General

Turkmenistan covers an area of 488,100 square kilometres and is bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran, with the Caspian Sea to the west. The country's diverse ethnic make-up includes 85 per cent Turkmen, 5 per cent Uzbek and 4 per cent Russian, along with other ethnic minorities.

Turkmenistan's official 2022 census placed the total population at 7.1 million. Other sources suggest that the population might be far lower due to considerable emigration over the past two decades, although the scale of outward migration and the country's total population are disputed. Almost half the country's population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat.

Turkmenistan's official language is Turkmen. While Russian and Uzbek are also widely spoken, Russian has diminished. Cyrillic script was replaced by the Latin alphabet in 1993, and Russian lost its status as the language of inter-ethnic communication in 1996.

Around 93 per cent of Turkmenistan's population is Muslim (mostly Sunni) and six per cent are Christian. Religious practices are often intertwined with Turkmen cultural traditions, including celebrations, rituals and social customs.

Political Overview

Turkmenistan is a presidential republic with the president serving as the head of state and government. Turkmenistan declared independence on 27 October 1991. Despite proclaiming Turkmenistan would institute democracy and a market-based economy, Turkmenistan's first president, Saparmurat Niyazov, supported a centralised economy and served as president until his death in 2006. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow became the second president of Turkmenistan in 2006 and his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, became the third president in 2022.

In January 2023, President Serdar Berdimuhamedow appointed Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow as chairperson of the People's Council of Turkmenistan and 'National Leader of the Turkmen People'. The People's Council is considered the 'supreme organ of government authority' and the chairperson is regularly received by foreign heads of state.

Turkmenistan's foreign policy emphasises neutrality and peaceful coexistence with neighbouring states.

Economic Overview

Turkmenistan's GDP was USD 77.1 billion in 2023, with GDP per capita of USD 11,830. The public sector plays a dominant role in economic activity and private sector development. The Turkmenistan economy is heavily dependent on the production and export of natural gas, oil, petrochemicals, cotton, wheat and textiles.

Turkmenistan is a resource-rich nation, holding approximately 10 per cent of proven global natural gas reserves. Turkmenistan exports the majority of its gas to China and smaller volumes of gas to Russia and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan is seeking new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, however these are yet to be fully exploited.

Australia's Relationship with Turkmenistan

Australia and Turkmenistan have a very modest economic relationship. Two-way goods and services trade with Turkmenistan in 2022-23 was worth $1.1 million, mostly accounted for by Australia's exports to Turkmenistan.

Australia established diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan in May 1992. The Australian Ambassador to the Russian Federation holds non-resident accreditation to Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan's Ambassador to Japan holds non-resident accreditation to Australia.