Mary Province
Encyclopedia
Provinces of Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is divided into five provinces or welayatlar and one capital city district .The heads of the provinces are appointed by the President of Turkmenistan .-References:...
of Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
. It is in the south-east of the country, bordering Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Its capital is the city of Mary
Mary, Turkmenistan
Mary is the capital city of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. Former names include Merv, Meru and Margiana. It is located at . The city is an oasis in the Karakum Desert, located on the Murghab river. In 2009, Mary had a population of 123,000 , up from 92,000 in the 1989 census.-History:The ancient...
. Its area is 87150 km² (33,648.8 sq mi) and population 1,480,400 (2005 est.). The average population density is about 15 persons per square kilometer, but it reaches 150-200 per square kilometer in the most developed oases.
In 2000, Mary Province accounted for 23% of Turkmenistan's population, 19% of the total number of employed, 26% of agricultural production (by value), and 21% of the country's total industrial production.
The region's industries include natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
extraction (the Iolotan gas field
Iolotan gas field
Ýolöten Gas Field is a large natural gas field near Ýolöten in Mary Province of Turkmenistan.-History:...
), electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
generation, textiles, carpet weaving, chemical and food industry. In 2001 it accounted for 74% of Turkmenistan's electricity generation 26% of natural gas extraction. According to other sources, Mary Province accounts for 81% of fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
production, 40% of textiles, 81% of leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, and 23% of footwear
Footwear
Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations....
. Mary agriculture produces 31% of Turkmenistan's cotton fibres and 32% of its vegetable oil.
Agriculture in Mary Province is irrigated by the Karakum Canal
Qaraqum Canal
The Qaraqum Canal in Turkmenistan is one of the largest irrigation and water supply canals in the world...
, which runs east to west through the center of the province, and by the Murghab River, which runs south to north, entering the province from Afghanistan. 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 cited link does not lead to this information: need a direct link]
Ancient Merv
Merv
Merv , formerly Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana , was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today's Mary in Turkmenistan. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of...
, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the main archeological attraction of Mary Province. This is one of the best preserved oasis cities on the ancient silk route.
The capital of Mary Province is the city of Mary
Mary, Turkmenistan
Mary is the capital city of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. Former names include Merv, Meru and Margiana. It is located at . The city is an oasis in the Karakum Desert, located on the Murghab river. In 2009, Mary had a population of 123,000 , up from 92,000 in the 1989 census.-History:The ancient...
, located at the intersection of Murghab River with the Karakum Canal. Other cities are Baýramaly , Ýolöten (Iolotan), and Serhetabat
Serhetabat
Serhetabat is a small town in the Mary Province in Turkmenistan, located in the valley of the Kushka River. Population: 5,200 ....
on the border with Afghanistan.
Districts
Mary Province is divided into 12 districts (etraplar; singular etrap) and two cities (il). Name changes since 1995 are shown in parentheses:- Baýramaly City
- Mary CityMary, TurkmenistanMary is the capital city of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. Former names include Merv, Meru and Margiana. It is located at . The city is an oasis in the Karakum Desert, located on the Murghab river. In 2009, Mary had a population of 123,000 , up from 92,000 in the 1989 census.-History:The ancient...
- Altyn Sähra District (formed in April 2008)
- Baýramaly DistrictBaýramaly DistrictBaýramaly District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Baýramaly....
- Ýolöten DistrictÝolöten DistrictÝolöten District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Ýolöten....
- Garagum DistrictGaragum DistrictKarakum District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Karakum....
- Mary DistrictMary DistrictMary District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Mary....
- Murgap DistrictMurgap DistrictMurgap District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Murgap....
- Oguzhan DistrictOguzhan DistrictOguzhan District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Gulanly....
(formerly Howuzhan District) - Sakarçäge DistrictSakarçäge DistrictSakarçäge District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Sakarçäge....
- Serhetabat DistrictSerhetabat DistrictSerhetabat District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Gushgy....
(formerly Guşgy District) - Tagtabazar DistrictTagtabazar DistrictTagtabazar District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Tagtabazar....
- Türkmengala DistrictTürkmengala DistrictTürkmengala District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Türkmengala....
- Wekilbazar DistrictWekilbazar DistrictWekilbazar District is a district of Mary Province in Turkmenistan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Mollanepes....