Turkmenistan: Background & Geography

Introduction Turkmenistan
Background:
 Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1925. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not tolerated. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects can be worked out.
Geography Turkmenistan
Location:
 Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates:
 40 00 N, 60 00 E
Map references:
 Asia
Area:
 total: 488,100 sq km
water: negl.
land: 488,100 sq km
Area - comparative:
 slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
 total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Coastline:
 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Climate:
 subtropical desert
Terrain:
 flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
Elevation extremes:
 lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
Natural resources:
 petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt
Land use:
 arable land: 3.6%
permanent crops: 0.1%
other: 96.3% (2003 est.)
Irrigated land:
 17,500 sq km (2003 est.)
Natural hazards:
 NA
Environment - current issues:
 contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
 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

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