Turkmenistan borders Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and the Caspian Sea. About four and a half million people live in a country slightly larger than California. Ashgabat, the capital and largest city, has a population of half a million.
Most large settlements have trees and are quite green in spring and summer.
Other major groups are Russians, Uzbeks, and Kazakhs. The official language is Turkmen. In winter the temperature regularly goes below freezing and snow is common. Spring and fall tend to be pleasant. Economy Turkmenistan's vast reserves of gas and oil give it great economic promise, but the country still lacks adequate means of exporting these resources.