Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

is divided into five regions, or ''welaýatlar'' (singular '' welaýat'') and one capital city (''şäher'') with provincial legal status. They are Ahal,

Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, Dashoguz, Lebap and Mary, plus the capital city of

Ashgabat Ashgabat (Turkmen language, Turkmen: ''Aşgabat'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag, Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30 ...

. Each province is divided into

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

. As of 20 December 2022 there were 37 districts (), 49 cities (), including 7 cities with district status (), 68 towns (), 469 rural councils (rural municipal units, ) and 1690 villages (rural settlements ) in Turkmenistan. The regions are also translated as ''oblasts'', which were also the

administrative divisions Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...

of the

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Turkmenistan, the Turkmen SSR, TuSSR, Turkmenistan, or Turkmenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union located in Central Asia existed as a republic from 1925 to 199 ...

, a republic of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, which retained the system after independence in 1991.

Capital city

The capital city of Turkmenistan is

, which is an administrative and territorial unit with provincial authorities.
''See also'
Map of the Boroughs of Ashgabat
As of January 5, 2018, Ashgabat includes four boroughs (''uly etraplar''), each with a presidentially appointed mayor (): # Bagtyýarlyk etraby (formerly President Niyazov, Lenin District, expanded to include former Ruhabat District plus new territory) # Berkararlyk etraby (formerly Azatlyk, Sovetskiy District) # Büzmeýin etraby (formerly Abadan District, expanded to include former Arçabil and Çandybil Districts) # Köpetdag etraby (formerly Proletarskiy District) This is a reduction from the previous number of boroughs. Arçabil and Çandybil boroughs were merged on February 4, 2015, and the new ''etrap'', named Arçabil, was in turn renamed Büzmeýin in January 2018. At that time the Abadan borough of Ashgabat, created in 2013 by annexing the town of Abadan and surrounding villages to Abadan's south, was abolished and its territory was merged into the newly renamed Büzmeýin borough. The former Ruhabat borough was abolished at the same time and its territory absorbed by Bagtyýarlyk borough. On 15 June 2020, Turkmen President

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow (born 29 June 1957) is a Turkmen politician and former dentist who is currently the chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan. He previously served as the second president of Turkmenistan from ...

announced intention to create a fifth borough of Ashgabat, to be called Altyn etraby, centered on the new resort zone created on the shores of the former Gurtly Water Reservoir, recently renamed "Golden Lake" (Altyn köl).

List of regions

The heads of the regions (, "the leader"), sometimes known as "governors", are appointed by the President of Turkmenistan (

Constitution of Turkmenistan The Constitution of Turkmenistan () adopted on 18 May 1992 is the supreme law of Turkmenistan (Article 5). In its preamble, the Constitution emphasizes self-determination for the Turkmen people, as well as the rule of law and rights for citizens. ...

, Articles 80–81).

References

{{Turkmenistan topics Subdivisions of Turkmenistan Turkmenistan 1 Turkmenistan 1 Regions, Turkmenistan Turkmenistan geography-related lists