Geography & environment — Turkmenistan
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Turkmenistan: Asia
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Location & size
- Geographic Location
Asia
- Geographic Coordinates
40 00 N, 60 00 E
- Total Area
188,455 Square Miles 488,100 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
181,440 Square Miles 469,930 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
7,015 Square Miles 18,170 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
2,321 Miles 3,736 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Physical geography
- 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
- Highest Point
3,139 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
- Lowest Point
-81 Meters
- Natural Resources
petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt
- Irrigated Land
7,687 Square Miles 19,910 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Climate
- Climate
Precipitation in the inhabited regions averages 19 centimeters per year. Most of this falls between December and April. As you would expect in a desert climate, it does get very hot. In June, July, and August it is often uncomfortable to be outside during the day, as the temperatures consistently exceed 40°C (over 100°F), although with very low humidity. At times in August, the "Afghan Winds" come from the east, and the temperature can soar into the high 40s. However, by late September the temperatures cool, and pleasant, autumn-like weather prevails. The winter, which begins in late November, can be chilly, wet, and muddy, with temperatures between 0°C and 15°C in the daytime, with occasional light snow. Turkmenistan is in one of the world's high seismic regions. During the past 100 years, there have been four disastrous earthquakes with intensities of 6+ on the Richter scale, each one resulting in great loss of life and property. In 1948, Ashgabat suffered a quake of tremendous strength. All but six buildings were destroyed, and the entire city shifted 2 meters to the north. More than 30,000 of the 130,000 residents died, and an additional 85,000 were injured.
- 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
- Location
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
- Total Area
188,455 Square Miles 488,100 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Environment
- 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