Page last updated on February 8,

Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 60 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 488,100 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 53
land: 469,930 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 18,170 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
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 ]

Coastline:
0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
subtropical desert
More Climate Details

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
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
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt

Land use:
arable land: 4.51%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.14%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 95.35% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
18,000 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
60.9 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 24.65 cu km/yr (2%/1%/98%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 5,104 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current 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

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
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