Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is the world's 52nd-largest country. It is slightly smaller than Spain and somewhat larger than California. Over 80% of the country is covered by the Karakum Desert. The centre of the country is dominated by the Turan Depression and the Karakum Desert. The Kopet Dag range, along the southwestern border, reaches 9,553 ft at Mount Rizeh. The Great Balkhan Range in the west of the country and the Koytendag range on the southeastern border with Uzbekistan are the only other significant elevations. The climate is mostly arid subtropical desert, with little rainfall. Winters are mild and dry, with most precipitation falling between January and May. The area of the country with the heaviest precipitation is the Kopet Dag Range.

The Turkmen shore along the Caspian Sea is 1,099 miles long. The major cities include Ashgabat, Turkmenbasy and Dashoguz. It is one of the driest countries in the world, some places have an average annual precipitation of only 12 mm (0.47 in). The country possesses the world's fourth-largest reserves of natural gas and substantial oil resources. Half of the country's irrigated land is planted with cotton making the country the world's tenth-largest producer of it. Islam is the dominant religion in Turkmenistan (89% of the population); the 9% of the population that adheres to the Eastern Orthodox Church are ethnic Russians; the remaining 2% religion is reported as unknown.

Posted by Blog Assistant