About Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia. At 188,500 sq miles (488,100 km2), Turkmenistan is the world's 52nd-largest country. It is slightly smaller than Spain and somewhat larger than the US state of California. Over 80% of the country is covered by the Karakum (Black Sands) Desert.  Main cities include Ashgabat, Türkmenbasy (formerly Krasnovodsk) and Dasoguz.

Until 1991 it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic. It is bordered by Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the southwest, Uzbekistan to the northeast, Kazakhstan to the northwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. The Turkmen shore along the Caspian Sea is 1,099 miles (1,768 km) long while the Caspian Sea is entirely landlocked, with no access to the ocean.
 
Turkmenistan possesses the world's fourth-largest reserves of natural gas after Russia, Iran and the United States as well as substantial oil resources. One half of its irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it also the world's 10th-largest cotton producer.

Turkmenistan has a single-party system and was ruled by President for Life Saparmurat Niyazov until 21 December 2006, when he passed away. Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow was elected as President and was sworn in on 14 February 2007.

The majority of Turkmenistan's citizens are ethnic Turkmen with sizeable minorities of Russians and Uzbeks.  Eighty-nine percent of the population is Muslim.