World Factbook
Turkmenistan
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
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 field meaning: the green color and crescent moon stand for Islam, the five stars for the country's regions, and the guls for national identity
Capital
name
Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
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
time difference
UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
37 57 N, 58 23 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
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
Country name
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
local long form
none
local short form
Turkmenistan
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Turkmenistan
Independence
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Legal system
civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences
Government type
presidential republic; authoritarian
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)
subordinate courts
High Commercial Court; appellate courts; provincial, district, and city courts; military courts
judge selection and term of office
judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms
Executive branch
note
note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
cabinet
Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
chief of state
President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 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%
head of government
President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)
most recent election date
12 March 2022
election/appointment process
president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 7-year term (no term limits)
expected date of next election
2029
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
National color(s)
green, white
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)
Political parties
Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or TAP Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan or TSTP The Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or TDP
note: all parties support President BERDIMUHAMEDOV; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad
Legislative branch
term in office
5 years
number of seats
56 (48 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
electoral system
plurality/majority
legislature name
Assembly (Mejlis)
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
3/28/2021
expected date of next election
March 2028
percentage of women in chamber
25.5%
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)
National anthem(s)
title
"Garaşsyz, Bitarap Türkmenistanyň" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)
history
adopted 1997; lyrics revised in 2008 to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW
lyrics/music
collective/Veli MUKHATOV
National symbol(s)
Akhal-Teke horse
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
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; exceptions show the administrative center name in parentheses
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 588-1500
chancery
2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 588-1500
chief of mission
Ambassador Meret ORAZOV (since 14 February 2001)
email address and website
turkmenembassyus@verizon.net https://usa.tmembassy.gov.tm/en
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[993] (12) 94-26-14
embassy
9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744000
telephone
[993] (12) 94-00-45
mailing address
7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
chief of mission
Ambassador Elizabeth ROOD (since 31 July 2024)
email address and website
ConsularAshgab@state.gov https://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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt