About Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is an ancient land of great spirituality, tradition and natural beauty. Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia bordered by the Caspian Sea and largely covered by the Karakum Desert.
Ashgabat, the capital, was rebuilt in Soviet style in the mid-20th century and is filled with grand monuments honoring former president Saparmurat Niyazov.
The ancient cities of Merv and Konye-Urgench inspire visions of caravans plodding along the ancient Silk Road, while the haunting beauty of the Karakum Desert and other quirky natural phenomena are less expected but equally mesmerising. The full Turkmen experience is ultimately about mingling with the warm and fascinating Turkmen people themselves, whose hospitality is the stuff of legend.
Capital: Ashgabat
Population: 5.24 million (2013) World Bank
President: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
Capital and largest city: Ashgabat; 37°58′N 58°20′E / 37.967°N 58.333°E
Official language: Turkmen. Most citizens of Turkmenistan have facility in both Russian and Turkmen. Turkmen have a natural affection for their national language, and fluency in Turkmen could open more avenues for interacting with the population.
National Airline: Turkmenistan Airlines (TUA)
Turkmenistan Airlines is the national carrier of Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan Airlines offers non-stop connections from Europe (Birmingham, London LHR, Frankfurt, Paris CDG, Moscow and St. Petersburg and various destinations in Asia to Turkmenistan. All international flights use the new International Airport in Ashgabat.
Sources: Wikipedia/Lonely Planet.
