TURKMENISTAN
OVERVIEW
Turkmenistan, Turkmen Türkmenistan, country of Central Asia. It is the second largest state in Central Asia, after Kazakhstan, and is the southernmost of the region’s five republics.
Turkmenistan
After Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan is the least densely populated of the Central Asian states. Much of its waterless expanse is inhospitable to plant and animal life. Except for oases in narrow strips dotted along the foothills of the Kopet-Dag Range and along the Amu Darya, Morghāb, and Tejen rivers, deserts characterize its sunbaked sandy terrain. From 1925 to 1991 Turkmenistan was the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, a constituent (union) republic of the Soviet Union; it declared independence on October 27, 1991. The capital is Ashgabat (Ashkhabad), which lies near the southern border with Iran.
Land
Turkmenistan is located in the southwest of the Central Asia region. It is bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the west. Though Turkmenistan is the second largest country in Central Asia in terms of land area, most of the land consists of oases scattered amid otherwise uninhabitable desert.
Relief
Topographically, four-fifths of Turkmenistan consists of the southern part of the Turan Plain. Mountains and foothills rise mainly in the southern part of the republic, including the Kugitangtau and Kopet-Dag ranges. The Kopet-Dag is geologically young, its instability indicated by intermittent earthquakes of great destructive force.Two broad divisions may be seen throughout Turkmenistan: an oasis region—characterized by adequate water supply, cultivated lands, and developed industry—composed of the Kopet-Dag and other oases; and a desert region occupying nine-tenths of Turkmenistan’s territory, subdivided into western Turkmenistan and the Karakum. The Karakum is one of the world’s largest sand deserts, taking up the entire central part of Turkmenistan and extending northward toward Kazakhstan.
TRADE / ECONOMY
The economy of Turkmenistan continues to recover from the 2014 downturn in hydrocarbon prices, but remains “in the grip of its worst economic crisis since the immediate post-independence period, driven in part by low gas prices, the suspension of gas exports to Russia between 2016 and 2019…and poor harvests.” Former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow at a session of the Cabinet of Ministers on March 11, 2021, called the rate of GDP growth unsatisfactory. When discussing the 2021 government budget, he noted that 2021 would be “as difficult” a year as 2020 had been.
According to the 2020 Investment Climate Statement of the US Department of State, Turkmenistan’s economy depends heavily on the production and export of natural gas, oil, petrochemicals and, to a lesser degree, cotton, wheat, and textiles. The economy is still recovering from a deep recession that followed the late 2014 collapse in global energy prices. The current investment climate is considered high risk for US foreign direct investment.[10]
Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated areas, and huge gas and oil resources. In terms of natural gas reserves, as of 2020 it is ranked 4th in the world.[14] Turkmenistan’s two largest agricultural crops are cotton, most of which is produced for export, and wheat, most of which is domestically consumed. Turkmenistan is among the top ten producers of cotton in the world.
TOURISM
Turkmenistan is a country with large potential for an expanded tourism industry.[citation needed] Many of its Central Asian cities were main points of trade on the Silk Road, linking Eastern and Western civilizations. Many neighboring countries (including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Iran) promote their countries based on their location along the Great Silk Road. Tourism has grown rapidly in recent years. Tourists from abroad are deterred by the restrictive visa policy regime with all countries of the world. Tourism is regulated by the Tourism Committee of Turkmenistan.
There are three World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan.
Nisa (also Parthaunisa) was an ancient city, located near modern-day Bagyr, a neighbourhood in Ashgabat 18 km southwest of downtown. Nisa is described by some as one of the first capitals of the Parthians. It is traditionally assumed to have been founded by Arsaces I (reigned c. 250 BC–211 BC), and was reputedly the royal necropolis of the Parthian kings, although it has not been established that the fortress at Nisa was either a royal residence or a mausoleum.
Merv, formerly an Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana, was a major oasis–city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today’s Mary. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of culture and politics at a site of major strategic value. It is claimed that Merv was briefly the largest city in the world in the 12th century.[1]
Konye-Urgench is a municipality of about 30,000 inhabitants in north-eastern Turkmenistan, just south out the border with Uzbekistan. It is the site of the ancient town of Ürgenç, which contains the unexcavated ruins of the 12th-century capital of Khwarezm. Since 2005, the ruins of Old Urgench have been protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.[2] (See List of World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan)
EDUCATION
Turkmenistan has 11 years of formal secondary education. Higher education now lasts 5 years. In 2007, there were 1 million children attending secondary schools and around 100,000 started grade 1. [3] In the 2010/2011 academic year, 931,272 students were enrolled in general educational institutions: 373,160 in urban areas and 558,112 in rural areas. There was a total of 1,730 schools – 1,232 in rural and 498 in urban areas (State Committee for Statistics). Some 69,437 teachers were employed.[4] Turkmenistan introduced “12 year Secondary Education Program” in 2012, which is being implemented starting from 2013/2014 academic year.
At the end of the 2019–20 academic year, nearly 80,000 Turkmen pupils graduated from high school.[6] As of the 2019–20 academic year, 12,242 of these students were admitted to institutions of higher education in Turkmenistan. An additional 9,063 were admitted to the country’s 42 vocational colleges.
Course centers
In 1996, The Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan gave the opportunity for state and private entities to open and operate short term courses.
Currently number of state and private-owned course centers are operating in Turkmenistan. They mainly provide courses in languages, computer skills, mathematics and accounting. They work on license base given by The Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan.
There are more than ten language course centers among which Hemaýat, Diller dünýäsi, Dil merkezi, Gözleg ylym-bilim merkezi, Bagtyýar Ýaşlar, Gujurly Nesil, Päk Nesil, Hukuk, biznes we tehnologiýalar merkezi, Dalçyn, Daýan, Zehinli Nesil, Altyn Göreç, Erenler, Dilkom, Günbatar şapagy, Altyn Sarpa etc.
Universities
There are 23 higher education institutions in Turkmenistan. 18 of these are civil and 5 are military higher education institutions.
Some of the higher education institutions are Turkmen State University named after Magtymguly, State Institute of World Languages named after Döwletmämmet Azady, University of Agriculture named after S. A. Niýazow, State Institute of Economy & Management, Institute of Education named after Seýitnazar Seýdi (Turkmenabat), Institute of Electrical Technology (Mary city), State Medical University.
There are 3 international higher education institutions operating in Turkmenistan: International Oil & Gas University, International Relations Institute of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Turkmenistan, International University of Humanities and Development. Instead of they called “international” in these universities study only Turkmen students.
Military-based higher education institutions: Institute of Ministry of Defence, Institute of Internal Affairs Ministry (alias Police Academy), Institute of Ministry of National Security, Institute of State Border Security.
In June 2021 a new Law on Education was adopted, according to which institutions of higher education are allowed to charge fees for tuition. The government of Turkmenistan has not published a specific date for institutions to shift from free to paid tuition, but some observers anticipate free university tuition will be abolished by 2024. The 2020 national education plan called for “step-by-step transfer of institutions of higher education to self-support with paid tuition.”
VISA REQUIREMENTS
Types of Turkmenistan Visas
The main types of Turkmenistan visas are:
- Turkmenistan Tourist Visa. To visit Turkmenistan as a tourist, you must book a tour with an authorized travel agent.
- Turkmenistan Transit Visa. When you have to pass through Turkmenistan on your way to a third country of destination. This is the only type of visa you can apply for without a sponsor.
- Turkmenistan Business Visa. For short-term business trips.
- Turkmenistan Work Visa. For foreign nationals who have been employed in a Turkmen company. The company acts as a sponsor.
- Turkmenistan Private/Personal Visa. For foreign nationals visiting a Turkmen national or resident.
- Turkmenistan Family Visa. For the family members of foreign nationals who are residing in Turkmenistan on a work visa.
- Turkmenistan Student Visa. For foreign nationals who will study in Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan Visa Requirements
The required documents for a Turkmenistan visa include:
- Turkmenistan Visa Application Form (3 copies). You can download the application form on the Turkmen Migration website.
- Your travel programme
- Copy of your passport and ID
- Cover letter, describing the reason for your trip
- A recent passport-size picture
- Letter of permission for you to travel, obtained by your sponsor
- Requirements for Turkmenistan Business visa:
- Letter of request from the inviting company or government agency/ministry
- Documents proving the inviting company’s main operation
- Requirements for Turkmenistan Work Visa:
- Letter of request from the sponsoring company or government agency/ministry
- Documents proving the inviting company’s main operation
- Documents proving the company’s ability to sponsor you
- Copy of your work contract
- Your health certificate
- List of names of all employees in the company
- Proof of your qualifications, translated and sealed.
- Requirements for Turkmenistan Study Visa:
- A written letter of request by the Educational offices of Turkmenistan
- Requirements for a Personal Visa:
- Copy of the sponsor’s passport
- Copy of a document proving your relationship
- Proof that your sponsor has the right of residence in Turkmenistan
- Requirements for a Family Visa:
- Copy of your sponsor’s passport
- Copy of your sponsor’s visa
- Documents proving your family relationship
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of requirements. Your sponsor and the Embassy in which you will apply will provide you with the requirements based on your specific circumstances, both for the LOI and visa application.
How Do I Get a Turkmenistan Visa?
You can apply for a Turkmenistan visa at an Embassy or Consulate, but before that, you have to get a Letter of Invitation (LOI) from the Turkmen State Migration Service. You must have a sponsor in Turkmenistan who can get the LOI for you. Your sponsor can be:
IMPORTANT LINKS
WEB-SITE “TURKMENISTAN: THE GOLDEN AGE”
THE STATE NEWS AGENCY OF TURKMENISTAN
STATE MIGRATION SERVICE OF TURKMENISTAN
THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMY OF TURKMENISTAN
STATE COMMITTEE FOR STATISTICS OF TURKMENISTAN
THE MINISTRY OF TRADE AND FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS OF TURKMENISTAN
THE UNION OF INDUSTRIALISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS OF TURKMENISTAN
STATE CUSTOMS SERVICE OF TURKMENISTAN
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF TURKMENISTAN
STATE BORDER SERVICE OF TURKMENISTAN
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL’s OFFICE
THE CENTRAL BANK OF TURKMENISTAN
THE MINISTRY OF ENERGY OF TURKMENISTAN
STATE BANK FOR FOREIGN ECONOMIC AFFAIRS OF TURKMENISTAN
THE STATE COMMITTEE FOR TOURISM OF TURKMENISTAN
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL PROTECTION OF TURKMENISTAN
THE MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURE OF TURKMENISTAN
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF TURKMENISTAN
THE MINISTRY OF SPORT AND YOUTH POLICY OF TURKMENISTAN
THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF TURKMENISTAN
THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKMENISTAN
«TÜRKMENSENAGAT» AGENCY
«TÜRKMENARAGATNAŞYK» AGENCY
THE MINISTRY OF TEXTILE INDUSTRY OF TURKMENISTAN
«TÜRKMENAWTOULAGLARY» AGENCY
«TÜRKMENDEMIRÝOLLARY» AGENCY
THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE OF TURKMENISTAN
THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL INDUSTRY OF TURKMENISTAN
STATE INSURANCE ORGANIZATION OF TURKMENISTAN
THE NATIONAL CENTRE OF TRADE UNIONS OF TURKMENISTAN
STATE COMMODITY AND RAW MATERIALS EXCHANGE OF TURKMENISTAN
THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF TURKMENISTAN
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE RED CRESCENT OF TURKMENISTAN