Turkmenistan

Administrative Structure:

Turkmenistan consists of five provinces (velayats). Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan with a population more than 500,000 individuals. Other major cities include Dashkhovuz, Mary, Nebit-Dag, Turkmenbashy and Charjou.

State and public system:

On October 27, 1991 Turkmenistan proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union. The Republic of Turkmenistan is the member of the United Nations Organisation, the Economic Co-operation Organisation, the Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe.Under the 1992 Constitution, Turkmenistan is a secular and democratic republic, an executive president who is also Chairman of the Council of Ministers that heads the Turkmen government. The Council of Ministers carry out the day-to-day running of the country. The supreme legislative body is the Majlis (Parliament), which is directly elected for five years. The supreme body of power in Turkmenistan, Khalk Maslahaty (People’s Council) is headed by the president who is also the head of state, head of government, and supreme commander of the armed forces. The judicial system of Turkmenistan includes a Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the nation, and a Supreme Economic Court. Under the 1992 constitution, the president of Turkmenistan appoints and removes all judges. Until recently the Turkmen government was a single party system. Turkmenistan was ruled by Sapharmurad Niyazov who was elected as a president for life (called “turkmenbashy” – “leader of Turkmens”) until his sudden death on December 21, 2006. As a new president of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow was elected on February 11, 2007. Under the constitution, the president is directly elected to a five-year term and may be elected for no more than two consecutive terms.

Flag:

The state flag of Turkmenistan is emerald green with a vertical red
stripe on the far left. The stripe contains five basic Turkmen carpet patterns, or guls, and two crossed olive branches reflecting Turkmenistan’s policy of permanent neutrality. In the upper left-hand corner of the green background there is a white crescent moon and five white stars. The crescent moon signifies hope to the Turkmen people and each of the stars represents one of the five Turkmen regions or velayats: Ahal, Balkan, Dashkhovuz, Lebap and Mary.

Emblem:

Turkmenistan emblem is composed of three concentric circles divided by white stripes. The outermost circle is coloured purple and contains images of open cotton bulbs with green leaves and golden wheatears. The wheatears allude to the custom of greeting guests with bread and salt. A crescent moon and five white stars are located in the upper portion of the circle. The second circle is yellow and contains five carpet patterns. A white akhalteke horse, a breed indigenous to Turkmenistan and the pride of its people, graces the central blue circle.

Holidays

January 1 – New Year’s Day (according to Gregorian calendar).
January 12 – Memory Day of heroes of 1881 battle with the Russians at Goektepe. February 19 – The Turkmen State Flag Day.
March 8 – International Women’s Day.
March 21 – Navruz-Bairam. A New Day or New Year Navruz is widely celebrated everywhere in Central Asia as the day of peace and charity. Navruz is also a holiday of traditional games, music & drama festivals and lavish colourful fairs.
May 9 – Victory Day. A day to honour veterans and martyrs of the World War II.
October 6 – Memorial Day of victims of earthquake of 1948.
October 27 & 28 – Independence Day.
November 17 – Students Day.
December 12 – Neutrality Day.
Annually three days are devoted to celebrate Muslim holidays Kurban-Bairam (the date changes each year in correspondence with the Islamic Lunar Calendar), and celebration at the end of Ramadan-the month of daytime fasting. These both Muslim holidays called “khait” as well. These are the days of family visits, gifts and giving alms to the poor.

About 70 days after the end of the holy month of Ramadan the Kurban Bairam (The Feast of Sacrifice) is celebrated. Over a period of several days locals visit the graves of their relatives. Some slaughter an animal and share the meat with the family and the poor.

Festivals:

Besides these holidays, the Turkmen love festivals, providing an interesting spectacle for visitors. The following are a selection of events celebrated annually:
First Sunday of April is “The drop of water is the grain of gold” festival.
Last Sunday of April is a day to celebrate the Turkmen horse.
May 19 is Makhtumkuli poetry festival.
Last Sunday of May is Turkmen carpet day.
Second Sunday of August is a day to celebrate the Turkmen melon.
Last Sunday of September is bakhshy day to celebrate the Turkmen folk singers.
Last Sunday of November is the harvest festival.
First Sunday of December is the neighbourhood day.

Geography:

Turkmenistan is situated in Central Asia. To the north is Kazakhstan, east and north-east lies Uzbekistan, in the south are Iran and Afghanistan and in the west are Azerbaijan and Russia across the Caspian Sea.
Turkmenistan occupies more than 488,100 square kilometres. About 80% of the territory are plains with dominating deserts and with the reminader being mountains. The entire central part of the country is occupied by one of the largest sand deserts in the world, the Karakum Desert. About four-fifths of the country is steppe that is part of the southern portion of the vast Turan lowland. The Kopetdag Mountains fringe the Karakum Desert along the country’s southern border with Iran.

The mountain streams of Turkmenistan dissipate upon reaching the arid sands and parched clay of the Karakum, so Turkmenistan’s only significant water sources are rivers that originate in other countries. The Amu Darya, which originates in the Pamirs region of Tajikistan, east of Turkmenistan, forms part of the country’s border with Uzbekistan, and the Afghani Murgab are the two largest permanent rivers. The Caspian Sea, a landlocked saltwater lake, forms Turkmenistan’s entire western border.
Turkmenistan has substantial reserves of oil and natural gas in the Caspian Sea area and in the Karakum desert. Other natural resources include deposits of coal, sulfur, magnesium, and salt.

Climate:

The climate in Turkmenistan is continental, with cold winters and very hot summers. For most of the country, the average daily temperature in January ranges from -6 to 5C (21 to 41F), while in July it is 27 to 32C (81 to 90F). Desert t temperatures in summer can reach 50C (122F) during the day before falling rapidly at night. During the winter it can reach 10 – 15C below zero (5-14F).

Most precipitation occurs between January and May. Average annual precipitation ranges from 80 to 400 mm, although two-thirds of the country receives 150 mm or less.

As summers are quite hot and winters cold, spring (April to June) and autumn (September to November) are the best seasons to visit Turkmenistan. In April the desert blooms briefly and the monochromatic landscapes explode in reds, oranges and yellows. Autumn is harvest time, when market tables bulge with freshly picked fruit.

Ecology:

Turkmenistan suffers from a number of serious environmental problems. Excessive irrigation has severely degraded soil and water quality in Turkmenistan. Irrigation of the naturally saline soil has brought underground salts to the surface, making the soil even more saline while also making irrigation more necessary. Thus, excessive irrigation has contributed to desertification (a process whereby arable land becomes desert, or arid salt flats). In addition, Turkmenistan’s soil has become heavily contaminated with agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides and herbicides that are applied in large doses to cotton crops. These agricultural chemicals also contaminate the water supply, mainly through irrigation runoff.
Turkmenistan is also involved in a regional effort to address the problem of the dying Aral Sea. The greatest single contributor to the problem is Turkmenistan’s Karakum Canal, which receives more water from the Amu Darya (one of two inflow sources for the Aral) than any other irrigation recipient.. The drying-up of the Aral Sea is considered to be one of the worst ecological disasters in the world today.

Population:

The population of Turkmenistan involves more than 100 nationalities such as Turkmens, Uzbeks, Russians, Tatars, Azerbaijanis, Armenians and others. 77% of the population are Turkmens, while 7% are Russians, 9% are Uzbeks and 7% of other nationalities. According “Unisef” statistics the population of Turkmenistan by 1st January of 2006 year was approximately 5.051.000 people. Growing rate of 1.85% a year, with a population density of 10 persons per square kilometre. 45% of the population is urban and 55% is rural.

Language:

The language of Turkmenistan, Turkmen, belongs to the Oghuz division of Turkic group of tongues. Beginning in the 18th century, Turkmen poets and chroniclers used the classical Chaghatai language, which was written in Arabic script and reflected only occasional Turkmen linguistic features. Between 1913-17, periodicals were published in Chaghatai. Two reforms of this script, undertaken in 1922 and 1925, were designed to reflect features of the spoken Turkmen language. From 1928 to 1940 Latin alphabet was used. Since 1940 Turkmen has been written using the Cyrillic script.

From the mid-1990s, language policy in independent Turkmenistan has been to establish Turkmen as the official language. The 1992 constitution proclaimed Turkmen the “official language of inter-ethnic communication.” In 1993 President Niyazov issued a decree on the replacement of the Cyrillic-based alphabet with a Latin-based script. The new alphabet has several unique letters that distinguish it not only from those of Turkey’s Latin alphabet but also from the newly adopted Latin scripts of other Central Asian Republics whose dominant language is also of Turkic group.

Religion:

Predominantly, the Turkmen are Sunni Muslims (85% of the population). Some of the country’s ethnic minorities – notably are Russians, Ukrainians and Armenians – are Eastern Orthodox Christians. The Azerbaijani minority is Turkmenistan’s only Shiite Muslim community.

Health:

Medical care in Turkmenistan is limited. There are not much people in medical sector. There is a shortage of basic supplies, including disposable needles, anaesthetics and antibiotics. Doctors and hospitals expect immediate cash payment for health services.
Travellers are advised to obtain medical insurance. No vaccinations are obligatory, although Hepatitis vaccinations are recommended. The main medical provision in Ashgabat is the vast Central Hospital.

Important telephone numbers in Ashgabat:

– City Ambulance: 03
– VIP Hospital: 29-08-77
– Red Cross Hospital: 25-32-43
– Central Hospital: 45-03-03

Education:

Education system of Turkmenistan covers:
– Primary education (kinder garden)
– Secondary education
– Specialized or professional education
– post graduate education
– Trainings
– Tutory

Secondary education is compulsory and it is until the age of sixteen. Education can be continued in university or institutes after completing secondary school.

Culture:

Turkmenistan is a country of priceless archaeological finds left over by dozens of different tribes and peoples that lived here during the past centuries. Objects found during archaeological excavations show the deep historical roots of the Turkmen culture.
One of the most sensational finds in recent years is a small stone bearing unknown inscriptions, dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. The find was a miniature stone-seal (its sides are barely longer than one centimetre) with engraved inscriptions unlike any writing known to modern experts. The archaeologists also discovered the ruins of a large palace, proving that around 2,000 BC, this area was the place of an unknown, well developed, civilisation with its own form of writing.
The Turkmens have an oral literary tradition that dates from ancient times. The oral epics are sung to this day by revered poets and composers are called bakhshi. The father of Turkmen literature is poet and thinker Fragi Makhtumkuli (1770-1840), whose words are held in great reverence. In his writing, Makhtumkuli spurned classical forms for homespun wisdom, with a simplicity of language that contributed greatly to his popularity with the travelling bards. Such was his influence that Turkmen literature became a compendium of mere copy-cats. Of those who managed to struggle out of the shadow of the great scribe, the most noted are the 19th century writers Kemine, whose satirical rhymes castigated the ruling circles, and Molapenes, the author of popular lyrical poems.
The Turkmen musical culture is very rich and varied. The various musical forms are reflected monumentally in the culture. In early Middle Ages, in the East there was a famous singer, instrumentalist and composer Barbad Mervezy (i.e. from Merv), who was honoured to be at the head of musicians at the court of Husrova Perviza (590-628 years). Turkmens are one of successors of his musical legacy, for they have direct connection with the culture created on the territory they live. Classical musical compositions, called mukams, have been the most common and favourite among Turkmens for centuries.

In the year 2001 the Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Theatre for Young Audiences, the National Variety and Circus House, and the State Philharmonic Hall were closed by order of the President of Turkmenistan. A National Drama Theatre that will stage Turkmen historical epics is set to replace the Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Crafts:

The Turkmen folk art is rich and diverse, including many kinds of carpets, felts, embroideries, robes, head-dresses, jewelry, decorations for a horse, leather products and more.
Peculiarities of the people’s system and life are reflected in their crafts. Unique even among the diverse forms of Turkmen art, their carpet weaving is a developed and rich tradition, winning world-wide fame . For Turkmen nomads, carpets were extremely important, covering wagon floors and forming collapsible walls, protecting them from the cold. The applied arts of Turkmenistan embrace a wide range of materials used and methods of ornamentation. These include ceramics, metal chasing & embossing, woodcarving, jewellery making, silk & gold embroidery, silk weaving, carpet making and leather-work.

Traditions:

A great number of customs and traditions accompany the Turkmen family life. For example the marriage celebration possesses great importance in Turkmen society, with special matchmakers arranging marriages in rural areas. One important custom still practised is the ransom for bride (kalom). Depending on the region and a family’s wealth, the bride’s family may demand huge sums of money from the groom in return for the bride’s hand in marriage.
Of all Central Asian peoples the Turkmen have kept the most traditional dress. It is still common to see men in baggy blue pantaloons tucked into clumping knee-high boots, a white shirt under a cherry-red and gold-striped heavy silk jacket, and topped by a shaggy wool hat. Women are less showy and wear heavy, ankle-length silk dresses of wine red and maroon hiding spangled, striped trousers beneath. A woman’s hair is always tied back and concealed under a kerchief or scarf. Carpet making is one of the ancient traditions. For the nomadic Turkmens the carpet was the only piece of furniture worth having. Easily transportable, the carpets served not just as floor coverings, but as wall linings for the yurt, providing a highly decorative form of insulation. The art of carpet weaving traditionally was passed from generation to generation.

Clothing:

Light-coloured cotton garments are the best for summer travel. A hat and sunglasses are necessary accessories, and the heat and dust make thick-soled walking shoes a better choice. When trekking, wearing high boots is preferable to sandals as they protect against snakes, spiders and the sun. In colder weather, bring warm boots and woollen layers. If you leave lowland for the mountains, prepare for intense cold, strong winds and heavy snows.
Shorts are rarely seen in Turkmenistan and, if worn by females, are likely to provoke unwelcome attention from the local male population. It is advisable to wear long sleeved clothes for both men and women, especially in rural areas; however women are not expected to wear head-scarves.
There are no special clothing requirements for visiting Islamic religious sites, except that you should take extra care to cover most parts of your body including your arms and legs. It is normal to take ones shoes off, but not socks, when entering someone’s house.
A lavish display of jewellery, bulging handbags and wallets and a neck full of cameras will make you stand out in a crowd. Be discreet, respectful of local culture and traditions and carry the minimum of valuables.

Cuisine:

Turkmen food is similar to that of the rest of Central Asia.
Plov is the staple food for everyday and celebrations too. It consists of chunks of fried mutton with onions, thinly shredded yellow turnip or carrot and rice steamed in a large iron pot. Shashlyk, known also as kebabs, is skewered chunks of mutton barbecued over charcoal served with sliced raw onions and non (rounds of unleavened bread).
Manty are large dumplings stuffed with finely chopped meat, seasoned with various spices and a large amount of onion, and then steamed in a special pot.Shurpa is a meat and vegetable soup.There are, however, a number of dishes that are native to Turkmenistan:
Ka’urma is mutton deep-fried in its own fat.
Churban churpa is mutton fat dissolved in green tea.
Ishkiykli are dough balls filled with meat and onion, which are traditionally cooked in sand that has been heated by a fire.
On the shores of the Caspian Sea, seafood is often substituted for mutton in traditional dishes such as plov. In the west of Turkmenistan there is a speciality dish in which mutton is roasted in a clay and oven fired with aromatic woods.
Green tea is very popular and can be obtained almost anywhere.
During summer and autumn there are a wide variety of fruits: grapes, pomegranates, apricots – which are also dried and used during other times of the year, but the real treat are the massive honey melons and watermelons.

Economy:

Turkmenistan possesses the world’s fourth-largest reserves of natural gas and substantial oil resources. Half of the country’s irrigated land is planted with cotton, making the country the world’s tenth-largest producer of it. The country is a net exporter of electrical power to Central Asian republics and southern neighbors. The most important generating installations are the Hindukush Hydroelectric Station, which has a rated capacity of 350 megawatts, and the Mary Thermoelectric Power Station, which has a rated capacity of 1,370 megawatts. In 1992 electrical power production totaled 14.9 billion kilowatt-hours. Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its economy.
Turkmenistan is among the world’s top producers of the fiber. In recent years, Turkmenistan’s government has encouraged some shift away from cotton cultivation, with the goal of diversifying crops and achieving self-sufficiency in food production. Other crops grown in the country include wheat, vegetables, and fruit. Livestock raising is also important, especially Karakul sheep, horses, and camels.
The country also produces important industrial minerals, including gypsum, iodine, bromine, sulfur, and salt. Aside from the production of fuels, industry in Turkmenistan is limited mainly to food processing and textile production.

Transport:

Air, rail and road connect the various regions of the country.
Air: The national airline is Turkmenistan Airlines. It currently flies to Abu-Dhabi, Birmingham, Delhi, Karachi, Kiev, London, Moscow and Tashkent, using modern aircraft like the Boeing 737, Boeing 757.
Turkmenistan is also served by other international carriers such as Iran Air, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Ukrainian Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways.Turkmenistan Airlines also flies regularly to major towns and cities within Turkmenistan, such as Mary, Turkmenbashy, Dashkhovuz, Charjou, Kerki (far east) and Balkanabat.
Rail: The Trans-Caspian Railway connects Turkmenistan with the rest of the Central Asian republics and other parts of the CIS all the way to Moscow. The terminus is in Turkmenbashy on the Caspian Sea, from where it runs through Ashgabat before it crosses into Uzbekistan near the city of Charjou. A rail link to the Iranian network, enables train travel from Turkmenistan to Turkey (Istanbul), was completed in 1996.
Sea: There are ferries to Turkmenbashy (formerly Krasnovodsk) from Baku (Azerbaijan) and an irregular service to Astrakhan (Russian Federation).
Road: Turkmenistan is connected by road to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iran. There are several road borders for the tourists. Public bus services between the borders are very limited.
Urban transport: Public transport is bus, tram, trolleys and taxi.

Communication:

Communications are ensured via internet, post, telephone, telegraph, and tele and radio communication. Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations – 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat. Mobile phone services are also available. Turkmenistan gained access to the internet in 1997, Turkmen Telecom started offering an access to the higher speed Internet with ADSL to the consumers in Ashgabat. From 2008, MTS (cellular company) offers Internet service to mobile subscribers via GPRS. Altyn Asyr ( government cellular company) was first to lunch 3G and 2 mpbs mobile internet service in March 2010.

Custom rules:

The customs declaration, which will be filled out on entry of Turkmenistan, must be kept carefully. When leaving Turkmenistan this declaration has to be handed over. No special permit is required for the import of a video camera for personal use, provided declared on arrival and re-exported. The import of plants is only allowed with a special agricultural permit. The import of certain medicines requires official approval. Please contact your nearest embassy/consulate for further details.

Import regulations:

Free import of:
– 2 litres of any alcoholic beverage for persons over 21 years of age;
– 200 cigarettes or 200 g of tobacco for persons over 16 years of age;
– personal belongings up to a reasonable value.Prohibited: narcotics, firearms and ammunition and accessories.

Export – import regulations:

Free export of:
– 2 litres of any alcoholic beverage for persons over 21 years of age;
– 200 cigarettes or 200 g of tobacco for persons over 16 years of age;
– all goods imported by the visitor;
– other goods, which can be bought in either foreign currency or normal stores, against legally exchanged currencies.
Prohibited: antiquities.

Prohibited imports:

Military weapons and ammunition, narcotics, pornography, poisons, printed, audio and video materials and other information sources containing information that can do harm and damage to economic and political interests of Turkmenistan, its national security, health and morality of population.

Prohibited exports:

Same as prohibited imports, as well as lottery tickets, carpets, works of art (unless special permission has been granted by the Ministry of Culture) and furs. Many antique souvenirs, especially items of silver, or those dating back as little as 20 years are entirely restricted from export.
Import regulations in Turkmenistan are subject to change at short notice, and travellers should contact the embassy before departure for up-to-date information.

Currency Import regulations:

Local currency (Turkmen New Manat TM? OR DTM): allowed for residents of Turkmenistan, provided the amount has been declared on the customs declaration when leaving the country. Foreign currencies: allowed, provided a declaration is made.

Currency Export regulations:

Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared. Local currency: unlimited for residents, provided a declaration is made.

Currency:

Turkmenistan currency is called Manat. Currency code: TMM. (New code is used as well DTM )One Turkmen Manat = 100 tenge. There are banknotes of 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 manat. From 1st January of 2009 Turkmen government is started changing old Turkmen manats with new. One new manat is equal to 5000 old manats. And new coins are issued too like 1,2,5,10,20 and 50 tenges. Till the 31st of December of 2010 all old manats can be exchanged in all banks of the republic.

Currency exchange:

The preferred hard currency is US Dollars and visitors carrying other currencies may find it difficult to change them. It is advisable to take new (post-1993), unmarked US Dollar notes in smaller denominations. Foreign currency can be changed at banks and major hotels. Foreigners are expected to pay all travel and hotel bills in hard currency, and tourist prices bear little relation to what locals are expected to pay.

Currency restrictions:

The import and export of local currency is prohibited for foreigners. Import of foreign currency is unlimited, and export is limited to the amount declared at the time of import.
Banking hours: 09.30-17.30 Monday to Friday.

Credit cards:

Accepted in some of the major hotels in tourist centres and banks. But use of Credit Cards is limited. Acceptable only Master and Visa.

Travellers cheques:

Only travellers cheques drawn on banks with reciprocal arrangements with the Turkmen National Bank are accepted.

Shopping:

In Ashgabat the Sunday Market or commonly known, as Talkuchka is the best place to buy the misleadingly named Bukhara rugs, which are actually made in Turkmenistan. There is a shop in the Art Gallery, which sells traditional Turkmen handicrafts, silver and costumes including the distinctive Turkmen sheepskin hats. The central bazaars in Ashgabat and other cities are also a good place to buy curios. Shopping hours: 09.00-18.00 Monday to Friday. Bazaars open at dawn.