Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 60 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 488,100 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 53
land:
469,930 sq km
water:
18,170 sq km
slightly larger than California
total: 3,736 km
border countries:
Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
none (landlocked)
subtropical desert
More Climate Details
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
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
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
arable land: 4.51%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
0.14%
other:
95.35% (2005)
18,000 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
60.9 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total: 24.65 cu km/yr (2%/1%/98%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita:
5,104 cu m/yr (2000)
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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