For more information see the Turkmenistan profile.

Turkmenistan is located in Central Asia, directly to the north of Iran and Afghanistan. It consists of two populated strips of irrigated land on the northern and southern borders that are separated by the barren Kara-Kum Desert. Oil and natural gas are important sources of foreign income.

Until 1991, Turkmenistan was a republic of the USSR. Independence led to a degree of uncertainty as the government attempted to adjust and decide how much freedom to grant the people.

Turkmentistan is a secular state with freedom of religion, but Islamic fundamentalists are calling for greater Islamization. Christians make up only a small minority of the population.