- Country name
- conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
local short form: Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
etymology: the suffix -stan means "land," so the country name means the "Land of the Turkmen [people];" the people's name means "Turk-like," from the Persian words tork and mandan, referring to their formerly nomadic lifestyle that differed from the settled Turks of Turkey - Government type
- presidential republic; authoritarian
- Capital
- name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: derived from the Turkmen words ushq, meaning "love," and abad, meaning "inhabited place" or "town;" the city was originally a military outpost built in 1881 that took its name from an ancient settlement on the site - Administrative divisions
- 5 provinces (velayatlar, singular - velayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Velayat (Arkadag), Ashgabat*, Balkan Velayat (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Velayat, Lebap Velayat (Turkmenabat), Mary Velayat
- Legal system
- civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences
- Constitution
- history: several previous; latest adopted 14 September 2016
amendment process: proposed by the Assembly or Mejlis; passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum - International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)
head of government: President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 7-year term (no term limits)
most recent election date: 12 March 2022
election results: 2022: Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV elected president; percent of vote - Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 73%, Khydyr NUNNAYEV (independent) 11.1%, Agadzhan BEKMYRADOV (IAP) 7.2%, other 8.7%2017: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 97.7%, other 2.3%
expected date of next election: 2029 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Assembly (Mejlis)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 56 (48 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 3/28/2021
parties elected and seats per party: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (DPT) (65); Groups of citizens of Turkmenistan (28); Agrarian Party (24); Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (8)
percentage of women in chamber: 25.5%
expected date of next election: March 2028 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms
subordinate courts: High Commercial Court; appellate courts; provincial, district, and city courts; military courts - Political parties
- Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or TAPParty of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan or TSTPThe Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or TDP
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Meret ORAZOV (since 14 February 2001)
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
FAX: [1] (202) 588-1500
email address and website: turkmenembassyus@verizon.nethttps://usa.tmembassy.gov.tm/en - Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth ROOD (since 31 July 2024)
embassy: 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744000
mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
telephone: [993] (12) 94-00-45
FAX: [993] (12) 94-26-14
email address and website: ConsularAshgab@state.govhttps://tm.usembassy.gov/ - International organization participation
- ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO
- Independence
- 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
- Flag
- description: green field with a vertical red stripe near the left side; the stripe has five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches; five five-pointed white stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper left corner of the main fieldmeaning: the green color and crescent moon stand for Islam, the five stars for the country's regions, and the guls for national identity
- National symbol(s)
- Akhal-Teke horse
- National color(s)
- green, white
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Garaşsyz, Bitarap Türkmenistanyň" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)
lyrics/music: collective/Veli MUKHATOV
history: adopted 1997; lyrics revised in 2008 to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW - National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Ancient Merv (c); Kunya-Urgench (c); Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (c); Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n); Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (c)