Turkmenistan

Where the name comes from

Turkmenistan joins Turkmen with Persian -stan, “land”; Turkmen has been read as “Turk-like” or “very Turkish”, but the ending’s meaning is debated.

First people

Turkmen descend partly from Oghuz Turkic-speaking groups, and Merv was one of the great cities of the Silk Road.^1,2

Known for

Turkmenistan is known for the Darvaza gas crater, nicknamed the Gate to Hell, which has burned since 1971, and for its Akhal-Teke horses.³

Outside contact

Russia won at Geok Tepe in 1881 and annexed Merv in 1884.¹

The modern country

A Soviet republic followed in 1924, and after independence in 1991, the UN recognized its permanent neutrality on 12 December 1995.⁴