| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives |
| Publisher | Sage Publications Ltd |
| Pages | 1729-1731 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2016 |
Abstract
Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia. It has a population of 5,171,943 and a territory of 488,100 square kilometers (the second largest in Central Asia after that of Kazakhstan); it is bordered by Kazakhstan on the northwest, Uzbekistan on the northeast, Afghanistan on the southeast, Iran on the south, and the Caspian Sea on the west. Turkmenistan was a Union republic of the Soviet Union until October 1991, when it declared independence. The country has the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves. Its capital is Ashgabat. This entry reviews Turkmenistan’s history, including conflicts and conquests, and its status in the contemporary post-Soviet world and current security threats.