Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia bordered by the Caspian Sea and largely covered by the Karakum Desert. It’s known for archaeological ruins including those at Nisa and Merv, major stops along the ancient trade route the Silk Road. Ashgabat, the capital, was rebuilt in Soviet style in the mid-20th century and is filled with grand monuments honoring former president Saparmurat Niyazov.
Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Ethnic Groups: Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6%
Belief Systems: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Demographics:
Population: 5.3 million people (World Rank: 117th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 29.2 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 219th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 1.26 %/yr (World Rank: 104th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 65.5 years (World Rank: 178th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 24.5 years (World Rank: 116th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Turkmenistan
Worldatlas.com
Turkmenistan
World Factbook
Turkmenistan - Country Profile
U.S. Library of Congress
Turkmenistan - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Travel Info for Turkmenistan
Travelnotes.org
Turkmen Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Turkmen Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
