CAPITAL: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)

FLAG: Green field with claret stripe of five carpet patterns; white crescent and five white stars symbolizing five major regions of Turkmenistan to the right of the stripe. In 1997, two crossed olive branches were added beneath the carpet patterns.

ANTHEM: Independence Turkmenistan.

MONETARY UNIT: Manat (MN), the unit of currency, was introduced by the government in November 1993. In January 2003, $1 = MN5,200, but exchange rates fluctuate widely.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is used.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Flag Day, 19 February; International Women's Day, 8 March; Novruz Bairam (first day of spring), 21 March; Victory Day, 9 May; Revival and Unity Day, 18 May; Independence Day, 27 October; Neutrality Day, 12 December.

TIME: 5 PM = noon GMT.

Location, Size, and Extent

Turkmenistan is located in central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Uzbekistan. Comparatively, Turkmenistan is slightly larger than the state of California, with a total area of 488,100 sq km...