Turkmenistan

• flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south;
• low mountains along border with Iran;
• borders Caspian Sea in west

• the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases;
• approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat

• earthquakes;
• mudslides;
• droughts;
• dust storms;
• floods

• landlocked;
• the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country;
• eastern part is plateau

noun:

Turkmenistani(s)

adjective:

Turkmenistani

total:

31.6 years (2025 est.)

male:

30.7 years

female:

31.7 years

• the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases;
• approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.78 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

35 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

43.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

27.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

72.4 years (2024 est.)

male:

69.4 years

female:

75.5 years

total:

2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

4.8% (2025 est.)

male:

9.4% (2025 est.)

female:

0.5% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

0.2% (2019)

women married by age 18:

6.1% (2019)

total:

13 years (2023 est.)

male:

12 years (2022 est.)

female:

12 years (2022 est.)

• soil and groundwater pollution from agricultural chemicals and pesticides;
• salination, waterlogging of soil due to poor irrigation methods;
• Caspian Sea pollution;
• river diversion for irrigation;
• soil erosion;
• desertification

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

urban population:

54% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

5,451.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

294.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

44.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

1.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

500,000 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

15.3% (2022 est.)

municipal:

453.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

806.765 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

16.12 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Turkmenistan

local long form:

none

local short form:

Turkmenistan

former:

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

the suffix - stan means "land," so the country name means the "Land of the Turkmen [people];" the people's name means "Turk-like," from the Persian words tork and mandan , referring to their formerly nomadic lifestyle that differed from the settled Turks of Turkey

name:

Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)

geographic coordinates:

37 57 N, 58 23 E

time difference:

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

derived from the Turkmen words ushq , meaning "love," and abad , meaning "inhabited place" or "town;" the city was originally a military outpost built in 1881 that took its name from an ancient settlement on the site

history:

several previous; latest adopted 14 September 2016

amendment process:

proposed by the Assembly or Mejlis; passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

7 years

legislature name:

Assembly (Mejlis)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

56 (48 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

3/28/2021

parties elected and seats per party:

• Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (DPT) (65);
• Groups of citizens of Turkmenistan (28);
• Agrarian Party (24);
• Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (8)

percentage of women in chamber:

25.5%

expected date of next election:

March 2028

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)

judge selection and term of office:

judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms

subordinate courts:

• High Commercial Court;
• appellate courts;
• provincial, district, and city courts;
• military courts

• Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or TAP
• Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan or TSTP
• The Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or TDP

note: all parties support President BERDIMUHAMEDOV; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad

chief of mission:

Ambassador Meret ORAZOV (since 14 February 2001)

chancery:

2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 588-1500

FAX:

[1] (202) 588-1500

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://usa.tmembassy.gov.tm/en

chief of mission:

Ambassador Elizabeth ROOD (since 31 July 2024)

embassy:

9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744000

mailing address:

7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070

telephone:

[993] (12) 94-00-45

FAX:

[993] (12) 94-26-14

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://tm.usembassy.gov/

ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

description:

• green field with a vertical red stripe near the left side;
• the stripe has five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches;
• five five-pointed white stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper left corner of the main field

meaning:

the green color and crescent moon stand for Islam, the five stars for the country's regions, and the guls for national identity

title:

"Garaşsyz, Bitarap Türkmenistanyň" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)

lyrics/music:

collective/Veli MUKHATOV

history:

adopted 1997; lyrics revised in 2008 to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW

total World Heritage Sites:

5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Ancient Merv (c);
• Kunya-Urgench (c);
• Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (c);
• Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n);
• Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (c)

• upper-middle-income Central Asian economy;
• houses fourth-largest natural gas reserves and rich in natural resources;
• authoritarian and dominated by state-owned enterprises;
• challenges include overvalued currency, high inflation risks, lack of economic diversification due to heavy state control and bureaucracy

total:

9.6% (2024 est.)

male:

14.7% (2024 est.)

female:

6% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

36.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

2.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

imports:

200 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

799.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

272,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

152,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

600 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

84.277 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

44.936 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

41.334 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

11.327 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• state-controlled broadcast media;
• 7 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks;
• satellite dishes available for other broadcasts;
• officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by removing satellite dishes

total:

5,113 km (2017)

broad gauge:

5,113 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge

• the military is responsible for external defense and works closely with the Border Service on protecting the country’s borders;
• areas of emphasis for the military include border security, competition on the Caspian Sea, regional stability, and military modernization;
• while Turkmenistan has a policy of permanent and "positive" neutrality and has declined to participate in post-Soviet military groupings such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has participated in multinational exercises and bilateral training with neighboring countries, including Russia and Uzbekistan;
• Turkmenistan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994, but it does not offer any military forces to NATO-led operations (2025)

• has a small space program focused on acquiring satellites and developing the infrastructure to build and operate satellites;
• particularly interested in communications and remote sensing satellites;
• has cooperated with the space agencies and/or space industries of France, Italy, Russia, South Korea, and the US (2025)

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List — Turkmenistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Turkmenistan was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List;
• for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/turkmenistan/