut' of the Turkmen memory, the Aq Qoyunlu's Turkmen empire of Iran (1378–1503) under Uzun Hasan — the Turkmen name on the thrones of Tabriz and Diyarbakır while the homeland emptied; the Uzbek Shaybanids' arrival of 1500 |
| 1500 – 1869 | The land divided — the Uzbek khanates of Khiva and Bukhara in the north and east, the Safavids and the Qajars of Persia in the south, the Turkmen tribes between them (the Teke, Yomut, Ersary, Saryk, Salyr, Chowdur, Göklen) in the oases and the Karakum's wells — the alaman raids and the slave trade on Khorasan (the Persian captives of Khiva's markets), the tributes and the revolts against Khiva's khans; the Salyr's dispersal of the late 17th century, the Ersary's settlement on the Amu Darya (the 17th century), the Teke's migration from the Balkan to Ahal (the 18th century) and to Merv (1830s–50s); Nader Shah's campaigns of the 1740s; MAGTYMGULY PYRAGY (c. 1724–1807; born near Gonbad-e Qabus of Golestan; the son of Döwletmämmet Azady) the national poet of the Turkmen tongue and of the call to unity ('Türkmeniň'); Shah Murad of Bukhara's destruction of Merv's dam in 1785 and the oasis's ruin; THE TEKE RISE — the Khivan khan Muhammad Amin killed at Sarahs in 1855, the Persian army routed at Merv in 1860 (the Teke's 'victory of the ages' by the state's line), the Yomut's revolts against Khiva of the 1850s–60s; the Russians on the Caspian — the Krasnovodsk landing of 5 November 1869 the conquest's first step; the carpets and the horses of the Teke the land's fame in the bazaars of Bukhara and Mashhad |
| 1869 – 1881 | Krasnovodsk founded (1869; the port of Türkmenbaşy today), the Russian columns into the Ahal oasis — Lomakin's defeat at Geok Tepe on 9 September 1879 (the Teke's victory; about 450 Russian dead), the Trans-Caspian Railway begun from Uzun-Ada in 1879–80 by General Annenkov to carry Skobelev's army, THE SIEGE OF GEOK TEPE of December 1880 – January 1881 — the final assault of 24 January 1881 (12 January by the Julian calendar — the Memorial Day of the state) by Mikhail Skobelev's 7,000 against the 20,000–25,000 of the Teke fortress: 6,500 buried inside and 8,000 killed in the pursuit by Skobelev's report, up to 20,000 by the other counts, 14,000 'at least' by one history — the Russian loss 59 killed on the day; the Teke's submission, the Akhal Treaty with Persia of September 1881 (the Atrek line), the Transcaspian Oblast created in May 1881 with Askhabad its seat (the railway reached Gyzylarbat in 1881); the mourning kept each 12 January; the conquest's 'the Turkmen never surrendered' and 'the civilizing mission' readings both stated (LAW 2) |
| 1881 – 1917 | The Russian oblast — Merv annexed on 16 March 1884 (Komarov; the Teke elders' petition by the Russian account), THE PANJDEH INCIDENT of 30 March 1885 (the Afghans driven from Panjdeh at today's Serhetabat; the Anglo-Russian war scare; the Afghan boundary commission of 1885–87 that drew the Afghan border of today), the railway to Askhabad (1885), Merv (1886), Chardzhou and the Amu Darya bridge (1887–88), Samarkand (1888), Krasnovodsk (1896) and Tashkent (1898), the cotton of the Murghab imperial estate at Baýramaly (the tsar's estate of 1887), the Russian settlers and the Armenian and Persian traders of Askhabad, the oil of Cheleken (the Nobels' Caspian), the Teke carpets' export to Europe, the Transcaspian Oblast under Turkestan's governor-general from 1899, the 1905 railway strikes of Askhabad and Kizil-Arvat (the Bolshevik cells), the Basmachi's forerunners; THE REVOLT OF 1916 — the conscription decree of 25 June 1916 and the Yomut rising of Khiva and the Transcaspian oasis under Junaid Khan (the last resistance in Transcaspia in January 1917) |
| 1917 – 1924 | The revolution's chaos — the Askhabad soviet, THE TRANSCASPIAN GOVERNMENT of the Socialist Revolutionaries of 12 July 1918 (Fyodor Funtikov) with the British Malleson mission from Meshed (the Indian troops at Dushak and Merv; the 26 Baku Commissars shot on 20 September 1918 on the railway near Krasnovodsk — the Soviet martyrology's event), the Red Army's return to Askhabad (July 1919) and Krasnovodsk (February 1920), Junaid Khan's rule of Khiva (1918–20) and the Basmachi war of the Karakum's wells (1922; the raids to 1927–33; his death near Herat in 1938), Poltoratsk the city's name of 1919–27 (the Bolshevik Poltoratsky), the Turkmen Oblast of the Turkestan ASSR of 7 August 1921, the Khorezm and Bukhara People's Republics of 1920–24 for the northern and eastern Turkmen, the famine of 1921–22, THE NATIONAL DELIMITATION — the Turkmen SSR of 27 October 1924 (the union republic of 13 May 1925; 'Turkmenia' in the Russian usage) with Ashkhabad its capital and the first Turkmen literary standard of the Teke dialect; the 1926 census of 1,000,000 by the count |
| 1924 – 1948 | The Soviet republic — the Latin alphabet of 3 January 1928 (the Arabic script's end), the collectivization and the last Basmachi rising of the Karakum (1931; the Yomut and Teke revolts crushed), the cotton plan and the Murghab's canals, THE PURGES OF 1937–38 (the republic's founders Gaýgysyz Atabaýew and Nedirbaý Aýtakow shot in 1938 — the 'national deviation' charge; the writers and the mullahs), the Cyrillic alphabet of 1 July 1940, the war — the Turkmen 97th and 98th cavalry divisions by the count, the 7,392 kg of the Turkmen women's jewelry given for the tanks (1942), the evacuated factories, the oil of Nebit-Dag; the Seyit Jemaleddin mosque's and the city's end on 6 OCTOBER 1948 AT 01:12 — THE ASHGABAT EARTHQUAKE (Ms 7.3; the toll from 10,000 by the lowest count through the Soviet report's 40,000 to 110,000–176,000 by the highest — about two-thirds of the city by one line; all stated); the eight-year-old Saparmurat Niyazov orphaned of his mother Gurbansoltan Eje in it (the Halk Hakydasy memorial; the Day of Remembrance); the rebuilding in the Soviet grid |
| 1948 – 1985 | The Stalinist and the Brezhnev decades — the Karakum Canal begun in 1954 (the Amu Darya's water at Mary in 1959, Tejen in 1960, Ashgabat in 1962, the west by 1988; 1,375 km — the Aral's slow death its price), the cotton monoculture's 'white gold' and the children in the fields, the gas finds (Shatlyk 1968, Dauletabad 1974 — the giants; the Central Asia–Center pipeline to Russia from 1967 at Moscow's price), the oil of Cheleken and Nebit-Dag, the ammonia of Mary, the first secretaries of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan — Suhan Babaýew (1951–58; dismissed for 'nationalism'), Juma Garaýew (1958–60), Balyş Öwezow (1960–69), Muhammetnazar Gapurow (1969–85) by the usual roll, the Turkmen Academy of Sciences (1951), the Ashgabat University (1950), the Turkmenfilm studio, the television (1959), the 1979–89 Afghan war's rear base at Kushka (Serhetabat — the USSR's southernmost town), the Mary and Türkmenbaşy air bases; the republic the Union's poorest by the income counts and its gas the second producer; Gorbachev's purge of Gapurov and SAPARMURAT NIYAZOV the first secretary from 21 December 1985 |
| 1985 – 1991 | Niyazov's rise — the first secretary of 21 December 1985 (the Leningrad-trained engineer; the orphan of 1948), the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of 13 January 1990, the republic's first President elected on 27 October 1990 unopposed (98.3%), the sovereignty declaration of 22 August 1990, the Moscow coup of August 1991 that Ashgabat did not condemn by the usual line, THE REFERENDUM OF 26 OCTOBER 1991 (94.1% for independence) and the independence declared on 27 October 1991 — the fourth of the Central Asian five (Kazakhstan's of 16 December the last), the Communist Party renamed the Democratic Party on 16 December 1991, the Alma-Ata protocol of 21 December 1991 (the CIS joined), the Soviet Union dissolved on 26 December 1991; the 1989 census's 3,522,717 people (the Russians 334,000); the Ashgabat of the Soviet grid, the gas at Moscow's price, the cotton's plan — the base of the state to come |
| 1991 – 1999 | THE TÜRKMENBAŞY STATE — the constitution of 18 May 1992, the flag of 19 February 1992, the UN's membership of 2 March 1992, Niyazov re-elected on 21 June 1992 (99.5% unopposed), the 'Türkmenbaşy' ('Head of the Turkmens') title of 1993, the Latin alphabet's decree of 12 April 1993, the manat of 1 November 1993, the free gas, water, electricity and salt of 1993, the plebiscite of 15 January 1994 extending the term to 2002 (99.9%), the Krasnovodsk renamed Türkmenbaşy (1993), THE PERMANENT NEUTRALITY by the UN General Assembly's resolution 50/80 A of 12 December 1995 (the Neutrality Arch of 1998 with the rotating gold Niyazov), the anthem of 27 September 1996, the Tejen–Sarahs–Mashhad railway of May 1996, the Korpeje–Kurt Kui gas pipeline to Iran of December 1997 (the first non-Russian export), the Ertuğrul Gazi mosque (1998), the Russians' and the specialists' exodus, the gas arrears of Ukraine and the Russian route's chokehold, the moratorium on executions of December 1998 and the abolition of 28/29 December 1999, the 'president for life' of 28 December 1999 by the Halk Maslahaty — the state's 'the golden age' and the exiles' 'the personality cult' both stated (LAW 2) |
| 1999 – 2006 | The cult's decade — the RUHNAMA ('the Book of the Soul'; the first volume completed on 19 September 2001 and issued in December 2001, the second in September 2004; the schools' hours, the driving exam's 16-hour course, the mosque walls, the 50-plus translations, the copy sent into orbit in August 2005), the months and days renamed in August 2002 (Türkmenbaşy for January, Gurbansoltan for April), the opera, ballet and circus banned (2001; the 'un-Turkmen' arts), the gold statues, THE MOTORCADE ATTACK OF 25 NOVEMBER 2002 and the purge after it (the ex-foreign minister Boris Şyhmyradow's life sentence; the televised confessions; the dual citizenship with Russia ended in April 2003 — the 'thousands' who left), the 25-year Gazprom contract of April 2003, the octagonal emblem of 15 August 2003, the Türkmenbaşy Ruhy mosque of Gypjak of 22 October 2004 (the Ruhnama beside the Quran on its walls), the rural hospitals closed (2005) and the ten-year school, the Chinese gas agreement of April 2006, the pensions cut for 100,000 (2006); NIYAZOV DIED OF A HEART ATTACK ON 21 DECEMBER 2006 at 66 — buried at Gypjak on 24 December; the deputy prime minister Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow the acting president by the Security Council's choice (the constitutional heir, the Mejlis speaker Öwezgeldi Ataýew, arrested the same day) |
| 2007 – 2012 | Berdimuhamedow's first term — elected on 11 February 2007 (89.23% of six) and sworn in on 14 February, the 'thaw' of the reversals (the ten-year school back, the pensions restored, the internet cafés, the opera and the circus back by 2008, the months' names restored on 1 July 2008, the Ruhnama retreating from the exams by 2011–14, the Neutrality Arch moved to the suburbs in 2010 — the gold statue down on 26 August 2010), the constitution of 26 September 2008 (the Mejlis of 125; the 2,500-member Halk Maslahaty abolished), the manat's redenomination of 1 January 2009 (5,000 to 1) and the 2.85 peg of April 2009, THE PIPELINE BLAST OF 9 APRIL 2009 and Russia's cut of the purchases (from about 40 bcm to 10), THE CHINA PIPELINE OPENED AT SAMANDEPE ON 14 DECEMBER 2009 (the four presidents' valve) — the gas's new master, the second Iran line of January 2010, the 'Arkadag' ('Protector') title of October 2010, the Turkmenistan Tower of 17 October 2011 (211 m), the Älem wheel of 18 May 2012, the re-election of 12 February 2012 (97.14% of eight), the Party of Industrialists of 21 August 2012 (the second party), the 2012 census held and never published (the 4.75 million of its leak), Bouygues's and Polimeks's marble; the Ashgabat 'the city of white marble' remade |
| 2012 – 2016 | The marble peak and the oil's fall — Galkynysh's first phase opened in September 2013 (30 bcm), the Guinness marble record of 2013 (543 buildings), THE HIPPODROME FALL OF 29 APRIL 2013 (the President thrown from his horse at the finish line; the footage censored at the airport), the Agrarian Party of 28 September 2014 (the third), the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran railway of 3 December 2014, the Mary ammonia plant of 17 October 2014, the gold horseback statue of Gurbanguly of May 2015 (21 m), the manat devalued to 3.50 on 1 January 2015 (the oil at US$50), the TürkmenÄlem satellite of 27 April 2015, the East–West pipeline of December 2015, THE TAPI GROUNDBREAKING OF 13 DECEMBER 2015 at Mary, the cash exchange of the banks halted in January 2016 (the parallel rate's birth), Gazprom's purchases halted in January 2016 (the price dispute), the 500 kV lines, the constitution of 14 September 2016 (the seven-year term; the age ceiling removed), THE AIRPORT OF 17 SEPTEMBER 2016 (US$2.3 billion; the falcon), the Kerki–Ymamnazar–Akina railway to Afghanistan of 28 November 2016, the Türkmenabat airport (2018) under way; Iran's gas cut off on 1 January 2017 over the arrears |
| 2017 – 2019 | The shortages' years — the re-election of 12 February 2017 (97.69% of nine), the Amu Darya bridges of 7 March 2017, THE ASIAN INDOOR AND MARTIAL ARTS GAMES OF 17–27 SEPTEMBER 2017 at the US$5 billion Olympic complex (the host first with 74 golds by the official table — 89 by another count; 226 medals; the Alabai mascot), the parallel rate from 7.5 to 20 (2017–18), the bread and flour lines of 2018–19 (the harvest gap — the official 1.6 million t of wheat against the independent 538,000), the ATM limits abroad (US$50 a day), the Halk Maslahaty restored as the top council (the first session of 25 September 2018 — the free utilities ended from 1 January 2019 by its decision), the Türkmenbaşy port of May 2018, the Garabogaz urea (September 2018) and Kiýanly polymer (October 2018) plants, the Mary combined-cycle plant (September 2018), THE CASPIAN CONVENTION OF 12 AUGUST 2018 at Aktau (the ratification of 1 December 2018), the Lapis Lazuli corridor of 13 December 2018, Independence Day moved from 27 October to 27 September (2018), the Gazprom purchases resumed in April 2019 (5.5 bcm a year to June 2024), the gas-to-gasoline plant of 28 June 2019, Arkadag's decree of 4 March 2019 and cornerstone of 10 April 2019, the TAPI's Turkmen 214 km done by mid-2019, the Serdar rise (the deputy foreign minister of 2018, the Ahal häkim of June 2019), the EU's flight suspension of February 2019; the Mejlis election of 25 March 2018 (Gülşat Mämmedowa the speaker) |
| 2020 – 2021 | THE PANDEMIC THE STATE NEVER DECLARED — no COVID-19 case reported (the WHO's mission of 6–10 July 2020; the masks against 'dust'; the Sputnik V registered on 18 January 2021; the vaccination mandatory for the adults from 7 July 2021; the independent counts of the excess deaths — both stated, LAW 2), the FX rules of 1 April 2020 (US$300 a month), the parallel rate at 23 (May 2020) and 40 (April 2021), the Lebap storm of 27 April 2020 at Türkmenabat (the deaths and the roofs unreported by the state — the exiled press's footage), the bicameral National Council by the law of 25 September 2020 (the Halk Maslahaty's 56 elected on 28 March 2021; Gurbanguly its chairman from 14 April 2021), the gold Alabai statue of 10 November 2020, the blackout of 29 December 2020, Serdar the deputy prime minister from 11 February 2021, POLINA GURÝEWA'S SILVER OF 27 JULY 2021 at Tokyo (the first Olympic medal), the corvette 'Deniz Han' of 11 August 2021, the Bayraktar TB2s at the parade of 27 September 2021 (the 30th independence), the Turkic states' observer seat of November 2021, the Iran–Azerbaijan gas swap of 28 November 2021, the Zerger plant and the Kerki airport (2021); the 'Era of Might and Happiness' at its end |
| 2022 | 7 January — Darvaza's crater ordered put out; 11 February — Gurbanguly's announcement of the early election ('the young leaders'); 12 MARCH — SERDAR BERDIMUHAMEDOW ELECTED (72.97% of nine; the turnout 97.17%); 15 March — the results; 18 March — the Taliban's envoy accredited at Ashgabat, the first in Central Asia; 19 MARCH — THE INAUGURATION at the Ruhyýet Palace for seven years; 5–6 April — the Central Bank's Mälikow and the Interior's Hydyrow appointed; 28 April — Arkadag's administrative center set up; 27 September — the 31st independence; the Russian war's trade shifts (the Chinese gas's 35 bcm at US$10.3 billion the year's record), the parallel rate 19.5 → 18.5 (November); 9 November — Serdar city renamed Gyzylarbat by the usual line; 17–27 DECEMBER — THE CENSUS (7,057,841 by the results of July 2023); 20 December — the new city named Arkadag; the 'Era of the Revival of a New Epoch of a Powerful State' proclaimed |
| 2023 | 21 JANUARY — THE NATIONAL LEADER: the law giving Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow the title 'National Leader of the Turkmen People' and the Halk Maslahaty made the supreme body (the Mejlis unicameral again; the immunity and the assets in the law); 3 February — Hojamgulyýew the Supreme Court chairman, Atagaraýew the National Security minister; 26 MARCH — THE MEJLIS ELECTION (the Democratic Party 65 of 125; the turnout 91.1%); 6 April — Gulmanowa the speaker; 29 JUNE — ARKADAG CITY OPENED (336–339 facilities; US$3.3 billion); 14 July — the census's 7,057,841 presented to the Cabinet (the independent press's doubts the same week); September — the Cold Winter Deserts of Turan and the Zarafshan–Karakum Silk Roads corridor inscribed by UNESCO (the fourth and fifth properties); 30 September — the 'Arkadag' medal's law; 23 September – 8 October — the Hangzhou Asian Games (0-1-6); 1 November — the Iraq gas framework (9 bcm); 16 and 21 November — the World Cup qualifiers lost (0–1 to Uzbekistan, 0–5 to Iran); December — the Akhal-Teke breeding art on UNESCO's list; the Global Methane Pledge joined; FK Arkadag's first title in its first season |
| 2024 | 16 January — Muhamedow the Prosecutor General; 21 March — the UN's 'International Year of Peace and Trust' for 2025 adopted (86 co-sponsors); 21 and 26 March — the qualifiers lost (1–3 to Uzbekistan, 0–1 to Iran); 6 May — Mämmedowa the Arkadag häkim; May — the 60 m Magtymguly statue at the Köpetdag's foot for the poet's 300th year ('the Fount of Wisdom' the year's motto); 6 and 11 June — the Hong Kong draws (0–0, 2–2) that closed the World Cup road; 30 JUNE — THE GAZPROM CONTRACT ENDED (the price dispute); 12 July — the decree of the 10% rises for 2025; 11 SEPTEMBER — THE TAPI AFGHAN SECTION BEGUN at the border with Serdar, Gurbanguly and the Taliban's prime minister Hasan Akhund; October — the Iraq swap contract of 10 bcm via Iran (undelivered since); 1 November — FK Arkadag's 61-match winning run ended (0–1 to Al-Arabi); December — the World Bank's report ('upper-middle income'; the gas 68% of the exports); the parallel rate about 19.5 |
| 2025 (January – June) | 1 January — the minimum wage 1,410 manat and the base pension 550 (the last of the 10% rises); 7 February — Astanagulow the Finance and Economy Minister; 10 FEBRUARY — THE BOTAŞ–TÜRKMENGAZ DEAL (the gas to Turkey via Iran, 1.3 bcm a year from 1 March — the first new buyer in a decade); 23 February — WhatsApp open for five days; 25 February — Gulmanowa received by Erdoğan; the Uzbek free-trade regime in force; 21 MARCH — THE UN'S THIRD NEUTRALITY RESOLUTION by consensus; 3–4 April — the EU–Central Asia summit at Samarkand (the strategic partnership); 15 April — Serdar with Ishiba at the Osaka Expo; 18 April — the e-visa law; 10 May — FK ARKADAG WON THE FIRST AFC CHALLENGE LEAGUE (2–1 over Svay Rieng); 21 May – 3 June — the IMF's mission (growth 3.0% for 2024, 2.3% for 2025); 1–2 June — the state visit to Mongolia; 4 June — the U.S. travel restrictions on Turkmen visas; 10 June — Turkmenistan 3–1 Thailand at Ashgabat (the Asian Cup qualifier); 18 June — Xi and Serdar at Astana's China–Central Asia summit; June — the new Civil Code adopted; the ration lines of the state stores |
| 2025 (July – December) | 11 JULY — THREE MINISTRIES CREATED (railways, communications, motor transport); the Lebap and Mary häkims replaced; the e-government portal; July — the VPN crackdown ('the whole /16 subnets'); 24 July — the bloggers Sahatow and Orusow missing after a detention in Turkey; August — the UN's LDC3 conference at Avaza; the Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Azerbaijan trilateral; 2 September — Xi and Serdar at Beijing (the SCO summit's margins); 16 September — Duşemow re-sentenced to eight years; 19 SEPTEMBER — THE HALK MASLAHATY (the constitutional law on peace and trust; the elder's call to end the yearly rises); 22 September — Serdar at UN80 (the 'Decade of Sustainable Transport' proposal); 7 October — Gurbanguly at the Turkic states' Gabala summit; 10 October — the CIS chairmanship for 2026 taken at Dushanbe ('CIS+'); 20 OCTOBER — THE SERHETABAT–HERAT TAPI STRETCH OPENED with Gurbanguly at Herat; 22 October — the 450 bcm to China marked at OGT-2025; 6 NOVEMBER — THE C5+1 AT THE WHITE HOUSE; 7 November — relations with San Marino (the 159th); 15–17 November — the Consultative Meeting's chair taken at Tashkent, the Uzbekistan state visit; 24 November — the 2026 budget signed (131.8 billion manat); 25 November — the Kazakhstan state visit (11 agreements); 28 November — the virtual assets law; 11 DECEMBER — THE ALABAI BREEDING ART ON UNESCO'S LIST (New Delhi); 12 DECEMBER — THE 30TH NEUTRALITY FORUM at Ashgabat (Putin, Erdoğan, Pezeshkian and the region's presidents; the monument unveiled; the Ashgabat Declaration); 16 December — the U.S. visitor visas restored; 20 December — Serdar with Takaichi at Tokyo (the first Central Asia–Japan summit); 26 December — the motto of 2026 |
| 2026 (January – June) | 1 JANUARY — THE CIS CHAIRMANSHIP, the Civil Code and the crypto law in force; 2 January — the dollar at 19.50 on the street (the rumored 10.75 bank rate that never came); 6 January — 'indexation discontinued' (the pensions frozen); 9 January — HRW's World Report; 21 January — Ilamanow the Border Service chief; 26 January — the Indian ambassador's talks; 13–14 FEBRUARY — THE RESHUFFLE (Annaýew, Mämmedow and Agajanow the new deputy chairmen; Döwletgeldi Meredow the National Security minister; the Automobile Roads ministry; the city heads of Türkmenbaşy, Türkmenabat and Mary); 14 February — the 2025 results (GDP +6.3%); 16 March — the officers' exodus reported; 17–19 March — Gurbanguly in China (Xi on 18 March); 25 March — the Galkynysh phase-4 decree; 31 MARCH — THAILAND 2–1 TURKMENISTAN at Bangkok — out of the 2027 Asian Cup (Çaryýew's goal); 4 April — the Ýokary Liga's start; 16–17 April — the CNPC contract signed (10 bcm; US$5.1 billion) and the work begun; 21 April — Serdar at the regional environmental summit in Kazakhstan; 25 April — the Horse Day's beauty contest; 4 May — RSF's 173rd; 12 May — the Cotton Campaign's 'reverted to widespread mobilization'; 13 May — Putin's October visit announced; 22 May — the CIS heads of government at Ashgabat; 27 May — Alp Arslan Begenjow's U23 Asian wrestling gold; 31 May — the Carpet Day; 4–16 JUNE — THE IMF MISSION (3.6% for 2025, 2.4% for 2026; 'unification of the highest priority'); 17 JUNE — THE BAÝRAMALY POWER PROTEST (several hundred; the dismissals after); 18–19 June — Malaysia's Anwar at Ashgabat; 19 June — the chief mufti replaced (Gurbanmyradow); 22 June — the Azerbaijan state visit (the tanker 'Dostluk'); the Mary, Lebap and Balkan häkims changed by July |
| 2026 (July – October) | 1 July — the Kazakhstan friendship treaty at Ashgabat; 8 July — the dollar at 19.50; 13 July — the first half's results (+6.3%); 15 July — the Halk Maslahaty's Presidium; 16–17 July — the first state visit to Georgia; 20 July — the FIFA rank 141; 24 JULY — THE UN'S 'YEAR OF INTERNATIONAL LAW 2028' adopted on Turkmenistan's motion; 31 July — the Cholpon-Ata meeting (the Avaza summit set for 8 October); 3 August — FK Arkadag's third Super Cup; 10–11 AUGUST — GURBANGULY AND BARADAR AT TORGHUNDI: the Afghan gas MoU, 123 km of the Herat stretch done; 14 August — the regional blackout that spared Turkmenistan; 30 AUGUST — THE BLACKOUT of four to six welayats (about 17:20; the Mary station suspected; no official statement); 1 September — the dollar at 18 ('the reason unknown'); 3 September — 'about 40' methane leaks under repair; 4 September — the State Security Council; 7 September — the häkims' meeting (the cotton harvest from 9 September); 15–16 SEPTEMBER — THE TAPI HERAT STRETCH ABOUT 80% LAID; Serdar at Seoul's first Korea–Central Asia summit; 16 September — the dollar at 17–17.5; 19 September — the Asian Games opened at Aichi-Nagoya; 21 September — the ambassador's 'gas to Afghanistan in 2027'; 23 SEPTEMBER — THE HALK MASLAHATY (the Industrial Strategy 2030–2045, the youth program to 2031, the 2027 program ordered, the Arkadag phase 2 for 2027, '6.3% for 2026'); 23 September — the holiday decree (28–29 September); 24 September — Nazmyradow's karate silver (the first medal of the Games); 25–26 September — the jubilee medal, the pardon of 1,054; 27 SEPTEMBER — THE 35TH INDEPENDENCE PARADE (the U.S. rifles, the TB2s, the naval display; the chicken at 39 manat by the independent press); 28 September — Arkadag 5–0 Merv (66 points); 30 September — the women's chess silver (category B, Samarkand); 1 OCTOBER — THE E-VISA LIVE; the TIF-2026 forum (the EU's €1.4 billion); 2 October — Matýakubow's weightlifting silver (410 kg); the Cabinet's nine months (GDP +6.3%); 4 October — the Games closed (two silvers); THE STATE AS OF 5 OCTOBER 2026 — President Serdar Berdimuhamedow (since 19 March 2022), the National Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow chairing the Halk Maslahaty, Speaker Gulmanowa, the manat at 3.50 official and about 17.5 parallel, the Avaza summit of 8 October and the CIS summit of 9 October at Türkmenbaşy the next days, the next Mejlis election due by March 2028, the presidential in 2029 |
| The presidents and the first secretaries | The Presidents of Turkmenistan — SAPARMURAT NIYAZOV (27 October 1990 – 21 December 2006; 'Türkmenbaşy' from 1993; 'president for life' from 1999; born 19 February 1940, died in office at 66), GURBANGULY BERDIMUHAMEDOW (acting from 21 December 2006; 14 February 2007 – 19 March 2022; 'Arkadag' from 2010; the National Leader and the Halk Maslahaty's chairman since 21 January 2023 — the People's Council's chair since 14 April 2021), SERDAR BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 19 March 2022; the term to 2029); the first secretaries of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR by the usual roll — Ivan Mezhlauk (1924–26), the 1930s' Yakov Popok (1930–37) and Yakov Chubin (1937–39) of the purges, Mikhail Fonin (1939–47), Şaja Batyrow (1947–51), Suhan Babaýew (1951–58), Juma Garaýew (1958–60), Balyş Öwezow (1960–69), Muhammetnazar Gapurow (1969–85), Saparmurat Niyazov (1985–91); the chairmen of the Mejlis by the usual roll — Sahat Muradow (the 1990s), Tagandurdy Hallyýew, Öwezgeldi Ataýew (2005–06; arrested on 21 December 2006), Akja Nurberdiýewa (2006–18), Gülşat Mämmedowa (2018–23), Dünýägözel Gulmanowa (since 6 April 2023); the foreign minister Raşit Meredow since 2001 the one constant of the Cabinet; the elections — 1990 (98.3%), 1992 (99.5%), 1994's plebiscite (99.9%), 2007 (89.2%), 2012 (97.1%), 2017 (97.7%), 2022 (73.0%); the exiled opposition's leaders — Boris Şyhmyradow (the life sentence of 2002; the whereabouts unknown — 'Prove They Are Alive!'), Awdy Kulyýew (the foreign minister of 1990–92; died in exile in 2007), Nurmuhammet Hanamow (Vienna) |
| The neutrality and the gas in dates | 12 December 1995 — the UN General Assembly's resolution 50/80 A on the permanent neutrality (185 votes by the count; the Neutrality Day); 3 June 2015 — the resolution 69/285 (the 20th year); 21 March 2024 — 2025 declared the 'International Year of Peace and Trust'; 21 March 2025 — the third neutrality resolution; 12 December 2025 — the 30th anniversary forum with the Ashgabat Declaration; 24 July 2026 — 2028 declared the 'International Year of International Law'; the Afghan line — the Taliban talks of the 1990s (the TAPI's first memorandum of 1995 with Unocal's Bridas rivalry), the envoy of 18 March 2022, the gas MoU of 10 August 2026; THE GAS — 1967 the Central Asia–Center pipeline to Russia; December 1997 the Korpeje–Kurt Kui line to Iran; April 2003 the 25-year Gazprom contract; 2006 the Chinese agreement; 9 April 2009 the blast and the Russian cut; 14 December 2009 the China pipeline (Line A; Line B 2010, Line C 2014 — 55 bcm); January 2010 the Dauletabad–Khangiran line to Iran; September 2013 Galkynysh phase 1; December 2015 the East–West line and the TAPI groundbreaking (13 December); January 2016 Gazprom's halt; 1 January 2017 Iran's cut-off; April 2019 Gazprom's return (5.5 bcm); 28 November 2021 the Iran–Azerbaijan swap; 30 June 2024 the Gazprom contract's end; 11 September 2024 the TAPI's Afghan start; October 2024 the Iraq swap signed; 10 February 2025 the BOTAŞ deal, 1 March 2025 the gas to Turkey; 20 October 2025 the Herat stretch opened; 22 October 2025 the 450 bcm to China; 1 March 2026 the 460 bcm; 16 April 2026 Galkynysh phase 4 (CNPC; 10 bcm; US$5.1 billion); 15 September 2026 the Herat stretch about 80%; 2027 the gas to Afghanistan by the promise; Line D (30 bcm) and the Trans-Caspian line (300 km) unbuilt |
Records
| Darvaza and the gas | THE DARVAZA GAS CRATER — 'the Door to Hell' (the 'Shining of Karakum' by the state's name): 60–70 m across and about 30 m deep in the Karakum 260 km north of Ashgabat, alight since 1971 by the common account (the Soviet drilling rig's collapse and the geologists' match to burn off the gas 'in a few weeks' by the legend; the 1980s by another reading), the world's longest-burning gas crater by the usual line, ordered put out on 7 January 2022 by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow (the health, the trade and the methane) — the flames 'reduced threefold' by 2025 and the heat down more than 75% in three years by the 2026 infrared reading (the wells drilled around it); the gas — the fourth or fifth reserves of the world (480 or 400 tcf; 13.6 or 11.3 trillion m³ — both stated), Galkynysh the world's second-largest field by the usual line (27 trillion m³ by the state's count), the 450–460 bcm sent to China since 2009 the largest one-buyer gas flow of Central Asia, the TAPI the longest pipeline planned across Afghanistan (1,814 km), the methane super-emitter 'first' by the satellites' counts (nine of the world's 50 largest leaks; 'more than a third' of the oil-and-gas observations by the IEA's 2026 line) — the state's 'the gas of the future' and the climate scientists' 'the methane capital' both stated (LAW 2) |
|---|---|
| Ashgabat the white-marble city | The Guinness record of 2013 for the highest concentration of white-marble buildings — 543 buildings clad in 4.5 million m² of white marble by the record's count (the Italian and Turkish marble; the Polimeks and Bouygues builds of 1997–2020); the flagpole of 133 m of 29 June 2008 (the world's tallest until 1 September 2010; the flag of 52.5 × 35 m and 420 kg), the Älem Ferris wheel of 18 May 2012 (47.6 m; the tallest enclosed Ferris wheel by Guinness's line of 24 May 2012), the Oguzhan star of the Turkmenistan Tower (211 m; 17 October 2011) the largest architectural star image, the Oguzhan fountain complex of 2008 the largest fountain group by the 2008 record, the Olympic velodrome of 6,000 seats the largest indoor velodrome (2018), the airport's roof 'gol' the largest carpet motif (2016), the 2018 cycling lesson's record; the Independence Monument (118 m; 2001), the Monument to the Constitution (185 m; 2011), the Neutrality Arch (75 m; 1998 — moved in 2010), the Wedding Palace of 2011 (the globe), the Maslahat Köşgi (2016), the Magtymguly of 60 m (2024), the gold Alabai (15 m; 2020), the gold horseback Arkadag (21 m; 2015), the Türkmenbaşy Ruhy mosque (91 m minarets; 2004), the Olympic complex (US$5 billion; 2017), the airport (US$2.3 billion; 2016), the Arkadag city (US$3.3 billion; 2023) — 'the city of the dead' by the critics' line for its empty avenues and 'the pearl of Asia' by the state's; both stated (LAW 2) |
| The firsts of the state | The first and the only state whose permanent neutrality the UN General Assembly recognized by resolution (12 December 1995; reaffirmed in 2015 and 2025) by Ashgabat's line — the Neutrality Day, the Arch, the forum of 2025; the first Central Asian state to accredit a Taliban envoy (18 March 2022) without recognizing the government; the first UN 'International Year of Peace and Trust' (2025) and 'Year of International Law' (2028) of its initiative, the World Bicycle Day of 3 June (2018) its UN motion; the first Olympic medal — Polina Gurýewa's silver of 27 July 2021 (the eighth Games since 1996's debut); the first AFC Challenge League won by FK Arkadag (10 May 2025) in the club's second season; the first hosting of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (2017; the host's 74 or 89 golds); the first gas-to-gasoline plant of its kind in the world (28 June 2019 at Ovadan Depe by the builders' line); the first 'smart city' built from nothing in Central Asia (Arkadag; 2023); the first e-visa (1 October 2026) after 35 years of the letters of invitation; the first Central Asian state out of the Soviet gas monopoly's route (the Iran line of 1997; the China line of 2009); the first 'president for life' of the post-Soviet states (1999) and the first dynastic succession (2022) by the analysts' line; the only state with no COVID-19 case 'ever' by its own count — the state's firsts and the independent press's readings both stated (LAW 2) |
| The carpet, the horse and the dog | THE TURKMEN CARPET — the Teke, Yomut, Saryk, Chowdur and Ersary guls of the flag, the Carpet Day of the last Sunday of May since 1992 (the 2026 festival of 31 May), the world's largest hand-woven carpet of 2001 (301 m² by the Guinness record of 2003; the Carpet Museum of 1993's 2,000 exhibits), the carpet-making art on UNESCO's list (2019), the Bukhara carpets' real makers by the trade's history; THE AKHAL-TEKE — the 'golden horse' of the metallic coat, the ancient breed of the Ahal oasis (about 6,600 in the world and 3,000 at home by the counts; the Soviet 1935 ride of 4,300 km to Moscow in 84 days — the breed's legend), Yanardag of the emblem (the champion of 1999), the Horse Day of the last Sunday of April (the beauty contest of 25 April 2026; the Toyota for the winner's owner), the breeding art on UNESCO's list (2023), the gold horseback statue; THE ALABAI — the Central Asian shepherd dog of the Turkmen line, the gold 15 m statue of 10 November 2020, the Alabai Day since 2021, the Alabai Association chaired by Serdar, the gifts to Putin (2017) and the visiting presidents, the breeding art inscribed on 11 December 2025 at New Delhi (the 20th session's unanimous vote); the telpek sheepskin hat and the Turkmen jewelry's silver and carnelian; the dutar and the bagşy music (2021); the Görogly epic (2015) and the Kuştdepdi dance (2017) |
| The Silk Road's cities | MERV — the oasis city of five cities in one (Erk Gala of the Achaemenids, Gyaur Gala of the Seleucids and Sasanians, Sultan Kala of the Seljuks, Abdullah Khan Kala and Baýramaly Khan Kala of the Timurids and the Khivans), the world's largest city about 1150 by one count, 'the Queen of the World', the Sultan Sanjar mausoleum of 1157 (the 38 m dome), the Gyz Gala's corrugated walls, the Buddhist stupa and the Nestorian church — UNESCO's list since 1999 (the first of the five); KUNYA-URGENCH — the Khwarazmshahs' Gurganj, the Kutlug-Timur minaret of 60 m (the tallest of medieval Central Asia by the usual line), the Törebeg Hanym mausoleum's tiled dome, Nejameddin Kubra's shrine of the pilgrims — the list since 2005; NISA — the Parthians' first seat (the 3rd century BCE), the ivory rhytons of the Hermitage and Ashgabat — the list since 2007; DEHISTAN (Mishrian) — the Khwarazmshahs' southwestern city of the 11th–14th centuries on the tentative list since 1998; AMUL (Türkmenabat) of the Zarafshan–Karakum corridor (2023); Sarahs's Abul Fazl mausoleum (the 11th century), Gökdepe's fortress of 1881, Anau's lost mosque of 1456, the caravanserais of the Karakum (Daýahatyn of the 11th century on the Amu Darya road), the Köneürgenç 'forty mullahs' hill; the Silk Road's Turkmen stretch from Amul to Merv to Nisa to Dehistan — the routes to Herat, Mashhad, Bukhara and Khiva |
| The sporting firsts | The Olympics — one medal in eight Summer Games since 1996 (Polina Gurýewa's 59 kg weightlifting silver of 27 July 2021 at Tokyo with 217 kg; the Lexus, the flat and the US$50,000 of her reward), six athletes at Paris 2024 without a medal; the Asian Games — 3 golds, 11 silvers and 18 bronzes in all after Aichi-Nagoya 2026 (the two silvers of Nazmyradow's 75 kg karate and Matýakubow's 110 kg weightlifting — 410 kg; the boxers home without a medal), the 1994 Hiroshima debut's gold the first (1-3-3; 17th), Hangzhou 2022's 0-1-6; the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat — first of 63 nations with 74 golds by the official table (89 by another; 226 medals); football — the Asian Cups of 2004 and 2019 (the group stage; 3–10 in 2019), the best FIFA rank 86 (April 2004) and the worst 174 (September 2007), 141 in July 2026; the 2026 World Cup's second round (Iran 14, Uzbekistan 14, Turkmenistan 2) and the 2027 Asian Cup missed on 31 March 2026 at Bangkok; FK Arkadag's 61-match winning run of 2023–24 (the world's longest by the club's line), the AFC Challenge League of 2025, the three titles and three Super Cups; Altyn Asyr's eight titles (2014–21); the chess — the women's category-B silver at Samarkand (September 2026; 33rd of 190), the 2028 Olympiad at Abu Dhabi; the wrestler Begenjow's U23 Asian gold (27 May 2026); the 554 international medals of January–September 2026 by the deputy chairman's count; the göreş belt wrestling of the toýs, the Akhal-Teke races of the hippodrome; the Olympic Stadium of 45,000 with the horse's head |
| The letters and the screen | MAGTYMGULY PYRAGY (c. 1724–1807) — the national poet of the Turkmen tongue (the goşgy of the 'Türkmeniň' call to unity; his father Döwletmämmet Azady's 'Wagzy-Azat'), the 300th anniversary on UNESCO's calendar of 2024–25, the 60 m statue of May 2024, the Magtymguly Day of 27 June, the university and the theater named for him; the bagşy singers of the dutar and the gyjak (the Görogly epic; the Kuştdepdi), the Oguz Khan epic, the 'Book of Dede Korkut' of the Oghuz; the Soviet Turkmen letters — Berdi Kerbabaýew's 'The Decisive Step' (1947), Hydyr Derýaýew, the poet Kerim Gurbannepesow; the RUHNAMA of Niyazov (2001, 2004; the 50-plus translations, the copy in orbit of August 2005 'to circle the Earth for 150 years', the neon-lit monument of 2003 that opened each evening) — 'the book of the soul' by the state and 'the cult's catechism' by the critics (both stated, LAW 2); Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow's 60-plus books (the horses, the dogs, the tea, the medicinal plants, the carpets) by the state's count; the screen — the Turkmenfilm studio of 1926 (Oguzhan studio since 2008; Bulat Mansurov's 'The Contest' of 1963, Hojaguly Narliýew's 'Daughter-in-law' of 1972 the Soviet classics), the state's eight television channels (Altyn Asyr, Ýaşlyk, Miras, Türkmenistan, Türkmen Owazy, Aşgabat, Türkmenistan Sport, Arkadag) and the TDH news agency, the satellite dishes' ban of 2015 by the independent press, the RSF rank 173rd, the Russian channels' reach; the Latin alphabet of 30 letters since 1993; the Nasreddin anecdotes and the sericulture on UNESCO's multinational lists (2022) |
| The faiths' marks | The Türkmenbaşy Ruhy mosque of Gypjak (22 October 2004; 10,000 worshippers; the 91 m minarets; the Bouygues build; the Ruhnama's lines on its walls — the controversy of the clerics; Niyazov's tomb beside it) the largest of Central Asia by the state's line; the Ertuğrul Gazi mosque of Ashgabat (1998; Turkey's gift in the Ottoman style; 5,000), the Gurbanguly Hajji mosque of Mary (2009), the Arkadag mosque (2023); the mosques from four in the Soviet years to about 700 by the count; the shrines of the Sufi saints — Gözli Ata of the Balkan steppe, Paraw Bibi's cliff shrine by Gyzylarbat, Nejameddin Kubra and Sultan Tekesh of Kunya-Urgench, the Kyrk Molla hill, Ysmamyt Ata, the pilgrims' rags on the trees; the Christians — the Church of St Alexander Nevsky of Ashgabat (the 1900s), the Armenian church of Türkmenbaşy, the Catholic chapel of the nuncio's mission (1997), the Protestants' and the Jehovah's Witnesses' fines and the conscientious objectors' jail by the Forum 18 reports; the Jews of the Bukharan line few; the Bahá'ís' first temple of the world at Ashgabat (1908; the earthquake's and the Soviets' ruin — demolished 1963); the Nestorian Merv and the Buddhist Gyaur Gala of the past, the Zoroastrian Nowruz of 21–22 March the living pre-Islamic feast; the chief mufti replaced on 19 June 2026 (Rahman Gurbanmyradow); the Hajj quotas of the state's lists; the 2016 law of the 50 founders; the USCIRF's 'particular concern' since 2014 and the state's 'tolerance' both stated (LAW 2) |
| The economic records | THE TWO RATES — 3.50 official and 17–19.5 on the street (2025–26): the widest official–parallel gap of the former Soviet republics by the usual line (the 40 of April 2021 the record), the IMF's 'unification of the highest priority'; the official growth of 6.3% in 2023, 2024, 2025 and the nine months of 2026 — the same figure four years running (the IMF's 3.4%, 3.6% and 2.4%); the public debt 5.2% of GDP (2025) among the world's lowest by the World Bank's count; the free gas, water, electricity and salt of 1993–2019 — the longest utilities' holiday of any state by the usual line; the gasoline and the bread among the world's cheapest at the official prices; the 10% yearly rises of 2008–25 (17 years) ended in 2026; the gas exports' 90% share of the exports and China's two-thirds of them the deepest single-buyer dependence of the region; the census's 7.06 million against the 2.7–5 million independent lines — the widest population dispute of any state by the demographers' reading; the HDI 0.764 (95th) 'high' on the official data; the Freedom House 1 of 100 (2026) the lowest score of the world with the two other 1s; the RSF 173rd; the internet's speed last of the Ookla lists where measured; the Arkadag city's US$3.3 billion for 73,000 planned people (about US$45,000 a head); the Olympic complex's US$5 billion for the 2017 Games; the airport's US$2.3 billion for 14 million capacity against the few flights; the Gurbanguly years' US$10.3 billion gas year (2022) the record; the 1.9 million emigrants of 2008–18 by the leaked count |
| The desert and the canal | THE KARAKUM — 'the black sand' of about 350,000 km² (70–80% of the country), the Turan Depression's sands between the Caspian and the Amu Darya with the Unguz scarp, the saxaul and the takyrs, the Repetek reserve's 50.1 °C of 28 July 1983 (the Soviet Union's record), the Darvaza crater; THE KARAKUM CANAL — 1,375 km from Bosaga on the Amu Darya to Bereket (1954–88; 13 km³ a year — the longest irrigation canal of the world by the usual line; the unlined bed's losses of up to half the water and the salinized fields the price; the Aral's basin's largest single draw), the Altyn Asyr 'Golden Age' lake of the Karashor depression (the first stage of 15 July 2009; the drainage collectors of 2,650 km planned); the Garabogazköl lagoon — 18,000 km², about 10 m deep, 35% salt, blocked from the Caspian in March 1980 and dry by 1984, opened again on Niyazov's order of June 1992 (the sodium sulfate of its shore); the Sarygamyş lake (3,955 km²; the Akjagaýa depression beside it at −81 or about −100 m — the lowest point); the Caspian — the world's largest lake at about −28 to −29 m (the record low of 2025; the shore retreating at Avaza); the Yangykala canyon's 'fiery' cliffs of 60–100 m; the Köýtendag's Aýrybaba (3,139 m), its Kyrk Gyz cave and 27 m waterfall, the Dinosaur Plateau's 2,500 Jurassic tracks (31 trackways; the 1980 Soviet study); the Kow Ata underground lake's warm sulfur water (the Bäherden cave); the Badhyz pistachio savanna the world's largest wild pistachio woodland by the claim; the Köpetdag's 1948 fault; the Amu Darya's 2,540 km the country's one great river |
| The wildlife's records | The Turkmen kulan (the Asiatic wild ass of Badhyz — 200 at the reserve's founding of 1941, 5,000 at the peak, about 650 by the count; the Badhyz reserve of 877 km²), the goitered gazelle (jeýran) of the Karakum and the Hazar reserve, the Transcaspian urial and the markhor of the Köýtendag (the screw horns), the Persian leopard of the Köpetdag and the Sünt-Hasardag (the few dozen by the counts; the Caucasus leopard's seed), the Asiatic cheetah gone from the Turkmen desert by the 1980s (the last of the USSR), the striped hyena, the Caspian seal (endangered; from a million to under 70,000–168,000 by the counts; the die-off of December 2022 — 700 to 2,500 carcasses on the Caspian shores), the sturgeon of the beluga caviar (the fishery closed), the flamingos and the pelicans of the Türkmenbaşy bay's Hazar reserve (the Ramsar wetland), the saxaul jay and the Pander's ground jay of the sands, the houbara bustard of the Gulf falconers' hunts (the licensed hunts of the sheikhs by the reports), the desert monitor (zemzen) of 1.5 m, the Central Asian cobra and the sand viper, the Repetek's 1,000-plus insect species by the reserve's count; the Akhal-Teke, the Alabai, the Arvana dromedary (the Turkmen camel of the çal), the Karakul sheep of the astrakhan; the nine reserves' 19,750 km² (4% of the land) and the two UNESCO natural properties (the Repetek biosphere reserve of 1979; the Cold Winter Deserts of Turan of 2023); the Köpetdag's wild tulips, the Badhyz pistachios, the Amu Darya's tugai forests of the Amyderýa reserve |
| The small and the strange | The white cars of Ashgabat (the dark colors' ban of the 2010s; the imports of only white and silver by the independent press's reports — the state's 'the city's look'); the months and days renamed in 2002–08 (Türkmenbaşy for January, Gurbansoltan for April after the President's mother, Ruhnama for September); the gold rotating Niyazov of 1998–2010 that turned to face the sun; the Ruhnama in orbit (August 2005) and its neon monument that opened at 8 p.m.; the opera, ballet, circus and the lip-synching banned (2001; the 'un-Turkmen' arts and the gold teeth's 'chew bones' advice); the 'Türkmenbaşy' bread, port, mosque and melon; the Melon Day of the second Sunday of August (1994) with the 400 varieties; the Alabai and the Akhal-Teke gifts to Putin and the visiting presidents; the President's songs, the rap with the grandson (2019), the DJ set, the weightlifting on television (2018), the drifting in the Karakum, the Darvaza rally; the 'no coronavirus' state with the masks against 'dust'; the e-visa after 35 years of the letters of invitation; the flag's reputation as the most intricate of the world; the Nisa rhytons' ivory; the bread never cut with a knife and never thrown; the çal of the camels; the telpek's sheepskin; the 'Arkadag' word on the city, the medal, the stadium, the hospital and the title; the Guinness for the most white marble, the tallest flagpole (2008–10), the tallest enclosed Ferris wheel, the largest fountain group, the largest star image, the largest indoor velodrome, the largest 'gol'; the airport shaped like a falcon with the carpet on its roof; the 2:3 flag changed from 1:2 in 2001; the transit visas of three to five days; the Independence Day moved by a month (2018); the 'Shining of Karakum' name for the Door to Hell |
| The disasters' marks | THE ASHGABAT EARTHQUAKE OF 6 OCTOBER 1948 (01:12; Ms 7.3; the toll from 10,000 by the lowest count through the Soviet report's 40,000 to 110,000–176,000 by the highest — about two-thirds of the city by one line; all stated — among the deadliest earthquakes of the 20th century; the Day of Remembrance; the Halk Hakydasy memorial of 2014), the Balkan earthquake of 6 December 2000 (Mw 7.0; 11 dead by one report, 4 by another), the Köpetdag fault's Germab shock of 1929 and the Kazanjik shock of 1946 by the catalogs; the Lebap storm of 27 April 2020 at Türkmenabat (the roofs, the cars and the dead unreported by the state — the exiled press's count; both stated, LAW 2); the Caspian's seal die-off of December 2022 (2,500 carcasses by the Kazakh count) and the sea's record low of 2025; the drought of 2021–23 and the Amu Darya's low flow; the heat of June 2026 and the Mary grid's collapse (the 110 volts; the protest of 17 June), the blackout of 30 August 2026; the Mongol sack of Merv (1221; 700,000 by the chroniclers), the Geok Tepe assault of 24 January 1881 (6,500–20,000), the purges of 1937–38, the Aral Sea's loss of the 1960s–2000s (the dust storms of the Daşoguz north; the salt), the locust years of the Karakum's edge, the famine of 1921–22, the Caspian's rise of 1978–95 that flooded the Türkmenbaşy and Cheleken shores before the fall; the pandemic undeclared (2020–23) |
| The empires of the land | The Achaemenid satrapy of Margiana (the 540s BCE – 330 BCE; the Behistun's 55,243 of 522 BCE), the Seleucids (the Antiochia Margiana), THE PARTHIANS OF NISA (247 BCE – 224 CE — the Turkmen land's own empire that fought Rome), the Sasanians (224–651; Yazdegerd's end at Merv), the Umayyads and the Abbasids (651–821; Abu Muslim's Merv and al-Ma'mun's), the Tahirids, Saffarids and Samanids (821–999), the Ghaznavids (999–1040), THE GREAT SELJUKS (1040–1157 — the Turkmen's own; Sanjar's Merv), the Khwarazmshahs (1077–1231), the Mongols (1221–), the Chagatai and the Golden Horde, the Timurids (1370s–1500), the Uzbek Shaybanids, the Khivan and Bukharan khanates (1500–1881) with the Safavid and Qajar Persia in the south, THE RUSSIANS (1881–1917; the Transcaspian Oblast), the Soviets (1920–91; the Turkmen SSR of 1924), the state of 1991 — and the Turkmen on others' thrones: the Seljuks of Rum (Anatolia; 1077–1308), the Zengids and the Artuqids, the Qara Qoyunlu (1374–1468) and the Aq Qoyunlu (1378–1503) of Iran and Iraq, the Ottomans' Oghuz Kayı claim, the Safavids' Qizilbash Turkmen, the Qajars' Turkmen roots — 'the Turkmen who ruled the world and lost their own land' by the national line; the Merv of 1150 the world's largest city by one historian's count; the five World Heritage sites of the empires' leavings |
| The census and the counts | 7,057,841 by the census of 17–27 December 2022 (the State Committee for Statistics; the results of 14 July 2023 — the first count published since 1995's 4,483,251; the 1989 Soviet census's 3,522,717; the 2012 census held and buried — the 4,751,120 of its leak), the UN's 7.6 million for 2025 (the World Bank's 7,618,847) and the IMF's implied 6.75 million (its US$83.1 billion at US$12,300 a head), the independent lines — Radio Azatlyk's 2.7–2.8 million of 2021, the 'fewer than 4 million' of the exiled press, the 'barely more than 5 million' of the BTI 2026, the leaked state survey's 1.88 million emigrants of 2008–18 — all stated (LAW 2); the registered voters 3,496,368 of 2023 against the census's 65% adults (about 4.6 million); the Russians from 333,892 (1989) to 114,447 (2022), the Uzbeks 642,476 (9.1%), the Baloch 87,503, the Kazakhs 11,825; the Turkmens abroad — about a million each in Iran and Afghanistan, 194,000 in Uzbekistan, 171,000 in Pakistan, 114,000 in Turkey (2024), 41,000 in Russia (2021); the life expectancy 70.1 (HDR 2025), 70.5 (UN 2024), 71.8 (the 2022 estimate), 'above 73' (the state) — all stated; the fertility 2.6 (UN) and the census's 34.9% under the working age; the density 14.4 (the census) or 16 (the UN); the urban 47.1% (the census) or 46.5% (the UN); the GDP a head US$10,159 (the World Bank on 7.6 million), US$12,300 (the IMF), about US$25,000 by purchasing power — the count behind every figure of this page; the state's census and the independent counts both stated |
| The last and the next | THE LAST — the presidential election of 12 March 2022 (Serdar Berdimuhamedow 72.97%), the Mejlis election of 26 March 2023, the census of December 2022, the constitution's amendment of 21 January 2023, the Halk Maslahaty session of 23 September 2026, the reshuffle of 13–14 February 2026, the state budget signed on 24 November 2025, the IMF's Article IV mission of June 2026, the Gazprom contract ended on 30 June 2024, the Galkynysh contract of 16 April 2026, the Olympic medal of 27 July 2021, the Asian Games of 4 October 2026 (two silvers), the World Heritage inscriptions of September 2023 and the intangible one of 11 December 2025, the independence parade of 27 September 2026, the e-visa launch of 1 October 2026, the parallel rate's fall below 18 on 1 September 2026; THE NEXT — the Avaza Consultative Meeting of 8 October 2026 and the CIS summit of 9 October 2026 at Türkmenbaşy (Putin expected), the FIFA ranking of 7 October 2026, the Turkic states' summit in Turkey in the fall of 2026, the 2027 state budget's adoption in November 2026, the Neutrality Day of 12 December 2026, the TAPI's gas to Afghanistan promised for 2027 (the Herat stretch's completion 'this year'), the Arkadag second phase's opening in 2027, the 2027 Asian Cup without Turkmenistan, the Mejlis election due by 31 March 2028, the 47th chess Olympiad of 2028 at Abu Dhabi, the 'International Year of International Law' of 2028, the presidential election of 2029, the Galkynysh phase 4's completion by 2030, the Industrial Strategy 2030–2045, the youth program to 2031, the next census due in 2032 by the ten-year rule; THE STATE AS OF 5 OCTOBER 2026 as tabled above |
Frequently asked questions
What is the official name of Turkmenistan?
Turkmenistan — Türkmenistan in Turkmen, the name alone without a 'republic' in the constitution of 18 May 1992 (the Turkmen SSR of 27 October 1924 to 1991; the Transcaspian Oblast of the Russians before it); the Central Asian state between the Caspian Sea and the Amu Darya, independent since 27 October 1991 (the referendum of 26 October with 94.1% yes; the day now kept on 27 September since the 2018 decision), the United Nations' permanently neutral state by the General Assembly's resolution of 12 December 1995 (reaffirmed in 2015 and 2025; the 30th anniversary forum of 12 December 2025 at Ashgabat), a presidential republic in which the Halk Maslahaty (the People's Council) is the supreme representative body since 21 January 2023 and the Mejlis of 125 the legislature; the demonym Turkmen; the UN's member since 2 March 1992, the CIS's associate member (the chair of 2026), the OSCE's, the OIC's, the ECO's, the Non-Aligned Movement's, the Organization of Turkic States' observer.
What is the capital of Turkmenistan?
Ashgabat — the city of white marble at the foot of the Köpetdag on the Iranian line, 1,030,063 people at the census of 17 December 2022 (14.6% of the country; about 1.2 million by the UN-based 2025 estimates), the Askhabad of the Russian railway of 1885 on the site of the Parthian Nisa's neighbor, destroyed by the earthquake of 6 October 1948 (the toll from 10,000 by the lowest count through the Soviet report's 40,000 to 110,000–176,000 by the highest — all stated), the capital of the Turkmen SSR and of the republic since 1991; the Oguzhan presidential palace, the Mejlis and the Halk Maslahaty's Maslahat Köşgi, the ministries, the Independence Monument, the Neutrality Arch, the 133 m flagpole of 2008, the Älem Ferris wheel of 2012, the Olympic complex of 2017, the airport of 2016 shaped like a falcon, the Guinness record of 2013 for the most white-marble buildings; Arkadag, the new city of 29 June 2023 named for the National Leader, 30 km west as the Ahal welayat's seat (the second phase due in 2027); Türkmenabat (230,861), Daşoguz (201,142), Mary (167,027), Balkanabat (123,190) and Türkmenbaşy (91,745) the next cities by the census.
How big is Turkmenistan, and how many people live there?
491,210 km² (189,657 sq mi) by the common count, 488,100 by another — both stated — the 52nd country of the world by area and the second of Central Asia after Kazakhstan, about 15% of India's area, 1.4 times Rajasthan's and 330 times Delhi's, about 70–80% of it the Karakum Desert; the land borders of four neighbors (4,158 km by one count — Uzbekistan 1,793, Iran 1,148, Afghanistan 804, Kazakhstan 413 — and 3,736 km by another; both stated) and the Caspian coast of about 1,768 km with the Garabogazköl's shore (1,035 km by the Caspian's own measure); 7,057,841 people at the census of 17 December 2022 by the State Committee for Statistics (the results of July 2023; 47.1% urban) — against the UN's estimate of about 7.6 million for 2025 and the independent press's and the demographers' 2.7–5 million lines (the emigration of up to 1.9 million of 2008–18 by the leaked survey, the 'barely more than 5 million' of the BTI 2026) — all three stated (LAW 2); about 14 people per km² by the census on the whole area, among the emptiest states of Asia; the median age about 27 and the fertility about 2.6 by the UN's lines; Ashgabat's 1.03 million and the Mary, Daşoguz and Lebap welayats of 1.4–1.6 million each the crowded oases.
What are the highest and lowest points of Turkmenistan?
Aýrybaba — 3,139 m (10,299 ft) by the common count (3,137 and 3,138 by others), the summit of the Köýtendag range (the Kugitang of the Pamir-Alay's last spur) on the Uzbek line in the Lebap welayat (named the Great Saparmyrat Türkmenbaşy Peak in 2004; the dinosaur plateau of Hojapil's 2,500 Jurassic tracks and the Kyrk Gyz cave below it); the Köpetdag's Şahşah (Rizeh) 2,912–2,940 m above Ashgabat on the Iranian line, the Great Balkan's Arlan 1,880 m by the Caspian the other heights; the lowest point the Akjagaýa depression at 81 m below sea level by the common count (about 100 m by another) in the Daşoguz welayat beside the Sarygamyş lake; the Caspian's own surface at about 28–29 m below sea level (the record low of 2025) along the whole western coast; the Amu Darya the one great river (2,540 km in all; the Turkmen northeast's border and lifeline), the Karakum Canal of 1,375 km of 1954–88 that carries its water to Mary, Tejen, Ashgabat and the west — the longest irrigation canal of the world by the usual line; the Murghab, the Tejen and the Atrek that die in the sand; the Garabogazköl lagoon of 18,000 km².
What currency does Turkmenistan use?
The Turkmen manat (ISO code TMT; m or TMT), of 100 tenge, issued by the Central Bank of Turkmenistan (1991; Chairman Toýly Mälikow since 5 April 2022) — the official rate 3.50 manat to the U.S. dollar fixed since January 2015 (2.85 of 2009–14; about 27.5 Indian rupees to the manat by the cross rates of 2 October 2026) against the parallel market's rate of about 17–17.5 in mid-September 2026 by the Chronicles of Turkmenistan's quotes (19.50 on 2 January 2026, 18 on 1 September — 'the first time in many years below 18' — the reason unexplained; about 5.5 rupees to the manat at that rate): the two rates the economy's defining fact, the IMF's June 2026 mission calling the unification 'of the highest priority' — the state's 'stable national currency' and the IMF's line both stated (LAW 2); the redenomination of 1 January 2009 (5,000 old manat = 1 new; the first manat of 1 November 1993 at 500 rubles); the notes of 1 to 500 manat (the 500 of 2020) with Oguz Khan, the poets and the state's buildings; the cash and transfer limits of the banks (the US$300 a month of purchases, the Western Union ceilings, the card withdrawals abroad) by the independent press's counts; the crypto law in force since 1 January 2026.
Who governs Turkmenistan?
President Serdar Berdimuhamedow — born 22 September 1981 at Ashgabat, the son of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow (the President of 2007–22), the deputy prime minister of 2021, elected on 12 March 2022 with 72.97% against eight candidates and sworn in on 19 March 2022 for the seven-year term to 2029 — the head of state and of the executive (the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers; the Supreme Commander-in-Chief); his father Gurbanguly, the 'National Leader of the Turkmen People' and Arkadag ('the Protector') by the law of 21 January 2023, the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty — the People's Council that the same day became the supreme body of the people's power, above the Mejlis (the sessions of 19 September 2025 and 23 September 2026); the Cabinet's deputy chairmen — Hojamyrat Geldimyradow (the economy), Raşit Meredow (foreign affairs, since 2001), Guwanç Agajanow (oil and gas), Batyr Annaýew (transport) and Batyr Mämmedow (education, science and health) of the reshuffle of 13 February 2026, Täçmyrat Atahallyýew, Baýmyrat Annamämmedow, Nokerguly Atagulyýew, Bahar Seýidowa; the Mejlis of 125 (Speaker Dünýägözel Gulmanowa) elected on 26 March 2023 (the Democratic Party 65 by both counts); the next Mejlis election due in March 2028 and the presidential in 2029 — the state's 'the people's unity' and the indexes' 'the least free state of the world' (Freedom House's 1 of 100) both stated (LAW 2).
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