| TURKMENISTAN | | | | ethnic tribes of 4,884,887 people bound by some |
| Population: 5 million (UN, 2005) | | | | commonality, rather than a country per se. |
| Capital: Ashgabat | | | | TURKMENS (85%) are the majority |
| Area: 488,100 sq km (188,456 sq miles) | | | | ethno-linguistic group, while Uzbeks and Russians |
| Major language: Turkmen, Russian | | | | fall far behind in statistics. And it is a fairly poor |
| Major religion: Islam | | | | one at that, suffering life with the same national |
| Life expectancy: 58 years (men), 67 years | | | | plights and disadvantages of a dictator |
| (women) (UN) | | | | government as North Korea. Turkmens, as the |
| Monetary unit: 1 Turkmen manat = 100 tenge | | | | people are generally called, possess Caucasian |
| "Welcome to our sunny land!" a rather famous | | | | features as it was called home by huge German |
| sign that would greet the traveller to the | | | | and Russian populations that, now, have mostly |
| Turkmenbashi's territory. And it is in many ways | | | | emigrated from the country. Besides Turkmen as |
| "sunny," the land, the climate, the faces... But | | | | the national language, RUSSIAN is widely |
| Turkmenistan is not just a sunny getaway. It is | | | | comprehensible and spoken by 50% of |
| never that simple in Turkmenistan-a country of | | | | Turkmens. ENGLISH is an important language for |
| notions and first impressions. Not many are | | | | the Turkmens, especially for those in the |
| familiar to its sights, smell, sound, or taste. To be | | | | workforce. Although English is not common in all |
| there is to experience these pleasures, and, thus, | | | | places, fluency in it is a highly estimated skill. It is |
| be able to separate facts from fiction, history | | | | also very interesting to know that Turkmens are |
| from myths, authoritarian from democracy. The | | | | perhaps one of the scant few that use Latin |
| land of the Turkmen has a long history enriched | | | | alphabet for writing Turkmen.Turkmenistan is not |
| by culture and heritage, having been inhabited for | | | | identified as a religious state, as is with most |
| more than 2,000 years hence. The beautiful nation | | | | South and Central Asian countries. However, they |
| is famed for its fine carpets, one such intricately | | | | are pretty much solid in their beliefs as 89% of |
| designed, plastered and preserved on their flag | | | | the country are Muslims. |
| relentlessly reminding their countrymen of this | | | | The most enjoyable times to visit Turkmenistan |
| pride. | | | | are from January and May, with the fresh and |
| Neither just sunny nor hot, but also warm, with a | | | | cool of the weather aiding trekking and exploring |
| tourism industry welcoming to travellers, if for | | | | the many places here. With a relatively lax |
| one restriction, a silenced hush on discussions of | | | | tourism, travel permits are not generally required |
| politics and the military. Feigning a face of | | | | except for some places, making research and |
| democracy, the Turkmen government is really an | | | | preparation crucial for travel plans. Hence it is |
| authoritarian formerly run by an infamous Stalinist | | | | optimal to obtain transit visas to freely cruise the |
| martinet who felt it necessary to erect effigies of | | | | highways wherever in Central Asia you plan to go. |
| himself all over, for what purpose, only their mad | | | | Others say independent travel is controlled and |
| twin-of-a-personality cult North Korea will | | | | guides are required for the most parts. Despite |
| understand. Hence, it is presented as a country | | | | this, Turkmenistan offers a wonderful |
| lost deep in mystery, as is North Korea, in the | | | | off-the-beaten path adventures such as riding an |
| heart of Central Asia, in the hot sandy dessert of | | | | Akhal-Teke horse, desert trek, or a night in a |
| Kara-Kum. | | | | yurt. |
| Turkmenistan, 40 00 N, 60 00 E, is comparably | | | | But no experience is unique without a whiff of |
| the size of Spain with total area of 488,100 km2. | | | | plov culminating in the clay oven. Turkmen cuisine |
| Its geography is vastly flat to rolling desert with | | | | is fundamentally the same concept as in most |
| sizzling and boundless sandy terrain, the | | | | countries of Central Asia with plov as the staple |
| Kara-Kum, that covers an incredible 80% of the | | | | and national dish. As the saying goes, "nothing |
| country, as a result or cause of subtropical desert | | | | beats a friendly face". Of course I'm pertaining to |
| climate with the characteristics of hot and humid | | | | the comforting and relieving effect of the |
| summers, mild and dry winter, and minimal rainfall. | | | | universal characteristic of plov in the region. There |
| Low mountains and hills run on the southwest to | | | | are also noodle dishes, manty served with gatyk |
| the Iranian border, while the Caspian Sea | | | | (thick yoghurt), and shashlyk, but what perhaps |
| disconnects Turkmenistan to the west. The | | | | separates Turkmenistan gastronome from all |
| Caspian Sea is a lake by all characteristics except | | | | others, is its heavy Russian fare. Turkmen |
| its salinity that attributes to its present | | | | sweets mean fresh melon, but for the sinful and |
| classification as sea. Gora Ayribaba towers the | | | | indulgent, there are flour-based desserts like |
| generally flat terrain at an altitude of 3,139 | | | | ekmek, possuk, and pisme, which are all made |
| metres, while the -81 -metre depression of | | | | from fried katlama dough like doughnuts with |
| Vpadina Akchanaya is the lowest point in the | | | | pisme being the fried dough centers.Still, |
| country. | | | | Turkmenistan adventures are yet to be written in |
| Turkmenistan is more of an assembly of diverse | | | | travel books. |