The Turkmen script was changed from Latin to Cyrillic in 1940, but the process of changing back to the Turkish version of the Latin script is underway. Predominantly Sunni Muslim with a small Russian Orthodox minority. Turkmenistan shares the Central Asian Sufi tradition. 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 2-pin continental plugs are standard.
Services are available in the main hotels for residents only.
Services are available from post offices in large towns. Letters to Western Europe and the USA can take between two weeks and two months. Stamped envelopes can be bought from post offices. The main Post Office in Ashgabat is open until 1900. The press in Turkmenistan is still censored.