| Location | Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan |
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| Geographic coordinates | 40 00 N, 60 00 E |
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| Zone | Asia |
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| Area | total: 488,100 sq km
land: 488,100 sq km
water: NEGL |
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| Land boundaries | total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km |
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| Coastline | 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) |
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| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) |
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| Climate | subtropical desert |
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| 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 |
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| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - 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 |
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| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt |
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| Irrigated land | 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) |
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| Natural hazards | NA |
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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 |
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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 |
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| 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 |
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