English
Español
中文
हिन्दी
FrançaisTravel and Tourism
Travel and Tourism in Turkmenistan
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Turkmenistan.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Time Difference
- UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- Turkmen manat (TMM)
- 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.
- Ethnic Groups
- Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6%
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 40 00 N, 60 00 E
- Location
- Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
- Airports
- 69
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Medical care in Turkmenistan is limited and well below North American and Western European standards. If you travel to Turkmenistan, you should make sure that you have medical evacuation insurance. Such travel can be expensive if undertaken under emergency conditions, and absent this insurance, medical evacuation travel may be logistically impossible.