Countries

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a Central Asian country on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, and the Karakum Desert covers most of its land. It became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991, and the UN recognized its permanent neutrality in 1995.

The corrugated mud-brick walls of the Greater Kyz Kala fortress at Merv standing against a blue sky, Turkmenistan

Greater Kyz Kala, Merv

Photo: Dr. Alexey Yakovlev, CC BY-SA 2.0

Green is a traditional colour of Islam; the five stars and five carpet motifs stand for the country's five provinces, and the olive branches, added in 1997, mark its neutrality.

How it has changed

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