Wikijunior:Asia/Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a country formerly known as Turkmenia, is a Turkic state in Central Asia.

Where is Turkmenistan?
It is bordered by Caspian sea to the west, Iran to southwest,  Afghanistan to southeast ,  Uzbekistanto north east. The capital city is Ashgabat

How many people live in Turkmenistan?
There are 4.5 million people estimated living in Turkmenistan according to 1995 census. Natives identifies themself as Turkmens (85%) with large minorities of Uzbeks (5%) and Russians (4%). Small minorities include the Kazakhs, Tatars, Ukrainians, Kurds, Armenians, Azeris, Balochs and Pashtuns. The census is quite dated because President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow withheld the results of the last two censuses.

What are the most common languages in Turkmenistan?
The national language of Turkmenistan is Turkmen, which is a Turkic language spoken by about 5 million people in Turkmenistan

What is the most common religion in Turkmenistan?
89% of Turkmen are affiliated with Islam and acknowledge Islam as an integral part of their culture. The Central Asian country of Turkmenistan has no official religion, and there is provision for freedom of religion in the country’s constitution.

What is the sport of Turkmenistan?
Falconry Team Hunting is national sports of Turkmenistan. Turkmen let falcons attack a bag in turn. With the bird's help, they hunted for fur-bearing animals, wild ducks, pigeons and partridges.

What are some important sites?
Darvaza Gas Crater - Also known as Door to Hell or Gates of Hell. It is a large crater in the Karakum Desert of north-central Turkmenistan. The origin of this man made wonders is in 1971 when a Soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, causing the ground to collapse and the entire drilling rig to fall in. Having punctured a pocket of gas, poisonous fumes began leaking at an alarming rate. To prevent gas discharge, the geologists decided to burn it off, hoping the fire would use all the fuel in a matter of days. Unfortunately, the fire won't stop burning. The flames are caused by natural gas seeping from the surrounding rock into the crater. The gas travels through joints (natural near-surface fractures), permeable rock units, and bedding plane separations.

Köw Ata Underground Lake - The lake lies on the Turkmenbashy – Ashgabat road, between Balkanabat and Nokhur. The lake is located in the underground cave which is built with stairs leading to the lake. The name Kow ata means “father of caves”. Legend has it mentioned during the era of the Parthian kings, there is a happening a miraculous healing of rebel slaves who were supposed to be tortured to death. The warm waters of the lake contain a high amount of different salts and minerals, most notably sulfur, which is responsible for the distinct pee smell within the cave. It is also a natural monument, established to protect the largest known colony of bats in the whole of Central Asia.

The Great Kyz Kala - It is a monumental mudbrick, fortified-building, one of a number of similar structures known as köshks, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Merv, Turkmenistan. Renowned for its massive scale and 15m tall corrugated walls, it is not only the largest and best preserved example of this unique building type to survive into the modern era, it is also one of the largest mudbrick buildings standing anywhere in the world