Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan or Turkmenia is a country in South-central Asia. It has borders with Afghanistan, Iran (Persia), Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan. It has no ocean coastline, but is on the Caspian Sea. The capital of Turkmenistan is Ashghabad.

Turkmenistan is a non-aligned and fully neutral country.

History
Turkmenistan was a part of the Soviet Union since its creation, in 1922. At first, Turkmenistan was an autonomous republic within Russian SFSR. In 1925 it was promoted to a Soviet republic. Turkmenistan is an independent country since 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Provinces
Turkmenistan is divided into five provinces and one capital city district. The provinces are divided into districts which may be either counties or cities.

Climate
Turkmenistan is one of the driest desert areas in the world. Some places have an average annual precipitation of only 12 mm. The highest temperature recorded in Ashgabat is 48.0 °C. Kerki, an extreme inland city located on the banks of the Amu Darya river, recorded 51.7 °C in July 1983, but this value is unofficial. 50.1C is the highest temperature recorded at Repetek Reserve, recognized as the highest temperature ever recorded in the whole former Soviet Union.

Geography
Turkmenistan is the world's 52nd-largest country. It is slightly smaller than Spain and somewhat larger than the US state of California. Over 80% of the country is covered by the Karakum Desert.

The Turkmen shore along the Caspian Sea is 1768 km long. The Caspian Sea is entirely landlocked, with no access to the ocean.

The major cities include Aşgabat, Türkmenbaşy (formerly Krasnovodsk) and Daşoguz.

Turkmenistan has an arid climate. Annual rainfall is low, particularly in summer. Winters are dry and mild. The wettest region in Turkmenistan is Köýtendağ Range. Köýtendağ is situated in southeastern Turkmenistan on the borders with Uzbekistan.