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Turkmenistan

Asia · 6.4 million

About Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a sovereign country located in Asia, specifically within the Central Asia subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Ashgabat, and the country is home to approximately 7.1 million people. In its native languages, the country is known as “Туркмения”, “Türkmenistan”. Russian and Turkmen are recognised as official or widely-spoken languages, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Turkmenistan. The official currency in circulation is the Turkmenistan manat (m), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Turkmenistan is widely recognised for the Door to Hell gas crater, white-marble Ashgabat and Akhal-Teke horses. People from Turkmenistan are referred to as Turkmen.

Geography & climate

Turkmenistan covers approximately 488,100 km² of territory, making it a mid-sized country by land area. It shares land borders with 4 neighbouring countries — a position that has historically influenced migration patterns, regional politics, and cross-border commerce. Geographically, Turkmenistan sits in the Northern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 40.0° N, 60.0° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+05:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Turkmenistan can be summarised as: karakum desert with hot & arid. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 7.1 million inhabitants, Turkmenistan is a modestly populated country. Linguistic life is plural here: Russian and Turkmen are all in active use, with regional and minority tongues often adding further variety. Locals refer to their homeland as “Туркмения” or “Türkmenistan”, a name with linguistic and historical roots that long predate modern borders. Citizens are formally known in English as Turkmen, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Turkmenistan manat (m) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Turkmenistan should familiarise themselves with the capital, Ashgabat, the local time zone (UTC+05:00), the local currency (Turkmenistan manat). The international dialling prefix is +993, which is required when phoning a Turkmenistan number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .tm, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Turkmenistan is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Turkmenistan is generally classified within the Asia region and more specifically the Central Asia subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties.

Bordering countries

Turkmenistan shares land borders with 4 countries. Click any neighbour to read about it:

Did you know?

Turkmenistan's 'Door to Hell' is a 70 m crater in the Karakum desert that has been on fire continuously since 1971 — Soviet engineers ignited it to burn off methane and the flames never went out.

Turkmenistan in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Turkmenistan appears as a tougher puzzle reserved for geography fans who can pick up subtler hints. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Turkmenistan carries the personality tags “🔥 Door to Hell” and “🐎 Akhal-Teke Horses”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Turkmenistan to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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