Site Information:  Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union

Title:         
Turkmenistan

Public Affairs

Source:         Bureau of Public Affairs, Office of Public
                 Communication

Description:    Washington, DC

Date:           May 27, 19925/27/92

Category:       Site Information

Region:         Eurasia

Country:        Turkmenistan, USSR (former)

Subject:        History, Democratization, Trade/Economics,
                 Cultural Exchange

Map: Central, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Republics

[TEXT]

Overview

Situated in Central Asia, Turkmenistan extends from the Caspian
Sea on the west to Uzbekistan on the east.  It is bordered by
Kazakhstan on the north and by Afghanistan and Iran on the south
and is the southernmost of the former Soviet republics.  It lies
between the Caspian Sea in the west and the Amu Darya River in the
east, stretching about 1,100 kilometers (720 miles) from east to
west and about 650 kilometers (420 miles) north to south.

        The terrain of Turkmenistan is primarily desert (the Kara-
Kum, or Black Sand), with an arid climate and severe fluctuations in
temperature.  The capital and largest city, Ashgabat, is situated in
the south at the foot of the Kopet Dag mountain range, which rises
along the border with Iran.  The population is concentrated here and
in the valley of Amu-Darya in the northeast.

        Turkmen is the official language, with Turkmens comprising
about two-thirds of the population.

        The exact origin of the Turkmens is uncertain, but they were
known to be a pastoral and nomadic people until their occupation by
tsarist Russia in the 19th century.  The Turkmen Soviet Socialist
Republic was established in 1924.

        Turkmenistan declared its independence on October 27, 1991.

        Although historically a herding region, Turkmenistan under
Soviet influence became an important producer of minerals and
cotton.  Natural gas was first discovered in the desert in the 1960s,
and the gas field of Sovete-bad is today a major supplier.  Cotton
production has increased because of construction of the Kara-Kum
canal, which crosses the desert.  Herds of karakul sheep provide
pelts renowned as Persian lamb.  Western Turkmenistan has
fisheries, fish processing, and chemical and mining industries.  n

Turkmenistan at a Glance

*  Most Turkmens are Sunni Muslims.  Their society is patrilinear,
with extended families made of up parents, unmarried children, and
married sons living together.

        *   Some Turkmens remained nomadic until the early 20th
century, supplementing their income by robbing caravans passing
through their territory, sometimes holding the travelers for ransom
or even selling them into slavery.

        *  Since the 1950s, construction has been underway on the
world's largest irrigation project, the Kara-kum Canal, across the
Kara-Kum desert.

        *  Fox, wildcat, and gazelle roam the desert range of the Kara-
Kum, while cheetah, lynx, and snow leopard are found in the
mountain range of Kopet-Dag.  Beluga sturgeon, prized for caviar, is
found in the Caspian region.

        *  Many women in Turkmenistan are engaged in the art of
carpet weaving.  Their woolen carpets feature colors and patterns
distinct to their culture.

Principal Government Officials

Principal Government Officials

President and Prime Minister:  Saparmurad Niyazov
Minister of Foreign Affairs:  Avdy Kuliyev
Capital:  Ashgabat, formerly Ashkhabad

        Ashgabat  was founded in 1881 as a fortress.  An earthquake in
1948 virtually destroyed the city, which sits on a major fault zone.
The city has textile and machine-building industries, as well as a
film studio.  It also is the home of the Turkmen Academy of
Sciences.