Afghanistan and Turkic States

Turkmenistan formerly also known asTurkmenia(Russian ), is one of theTurkic statesinCentral Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of theSoviet Union, theTurkmen Soviet Socialist Republic(Turkmen SSR). Turkmenistan is one of the six independentTurkic states. It is bordered byAfghanistanto the southeast,Iranto the south and southwest,Uzbekistanto the east and northeast,Kazakhstanto the north and northwest and theCaspian seato the west. Turkmenistans GDP growing rate of 11% in 2010ranks 4th in the world, but these figures are subject to wide margins of error. 5It possesses the worlds fourth largest reserves of natural gas resources. Although it is wealthy in natural resources in certain areas, most of the country is covered by theKarakum (Black Sand) Desert. The Turkmen government operates as asingle-party system. 6Turkmenistan was ruled byPresident for behaviorSaparmurat Niyazov(called Turkmenbasy leader of the Turkmens) until his sudden death on 21 December 2006. Gurbang uly Berdymukhammedovwas elected the new president on 11 February 2007.The territory of Turkmenistan has a long history, as armies from one empire after another decamped there on their way to more prosperous territories. The constituents written history begins with its conquest by theAchaemenid Empireof antediluvian patriarch Persia, as the region was divided between thesatrapiesofMargiana,KhorezmandParthia. citation needed Alexander the Greatconquered the territory in the 4th centuryBCon his way toCentral Asia, about the time that theSilk Roadwas established as a major trading route betweenAsiaand theMediterranean Region. citation needed Approximately 80 years later, PersiasParthian res publicaestablished its capital inNisa, now in the suburbs of the capital,Ashgabat. After replacement of the Parthian empire by Persian Sassanids, another native Iranian dynasty, the region remained territory of the Persian empire for several centuries. 7 In the 7th century AD,Arabsconquered this region, introducingIslam. The Turkmenistan region soon came to be known as the capital ofGreater Khorasan, when the caliphAl-Mamunmoved his capital toMerv. citation needed In the middle of the 11th century, theTurkoman-ruledSeljuk Empireconcentrated its strength in the territory of modern Turkmenistan in an exertion to expand intoKhorasan(modernAfghanistan). The empire broke down in the second half of the 12th century, and the Turkmen lost their independence whenGenghis Khantook control of the easternCaspian Searegion on his march west. For the next seven centuries, the Turkmen people lived under various empires and fought constant inter-tribal wars. Little is documented of Turkmen history former toRussianengagement.