Turkmenistan
Asia Β· Capital: Ashgabat
How it is run: Turkmenistan is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Turkmenistan is home to 7.6 million people in Central Asia, where people speak Russian, Turkmen.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
7.6 million people
That is about 941 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
488,100 kmΒ²
Bigger than Texas β a long road trip from one side to the other.
ποΈ How crowded
Only about 16 people per square kilometre β lots of wide open space between towns.
π Size in its region
32nd most people in Asia
14th largest by land in Asia.
π£οΈ Official languages
Russian, Turkmen
More than one language is used for official business.
π° Money
Turkmenistan manat (m)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
70.2 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$6,540
A lower-middle-income country: incomes are rising, but many families still farm or work informally.
π’ Living in cities
47.1% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
π Kids under 15
31.2% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+993
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.tm
π§ People here are called
Turkmen
π·οΈ Name at home
Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡ Β· TΓΌrkmenistan
π Coast or inland
Landlocked β no coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Asia and the Pacific Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Turkmenistan is landlocked β it has no coastline, so anything arriving by sea must cross a neighbour's border first.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
TurkmenistΓ‘n
French
TurkmΓ©nistan
Arabic
ΨͺΨ±ΩΩ Ψ§ΩΨ³ΨͺΨ§Ω
Chinese
εεΊζΌζ―ε¦
Japanese
γγ«γ―γ‘γγΉγΏγ³
Russian
Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡ
Portuguese
TurquemenistΓ£o
German
Turkmenistan
Put it in perspective π
- India β the most populated country in Asia β has about 192.1Γ as many people as Turkmenistan.
- Turkmenistan covers roughly 4,649 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Turkmenistan lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 3,809 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Turkmenistan is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
π·οΈ Official name
Turkmenistan
ποΈ Capital
Ashgabat
π Region
Asia Β· Central Asia
π€ Country code
TM
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Turkmenistan π
π§ Where on the map
40.0Β° N, 60.0Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+4 β when it is noon in London it is about 16:00 in Ashgabat.
- Turkmenistan sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- Turkmenistan shares its part of the world with Tajikistan. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Turkmenistan is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- πΉπ² is the flag of Turkmenistan. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is TM.
- The capital of Turkmenistan is Ashgabat β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Turkmenistan has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Being landlocked means paying neighbours to move goods to the sea. What deal would you offer a neighbour if you led Turkmenistan?
- If Turkmenistan spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Turkmenistan?
Ashgabat
Which money do people spend in Turkmenistan?
Turkmenistan manat (m)
How many countries share a land border with Turkmenistan?
4 β Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.
Roughly how many people live in Turkmenistan?
7.6 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.