Saparmurad Niyazov
President

(pronounced "saa-par-MUR-ad nih-YAH-zoff")

"Right from the start of perestroika, we embarked on economic reforms, and we did this gradually, adapting to national features and the people's mentality and traditions."

The Republic of Turkmenistan borders on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the north and east, Iran and Afghanistan to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the west. It covers a total land area of 488,100 sq km (188,455 sq mi). The capital is Ashkhabad, near the border with Iran. The Caspian seaport of Krasnovodsk is called the "gateway to Central Asia." The least populous of the Central Asian states of the former Soviet Union, about 90% of the land area is covered by the Kara Kum desert.

The population is 4.7 million (July 2002 estimate), of whom 77% are Turkmen, 7% are Russian, 9% are Uzbek, and 7% represent other ethnic backgrounds. The official language is Turkmen; 72% of the...