CIA Factbook The World Factbook 1994: TurkmenistanGeography Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Uzbekistan Area: • total area: 488,100 sq km • land area: 488,100 sq km • comparative area: slightly larger than California Land boundaries: total 3,736 km, Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km Coastline: 0 km • note: Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) Maritime claims: landlocked, but boundaries in the Caspian Sea with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Iran are under negotiations International disputes: Russia may dispute current de facto maritime border to midpoint of Caspian Sea from shore Climate: subtropical desert Terrain: flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulphur, salt Land use: • arable land: 3% • permanent crops: 0% • meadows and pastures: 69% • forest and woodland: 0% • other: 28% Irrigated land: 12,450 sq km (1990) Environment: • current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salinization, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya river into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification • natural hazards: NA • international agreements: party to—Ozone Layer Protection Note: landlocked