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 ]
land: 469,930 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 18,170 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 54

Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 4,158 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (4): Afghanistan 804 km, Iran 1,148 km, Kazakhstan 413 km, Uzbekistan 1,793 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); 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:
mean elevation: 230 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m (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

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt

Land use:
agricultural land: 72% arable land 4.1%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 67.8%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 8.8%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 19.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
19,950 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat

Natural hazards:
earthquakes; mudslides; droughts; dust storms; floods

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