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Basic information about Turkmenistan

This country still unknown still hides many secrets . Many archaeological sites show a very rich history. While the capital Ashgabat seems out of the unreal. Very modern gilded buildings recall the madness of the last Turkmenbashi ( Turkmen Emperor ) .

The territory is almost completely covered with deserts and contains many minerals . It is confined between Uzbekistan , Iran and Afghanistan.

It is now possible to visit the Turkmen historical wonders dating back over 5000 years. Merv is probably the most important site during the Silk Road , but you can also visit the Great Mosque of Anau . It also hides the natural wonders such as hot Bakharden lake and cave Kou -Ata , canyons Yangikal , Gozli -Ata or the beaches of the Caspian Sea.

Area:

Total : 488,100 km2

Climate:
Turkmenistan has an arid desert climate with extreme summer heat and sub-freezing winter temperatures. Turkmenistan enjoys a dry, continental climate, with very hot summers (rarely below 35°C and occasionally up to 50°C in the southeastern regions of the Karakum Desert). Turkmenistan enjoys an average of 250 sunny days annually. In the south of Turkmenistan the climate is also slightly more continental than in the north and temperatures seldom drop below 5°C. Northern areas, near the Uzbek border and Khorezm (Dashoguz), can become very cold in winter with temperatures dropping below -20°C.

The best months for moderate temperatures are April and May for the beautiful blossoming deserts and mountains. September and October are great for an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, in the autumn harvest season. There is snow in the north, as well as above 1,000m in the mountains in January and February.


Geography :
Turkmenistan is located in the southwest part of Central Asia. In the north and the east it borders on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in the south -on Afghanistan and Iran. In the west it is washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. There are only three types of landscapes there: desert plains, oases and mountains. The most part of the country's territory (about 80 %) is the plain occupied the Kara Kum Desert stretching from west to east for 880 km. (375,000 square kilometers). In the northwest, by the coast of the Caspian Sea there is the Kara Bogaz Gol Gulf located 35 m below the sea level. In the south and southwest are the Kopet Dagh and Paropamisus Mountains. The largest lake is Lake Sarykamysh (saline). The main rivers are the Amu Darya, the Murghab and the Tedzhen.

Natural resources: oil, gas, potash and rock salts, nonferrous and rare earth metals. Climate - sharp continental, very dry. Winters are warm, summers - hot.

Time: UTC + 5 hours (UTC stands for Universal Time Coordinated).

Customs:
Permission from the Ministry of Culture is required to export carpets or other objects of art. Carpets produced before 1975 may not be exported. Export certificates for carpets are issued by the Museum of Carpets, which seals the carpets and issues export certificates, after the appropriate fee has been paid in manat currency (amount depends on the size of carpet).The best place to buy carpets is Tolkuchka Bazaar.

Communication:
Turkmen language belongs to the Turkic group of languages (closely related to Turkish) and has been the official language since 1990. It is therefore now used in all official state and literary matters. The Cyrillic script used during Soviet times has gradually been discontinued, in favor of the Latin alphabet. Turkmen, Russian and English are the most widely known languages.


 

Official Name: Turkmenistan
Capital: Ashgabat
Population: 5,043,618
Total area: 488,1OO sq. km
Density: 8 people per sq. km
Languages: Turkmen, Russian, English
Government: Single party republic
National currency: Manat
Population: Turkmen 91 %, Ukrainian 3 %, 2% Russians

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