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Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
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Customs and Culture
Customs and Culture
About the People
Turkmens follow three codes of conduct. Adat (Turkman customary law) sherigat (Islamic law) and edep (rules of proper etiquette and behavior), The combination of these three codes of conduct is know as turkmenchilik meaning Turkmenness. The codes define ways of greeting, hospitality toward guests, respect towards elders, and a sense of tribal identity.
Cultural Attributes
Turkmens follow three codes of conduct. Adat (Turkman customary law) sherigat (Islamic law) and edep (rules of proper etiquette and behavior), The combination of these three codes of conduct is known as turkmenchilik meaning Turkmenness. The codes define ways of greeting, hospitality toward guests, respect towards elders, and a sense of tribal identity.
Home of the Golden Horse
Greetings, Gestures & Visiting
Months and weekdays get new names in Turkmenistan. The use of new names for months and days of the week began all over Turkmenistan. Every Monday on August 12, Turkmen newspapers pointed out that August 12th is also called "12 Arp Aslan, Bash Gyuni".
Diet
Meat from camels, cows, goats and sheep are the main source of meals. Milk from these animals is also used to make a variety of butters, creams and yogurts. One favorite dish is dograma (a thick soup made with diced bread, lamb, onions, tomatoes and spices). Round flatbread is also a staple at most meals.
Family
Extended families are the norm. The youngest son bears the responsibility for his parent's welfare. Many families have 5 or more children. Many marriages are still arranged but the couple usually knows each other. Part of the marriage is the galyng (bride price) that is paid from the groom's family to the bride's family.
Recreation
Fotbal (soccer) is the most popular sport among young men. Horse racing is very popular and the horse symbolizes the Turkmen spirit and is part of the state seal. Visiting friends is a favorite pastime. Many urban Turkmen own summer houses where they spend their vacation time.
Holidays
Independence Day
10/27Independence Day
Christmas
12/25Christmas
The nation is mostly Islamic in religion and has only a small percent of its population as Christians. Christmas is celebrated among the local Christian communities in the privacy of their homes. In some areas, certain churches and cathedrals celebrate the occasion by holding Midnight Mass. After Mass Christians hold simple feasts to celebrate the occasion within the confines of their homes.
Dates of Interest
- October 27th
This holiday, celebrated on October 27th, honors the life and work of Magtymguly Pyragy, a revered Turkmen poet and philosopher. It is a day of cultural events, poetry readings, and traditional music performances.
How do greetings and the calendar work in Turkmenistan?
Greetings are shaped by turkmenchilik, the combination of adat (customary law), sherigat (Islamic law) and edep (proper etiquette). Note that Turkmenistan uses renamed months and weekdays alongside the world calendar.
Good to know
- Months were renamed, e.g. January is Turkmenbashi, March is Novruz, September is Rukhnama
- Weekdays were renamed, e.g. Monday is Bash Gyun (main day) and Sunday is Dynch Gyun (rest day); Friday (Anna Gyun) is unchanged
What is dining like in Turkmenistan?
Meals center on meat from camels, cows, goats and sheep, along with dairy products, and round flatbread is a staple at most meals.
Good to know
- Try dograma, a thick soup of diced bread, lamb, onions, tomatoes and spices
- Expect butters, creams and yogurts made from animal milk
What etiquette should travelers know in Turkmenistan?
Conduct is guided by turkmenchilik, which emphasizes hospitality toward guests and respect toward elders.
Do
- Show respect toward elders
- Expect and honor generous hospitality when hosted
Good to know
- When visiting, food such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, sweets and tea is spread on a sachak (large cloth) on the floor before the meal
How should you dress in Turkmenistan?
Traditional clothing is worn mostly in rural areas, while urban men often wear western-style clothing; western-style clothing is considered immodest for most women.
Good to know
- Traditional male dress includes the telpek (high, hairy sheepskin hat in brown, black or white) and long deep-red robes with wide sleeves
- Traditional female dress includes a long dress, a long head scarf and a red robe called a kurte
What is family life like in Turkmenistan?
Extended families are the norm and many families have five or more children, with the youngest son responsible for his parents' welfare.
Good to know
- Many marriages are still arranged, though the couple usually knows each other
- A galyng (bride price) is paid from the groom's family to the bride's family
What do people do for fun in Turkmenistan?
Soccer (fotbal) is the most popular sport among young men, horse racing is very popular, and visiting friends is a favorite pastime.
Good to know
- The horse symbolizes the Turkmen spirit and appears on the state seal
- Many urban Turkmen own summer houses for vacations
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Sources: CountryReports
Photos of Turkmenistan
Photos of Turkmenistan
Travel and Tourism
Travel and Tourism
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Currency
- Turkmen manat (TMM)
- Time Difference
- UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Climate
- Precipitation in the inhabited regions averages 19 centimeters per year. Most of this falls between December and April. As you would expect in a desert climate, it does get very hot. In June, July, and August it is often uncomfortable to be outside during the day, as the temperatures consistently exceed 40°C (over 100°F), although with very low humidity. At times in August, the "Afghan Winds" come from the east, and the temperature can soar into the high 40s. However, by late September the temperatures cool, and pleasant, autumn-like weather prevails. The winter, which begins in late November, can be chilly, wet, and muddy, with temperatures between 0°C and 15°C in the daytime, with occasional light snow. Turkmenistan is in one of the world's high seismic regions. During the past 100 years, there have been four disastrous earthquakes with intensities of 6+ on the Richter scale, each one resulting in great loss of life and property. In 1948, Ashgabat suffered a quake of tremendous strength. All but six buildings were destroyed, and the entire city shifted 2 meters to the north. More than 30,000 of the 130,000 residents died, and an additional 85,000 were injured.
- Airports
- 69
Read the full travel guide — health, safety, vaccinations, disease risk, sanitation, and transit details.
View full travel guideHistory
History
Historical Eras
Ancient & Persian Era
600 BCE – 600
The territory of present-day Turkmenistan formed part of the Achaemenid Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great before being swept into Alexander the Great's Macedonian conquests around 330 BCE. The region, known in antiquity as Margiana and Parthia, later became the heartland of the Parthian Empire and subsequently fell under Sasanian Persian rule. These centuries established deep Iranian cultural and linguistic influences that would shape the region's subsequent development.
Islamic & Seljuk Period
600 – 1220
Arab conquest in the seventh century introduced Islam to Central Asia, fundamentally transforming the religious and cultural landscape. The Oghuz Turkic tribes migrated into the region from the steppe, and by the eleventh century the Seljuk dynasty — founded by the clan leader Seljuk — built an empire stretching from the Amu Darya to Baghdad and Anatolia. Sultan Sanjar ruled from Merv as the last great Seljuk sovereign until Turkmen tribal revolts and external pressures fragmented the empire by the mid-twelfth century.
Mongol & Khanate Rule
1220 – 1881
Genghis Khan's Mongol forces devastated the region in the 1220s, destroying major cities including Merv, one of the great urban centers of the medieval Islamic world. Following Mongol fragmentation, Turkmen tribes came under the successive dominance of Timurid rulers and then the Uzbek khanates of Khiva and Bukhara, which exerted political control over the indigenous Turkmen clans for centuries. This prolonged era of fragmented rule reinforced the tribal structure and nomadic pastoralism that defined Turkmen society into the modern period.
Russian Conquest
1881 – 1924
Imperial Russia completed its conquest of Turkmen territory with the decisive Battle of Gok Tepe in 1881, in which General Mikhail Skobelev's forces stormed the Tekke Turkmen fortress after a prolonged siege. Incorporated into Russian Turkestan, the region was subjected to colonial administration, cotton cultivation, and railroad construction. Turkmen resistance persisted, culminating in fierce fighting against Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War of 1918–1920 before Soviet power was ultimately consolidated.
Soviet Turkmenistan
1924 – 1991
The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic was formally established in 1924 and became a full constituent republic of the USSR in 1925, undergoing forced collectivization, sedentarization of nomadic populations, and mass cotton production that drastically expanded from the 1960s onward. Soviet industrial and agricultural policies, particularly large-scale irrigation from the Karakum Canal, transformed the landscape but caused severe environmental degradation, including the shrinking of the Aral Sea. The republic's vast natural gas reserves were exploited primarily for Soviet benefit, laying the infrastructure that would define the post-independence economy.
Independent Turkmenistan
1991 – present
Turkmenistan declared independence upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, with former Communist Party leader Saparmurat Niyazov — who assumed the title Turkmenbashi — establishing one of the world's most authoritarian and personality-driven regimes until his death in 2006. A new constitution was adopted in 1992, the manat introduced as national currency in 1993, and natural gas export infrastructure expanded with pipelines to Iran and Russia. Under President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who succeeded Niyazov, limited reforms were introduced alongside the continuation of an authoritarian single-party state built on hydrocarbon wealth.
Overview
Like the other Central Asian republics, Turkmenistan underwent the
Timeline of Key Events
600 BCE
Area of what is now Turkmenistan forms part of the Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great.
Area of what is now Turkmenistan forms part of the Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great.
400 BCE
Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquers Central Asia, including Turkmenistan.
Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquers Central Asia, including Turkmenistan.
601
Arabs conquer Central Asia, including Turkmenistan, and introduce Islam.
Arabs conquer Central Asia, including Turkmenistan, and introduce Islam.
901 – 1300
Genghis Khan conquers the region, including Turkmenistan.
Nomadic Oghuz Seljuk tribes, the ancestors of present-day Turkmens, and Mongol immigrate from northeast; Genghis Khan conquers the region, including Turkmenistan.
1881
Incorporated into Russian Turkestan after Battle of Gok Tepe.
Area of present-day Turkmenistan incorporated into Russian Turkestan after Battle of Gok Tepe.
1918 – 1920
Turkmens fight against Bolshevik forces during Russian civil war.
Turkmens fight against Bolshevik forces during Russian civil war.
1925
Turkmenistan becomes a fully-fledged constituent republic of the USSR.
Turkmenistan becomes a fully-fledged constituent republic of the USSR.
Read the full history profile — narrative overview, defining eras, and the complete timeline in one place.
View expanded historyInteresting Facts
Interesting Facts
Turkmenistan is famous for breeding horses. The Akhal-Teke horse is reared in the southern region of Turkmenistan.
Originally a war-horse, the Akhal-Teke horse is bred as a race-horse.
It is believed that horse mummies found in the permafrost grave of a Scythian king, in Russia, were those of the Akhal-Teke breed. This discovery points to the early origins of the Akhal-Teke horse.
An Akhal-Teke horse forms part of the State Emblem of Turkmenistan. Merv was an important trading centre on the Silk Road, the trade route between China and Europe.
See every fact — trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits gathered from across the country.
View all interesting factsGeography and Environment
Geography and Environment
- Terrain
- flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
- Climate
- Precipitation in the inhabited regions averages 19 centimeters per year. Most of this falls between December and April. As you would expect in a desert climate, it does get very hot. In June, July, and August it is often uncomfortable to be outside during the day, as the temperatures consistently exceed 40°C (over 100°F), although with very low humidity. At times in August, the "Afghan Winds" come from the east, and the temperature can soar into the high 40s. However, by late September the temperatures cool, and pleasant, autumn-like weather prevails. The winter, which begins in late November, can be chilly, wet, and muddy, with temperatures between 0°C and 15°C in the daytime, with occasional light snow. Turkmenistan is in one of the world's high seismic regions. During the past 100 years, there have been four disastrous earthquakes with intensities of 6+ on the Richter scale, each one resulting in great loss of life and property. In 1948, Ashgabat suffered a quake of tremendous strength. All but six buildings were destroyed, and the entire city shifted 2 meters to the north. More than 30,000 of the 130,000 residents died, and an additional 85,000 were injured.
- Natural Hazards
- NA
- Current Environmental Issues
- 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
Read the full geography and environment profile — terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, land use, and international agreements.
View full geographyPeople & Demographics
People & Demographics
Religion
Languages Spoken
Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
- Russian
- Turkmen
Population
- Population
- 4,940,916
- Population in Major Urban Areas
- ASHGABAT (capital) 683,000
- Nationality Noun
- Turkmen(s)
- Ethnic Groups
- Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6%
Education
- Literacy Definition
- age 15 and over can read and write
Read the full people and society profile — demographics, health, education, religion, languages, and notable people.
View full people and societyGovernment & Politics
Government & Politics
Country Identity
- Country Name
- Turkmenistan
- Local - Short
- Turkmenistan
Government Structure
- Government Type
- republic
- Legal System
- based on civil law system
- Executive Branch
- chief of state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28 December 1999 during a session of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty); in November 2005 the People's Council voted down NIYAZOV's suggestion to hold presidential elections in 2009 elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1992; note - President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president for life by the People's Council on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers are appointed by the president election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%
- Legislative Branch
- under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislative body of up to 2,500 delegates, some of whom are elected by popular vote and some of whom are appointed; meets at least yearly) and a unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); membership is scheduled to be increased to 65 seats elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be held December 2008); Mejlis - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008) election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note - all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the president is both the “Chairman for Life” of the Halk Maslahaty and the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative branches of government
- Judicial Branch
- Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Constitution
- adopted 18 May 1992
- Independence
- 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Capital City
- Capital Name
- Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
- Capital - geographic coordinate
- 37 57 N, 58 23 E
- Capital Time Difference
- UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
derived from the Persian words eshq meaning "love" and abad meaning "inhabited place" or "city," and so loosely translates as "the city of love"
Military
Branches: Turkmen Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces
Embassy / Diplomatic Mission
United States Embassy Ashgabat
9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street)
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Telephone: (993-12) 94 00 45
Consular Information Line: (993-12) 94 00 49
Facsimile: (993-12) 94 26 14
Read the full government profile — flag symbolism, national anthem, and other national symbols.
View full government detailsEconomy
Economy
Turkmenistan operates one of the most state-controlled economies in the world, with the government retaining ownership of major industries and tightly managing foreign exchange, prices, and trade. The country's economic fortunes are overwhelmingly tied to its vast hydrocarbon reserves, particularly natural gas. Turkmenistan holds the world's fourth-largest proven natural gas reserves, estimated at around 13.6 trillion cubic meters, with the supergiant Galkynysh field ranking among the largest in the world.
Hydrocarbons account for the majority of export revenues and a significant share of government income. Since the loss of Russian and Iranian gas purchases in the 2010s, China has become the dominant customer, receiving the bulk of Turkmen gas exports via the Central Asia–China pipeline. Efforts to diversify export routes include the long-planned Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) pipeline, which remains under development.
Beyond energy, the agricultural sector employs a substantial portion of the workforce, with cotton and wheat as the leading crops. Cotton cultivation relies heavily on irrigation from the Karakum Canal, contributing to severe water stress and the ongoing desiccation of the Aral Sea. The industrial base also includes textiles, chemicals, cement, and petroleum refining, with major facilities at Türkmenba?y and Seýdi.
GDP is estimated at roughly 75–80 billion US dollars, with official growth figures typically reported at 6 percent or higher, though independent analysts often question the reliability of state statistics. The national currency, the manat, is subject to strict capital controls and operates with a substantial gap between the official and black-market exchange rates. Inflation, food shortages, and unemployment have been persistent concerns, particularly following the drop in global energy prices after 2014.
The government has promoted ambitious construction projects, including the new city of Arkadag and extensive marble-clad development in Ashgabat, while pursuing import-substitution policies to reduce reliance on foreign goods. Structural challenges include limited private sector activity, weak banking infrastructure, restricted foreign investment outside the energy sector, and low transparency, which have constrained broader economic diversification despite the country's substantial resource wealth.
Snapshot
- Currency Name and Code
- Manat (TMM)
- GDP — official exchange rate
- $13,990,000,000 (USD)
- GDP Real Growth Rate
- 4%
- Gini Index
- 40.8
Banknotes
Budget & Public Finance
- Fiscal Year
- calendar year
- Annual Budget
- $1,542,000,000 (USD)
- External Debt
- $2,400,000,000 (USD)
- Investment (% of GDP)
- 25.6%
- Economic Aid
- $16,000,000 (USD)
- Current Account Balance
- -$204,300,000 (USD)
- Reserves of Foreign Exchange
- $2,147,483,647 (USD)
Labor, Industry & Trade
- Labor Force by Occupation
- agriculture 48%; industry 15%; services 37%
- Household Income — highest 10%
- 31.7%
- Industries
- natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
- Agriculture Products
- cotton, grain; livestock
- Export Commodities
- gas 57%, oil 26%, cotton fiber 3%, textiles 2%
- Export Partners
- Ukraine 49.7%, Italy 18%, Iran 13.1%, Turkey 6.2%
- Import Commodities
- machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15%
- Import Partners
- Russia 19.8%, Turkey 12.9%, Ukraine 11.7%, UAE 10%, US 7.5%, China 6%, Germany 5.7%, Iran 4.5%
Energy
- Oil Production
- 203,400 bbl/day
- Oil Consumption
- 80,000 bbl/day
- Oil Reserves
- 273,000,000 bbl/day
- Natural Gas Production
- 54,600,000,000 cu m
- Natural Gas Consumption
- 15,500,000,000 cu m
- Natural Gas Imports
- 0 cu m
- Natural Gas Exports
- 38,600,000,000 cu m
- Natural Gas Reserves
- 2,010,000,000,000 cu m
Communications
- Telephone System
- general assessment: telecommunications network remains underdeveloped and progress toward improvement is slow; strict government control and censorship inhibits liberalization and modernization domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign partners, has installed high-speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital technology; combined fixed-line and mobile teledensity is about 80 per 100 persons; Russia's Mobile Telesystems, the only foreign mobile-cellular service provider in Turkmenistan, had its operating license suspended in December 2010 but was able to resume operations in September 2012; Turkmenistan's first telecommunication satellite is scheduled to be launched by the end of 2014; once in orbit, it is expected that the satellite will greatly improve connectivity in the country international: country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat
- Internet Country Code
- .tm
News & Weather
News & Weather
Current Weather
Latest News
A Year Since Two Turkmen Activists Disappeared - Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch · 9h ago
The Secret Mission of the World's Weirdest Regime to Trump's Backyard - Politico
Politico · 24d ago
President of Turkmenistan: Georgia is one of our country's key economic partners - sovanews.tv
sovanews.tv · 3d ago
Secretary‑General appoints Xiaojun Grace Wang of China as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan - United Nations Sustainable Development Group
United Nations Sustainable Development Group · 19d ago
Interdepartmental Commission of Turkmenistan on Caspian Sea holds regular meeting - AKIpress News Agency
AKIpress News Agency · 12h ago
Georgia and Turkmenistan agree to deepen cooperation - JAMnews
JAMnews · 3d ago
Grain production rises by 11.6% in Turkmenistan in H1 2026 - Qazinform
Qazinform · 1d ago
Turkmenistan Boosts Grain Output by 11.6% in First Half of 2026 - Caspian Post
Caspian Post · 1d ago
News via Google News
Climate Overview
Precipitation in the inhabited regions averages 19 centimeters per year. Most of this falls between December and April. As you would expect in a desert climate, it does get very hot. In June, July, and August it is often uncomfortable to be outside during the day, as the temperatures consistently exceed 40°C (over 100°F), although with very low humidity. At times in August, the "Afghan Winds" come from the east, and the temperature can soar into the high 40s. However, by late September the temperatures cool, and pleasant, autumn-like weather prevails.
The winter, which begins in late November, can be chilly, wet, and muddy, with temperatures between 0°C and 15°C in the daytime, with occasional light snow.
Turkmenistan is in one of the world's high seismic regions. During the past 100 years, there have been four disastrous earthquakes with intensities of 6+ on the Richter scale, each one resulting in great loss of life and property. In 1948, Ashgabat suffered a quake of tremendous strength. All but six buildings were destroyed, and the entire city shifted 2 meters to the north. More than 30,000 of the 130,000 residents died, and an additional 85,000 were injured.
Videos
Videos
1 curated YouTube videos.
Source: YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Turkmenistan?
How do greetings and the calendar work in Turkmenistan?
What is dining like in Turkmenistan?
What etiquette should travelers know in Turkmenistan?
How should you dress in Turkmenistan?
What is family life like in Turkmenistan?
What do people do for fun in Turkmenistan?
What is the capital of Turkmenistan?
Where is Turkmenistan located?
What countries border Turkmenistan?
What is the main religion practiced in Turkmenistan?
What is the currency of Turkmenistan?
What language is spoken in Turkmenistan?
What is Turkmenistan known for?
Last reviewed 2026