derives from the Persian Ashk (Arsaces) and abat (="inhabited place" or "city"), which overall means "the City of Arsaces". A folk etymology suggests that the name is a dialect version of the Arabic-derived Persian word of (eshq meaning "love") and Persian "ABAD”meaning "inhabited place" or "city", etymologically "abode"), and hence loosely translates as "the city of love" or "the city that love built".
History – In 1881 Russian tsar troops came to the "aul” (village) called Ashabad & built in the area their military camp. The same year, not far from this place, was founded the town Askhabad, first as the military installation, and later having became the administrative centre of newly formed "Zakaspiyskiy” region of Russia.
In 1880-1888 has been constructed "Zakaspiyskaya” railroad which "opened” Central Asia.
It is the little settlement till 1890 having the administrative establishments, small trader shops and soldier barracks. With the years to come Ashabad became the emporium of the region, due to its geographical location. There is the passage via Kopet dag mountain range connecting it with Khorasan province in Iran ( 250 km from Mashhad) and there are trade routes to Khiva ( 720 km) & Buhara ( 760 km).
Russia imported in the region the calico, sugar, kerosene, matches, metallic tableware and other merchandises, via Caspian sea (‘Sea gate of Central Asia). In the numerous caravanserais of Ashabad had been accumulated a lot of dried fruits, silk cloth, wool and other articles of trade from Iran, Afghanistan, Khiva and Buhara. In 1900 Askhabad branch of Russian bank had the trade turnover of 70.000 Russian rubles. The main push up factor of the town development was the administrative transfer of all "Zakaspiyskoy” railroad departments and many its employees from Chardjev (Turkmenabat), Gyzylarbar.
The town was beautified slowly. Unpaved, dimly illuminated streets, dusty in summer & muddy in winter, it was Askhabad in the beginning. But little by little the streets have been cobbled, street lamps put up, the trees & bushes been planted, appeared the network of irrigation ditches. The small scale manufacture grown up. From 1919 to 1927 the town was called as "Poltoratsk”, named after local revolutionary. In February 1925 it became the capital of recently formed – Soviet Turkmenistan & the administrative, cultural and economic centre of the republic.
From 1927 the capital’s name is again changed as Ashgabat. Its planning has been continued with the new force and besides the new administrative buildings, secondary schools, institutes, parks there are appeared the large scale enterprises - textile mill, filature, glasswork, printing complex and others.
The constructive life of Ashgabad has been interrupted on October 06, 1948. Richter magnitude 7.3 earthquake happened that night. Between city population 172.000 people only 62.000 survived. The little left of its buildings, only some were still standing. Ashgabat was rebuilt accordingly to the new development plan. The plant facilities have grown up. The aseismic home construction activity got the impulse.
In 1991 Ashgabat became the capital of Independent Turkmenistan. The development of the city continued with the propelling force. Now it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with the population 900.000 people.
Provinces (Velayat)
Ahal Province (38°30′N 59°0′E / 38.5°N 59°E). It is the south center of the country, bordering Iran and Afghanistan along the Kopet Dag Range. Its area is 97,260 sq km and population 785,800. In 2000, Ahal Province accounted for 14% of Turkmenistan's population, 23% of agricultural production (by value), and 31% of the country's total industrial production.
Ahal's agriculture is irrigated by the Karakum Canal, which stretches all the way across the province from east to west, tracking Turkmenistan's southern border. Another water source is Tejen River, which flows north from Afghanistan in the south-east corner of the province, passing through two large reservoirs south of the city of Tejen.
Ahal is known for the Geok Tepe battle of 1881, today the site of an imposing new mosque, and for the Baharden underground warm lake (in the Kov Ata karst cave), west of Ashgabat.
The capital of Ahal Province is Anau, a town on the south-eastern outskirts of Ashgabat. Other notable towns are Abadan (formerly Buzmein) north-west of Ashgabat and Tejen in the south-east near the border with Mary Province. Turkmenistan's largest city, Ashgabat, is located within the Ahal Province, but it has the status of a special capital district outside the provincial jurisdiction.
Mary Province (37°0′N 62°0′E / 37, 62). It is the south-east of the country, bordering Afghanistan. Its centre is in the city of Mary. It has an area of 87,000 square kilometers and a population of 1,146,800. The average population density is 13.2 persons per square kilometer, but this figure reaches 150-200 per square kilometer in the most developed oases.
The region's industry includes natural gas extraction, electric power generation and chemical production. It accounts for 76% of Turkmenistan's electricity, 81% of fertilizer production, 100% pure wool, 40% of textiles, 81% of leather and 23% of footwear. In terms of agriculture, this region also produces 31% of Turkmenistan's cotton fibres, 32% of its vegetable oil, and 26% of farming products.
Another feature of this region is the Karakum Canal, which runs through the province and allows agriculture and to be developed in this inhospitable region of the Karakum Desert. While the northern portion of the province is within the Central Asian southern desert ecoregion, the southern portion of the province is characterized by a savanna of pistachio and desert sedges, classified as the Badkhiz-Karabil semi-desert by the World Wildlife Fund.
The major archeological site of Merv is located in the welayat. This is one of the best preserved oasis cities on the ancient silk route.
Lebap Province (39°0′N 63°0′E / 39°N 63°E). It is the northeast of the country, bordering Uzbekistan along the Amu Darya river. Its administrative centre is Turkmenabat (formerly named Chardjev). It has an area of 94,000 square kilometers, and a population of 1,034,700 people.
It contains the Repetek Nature Reserve and the Koytendag Nature Reserve, which has Turkmenistan's highest mountain, Aýrybaba ( 3139 meters).
Dashoguz Province (41°0′N 58°30′E / 41°N 58.5°E). It is the north of the country, bordering Uzbekistan. The area of the province is 74,000 square kilometers, and the total population (1995 estimate) is 1,059,800. The centre is Dashoguz.
The province contains the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kunya Urgench.
Balkan Province (40°0′N 55°0′E / 40, 55) The far west of the country, bordering Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, and Iran. Its capital is Balkanabat, formerly known as Nebit Dag. It has an area of 138,000 square kilometers and a population of approximately 424,700 people. Its population density of 3.3 persons per square kilometer is the lowest in Turkmenistan.
Other cities include: Turkmenbashy (former Krasnovodsk), Gumdag, Serdar, Hazar, Etrek, Esenguly. The Province has significant energy reserves, which account for 94% of Turkmenistan's natural gas production and 12% of its petroleum production. It also generates 18% of the country's electric power. Due to the very low water supply, agriculture is negligible, and only 4.5% of Turkmenistan's arable lands are within the province.
Off its Caspian shores the Balkan Province includes the island of Ogurja Ada, the most important island in Turkmenistan and one of the largest in the Caspian Sea.
Geological structure
There are the sedimentations coming from Proterozoic era to Quaternary period in geologic formation of Turkmenistan. The widest sedimentation range is dated to Mesozoic-Cainozoic era, what is connected to substantive oil & gas pools of the country.
