Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan (/tɜːrkˈmɛnɪstæn/ (approximately this soundlisten) or /tɜːrkmɛnɪˈstɑːn/ (about this soundlisten); Turkmen: Türkmenistan, suggested [tʏɾkmɛnɪˈθtɑn]), previously called Turkmenia,[8] officially the Republic of Turkmenistan, is a country in central Asia, bordered through Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ashgabat is the capital and biggest metropolis. The population of the us of a is five.6 million, the lowest of the primary Asian republics and one of the maximum sparsely populated in Asia.

Turkmenistan has been on the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. In medieval instances, Merv was one of the high-quality cities of the Islamic international and an important prevent at the Silk road, a caravan path used for alternate with China till the mid-fifteenth century. Annexed by way of the Russian Empire in 1881, Turkmenistan later figured prominently within the anti-Bolshevik movement in important Asia. In 1925, Turkmenistan have become a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR); it have become independent upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.[2]

Turkmenistan possesses the world's sixth largest reserves of herbal gasoline sources.[9] most of the united states is included by the Karakum (Black Sand) wasteland. From 1993 to 2017, residents acquired government-furnished power, water and herbal fuel free of rate.[10]

The sovereign kingdom of Turkmenistan become ruled by using President for existence Saparmurat Niyazov (additionally known as Turkmenbashi) until his death in 2006. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow become elected president in 2007. According to Human Rights Watch, "Turkmenistan stays one of the world’s most repressive international locations. The us of a is sincerely closed to independent scrutiny, media and religious freedoms are concern to draconian regulations, and human rights defenders and different activists face the regular hazard of presidency reprisal."[11] After postponing the loss of life penalty, the usage of capital punishment turned into officially abolished within the 2008 constitution.[1][12]