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:
none (landlocked)
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
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 ]
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
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:
3.89%
permanent crops:
0.12%
other:
95.98% (2011)
19,910 sq km (2006)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
24.77 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
27.95 cu km/yr (3%/3%/94%)
per capita:
5,752 cu m/yr (2004)
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