Türkmenbasy, Turkmenistan
Encyclopedia
Türkmenbaşy formerly known as Krasnovodsk and, more properly, Kyzyl-Su, is a city in Balkan Province
in Turkmenistan
, on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea
. It is located at latitude 40.0231 North; longitude 52.9697 East, at an altitude of 27 meters. The population (est 2004) was 86,800, mostly ethnic Russian
and Azeri. As the terminus of the Trans-Caspian Railway
, it was an important transportation center.
landed and established a secret fortified settlement on this location, where the dry bed of a former mouth of the Amu-Darya River once emptied into the Caspian Sea. His intent was to march an army up this dry riverbed and conquer the Khanate of Khiva
. The expedition failed, and the Russians abandoned the settlement for over 150 years.
In 1869, the Russians made a second and latest attempt. They named their fort Krasnovodsk (Красноводск), which is the Russian version of the original name, Kyzyl-Su (Red Water). Krasnovodsk was Imperial Russia's base of operations against Khiva and Bukhara, and the nomadic Turkmen
tribes. It fell to the Red Army
in February, 1920.
In 1993, Krasnovodsk was renamed by President for Life
Saparmurat Niyazov
, after his self-proclaimed title Türkmenbaşy ("Leader of all Turkmen"). Niyazov's successor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow pledged, in July 2007, to invest one billion dollars into a project slated to turn Türkmenbaşy into a major tourist resort – the center of the Avaza
Tourist Zone with 60 modern hotels to be built along a 16 km stretch of the Caspian Sea shoreline.
(BSh/BSk, according to the Köppen climate classification
), with hot summers and chilly winters. The average temperatures are 2 °C in January and 28 °C in July. The average annual precipitation is 131 mm (5 in).
Türkmenbaşy is Turkmenistan's only port
and sea link to the West. A ferry service connects Türkmenbaşy to Baku
, Azerbaijan
. It is the western terminus of the Trans-Caspian railway
, which connects the city to Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat and points further east. The city is also connected to Ashgabat by bus and by Turkmenistan Airlines
.
Western Turkmenistan has major petroleum
and natural gas
reserves, and Turkmenistan's largest oil refinery
is in Türkmenbaşy.
Balkan Province
Balkan Province is one of the Welayat of Turkmenistan. It is in 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 139,270 square kilometers and a population of approximately 553,500...
in 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...
, on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. It is located at latitude 40.0231 North; longitude 52.9697 East, at an altitude of 27 meters. The population (est 2004) was 86,800, mostly ethnic Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and Azeri. As the terminus of the Trans-Caspian Railway
Trans-Caspian railway
The Trans-Caspian Railway is a railway that follows the path of the Silk Road through much of western Central Asia. It was built by the Russian Empire during its expansion into Central Asia in the 19th century. The railway was started in 1879, following the Russian defeat of Khokand...
, it was an important transportation center.
History
In 1717, Russian Prince Alexander Bekovich-CherkasskyAlexander Bekovich-Cherkassky
Prince Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky was a Russian officer of Circassian origin who led the first Russian military expedition into Central Asia.-Background:...
landed and established a secret fortified settlement on this location, where the dry bed of a former mouth of the Amu-Darya River once emptied into the Caspian Sea. His intent was to march an army up this dry riverbed and conquer the Khanate of Khiva
Khanate of Khiva
The Khanate of Khiva was the name of a Uzbek state that existed in the historical region of Khwarezm from 1511 to 1920, except for a period of Persian occupation by Nadir Shah between 1740–1746. It was the patrilineal descendants of Shayban , the fifth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
. The expedition failed, and the Russians abandoned the settlement for over 150 years.
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
tribes. It fell to the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in February, 1920.
In 1993, Krasnovodsk was renamed by President for Life
President for Life
President for Life is a title assumed by some dictators to remove their term limit, in the hope that their authority, legitimacy, and term will never be disputed....
Saparmurat Niyazov
Saparmurat Niyazov
Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov; , was a Turkmen politician who served as President of Turkmenistan from 2 November 1990 until his death in 2006...
, after his self-proclaimed title Türkmenbaşy ("Leader of all Turkmen"). Niyazov's successor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow pledged, in July 2007, to invest one billion dollars into a project slated to turn Türkmenbaşy into a major tourist resort – the center of the Avaza
Avaza
Awaza is a touristic zone in Turkmenistan. It is located at the east side of the Caspian sea, 12 km west of Turkmenbashi city.It has been described as "the most ill-conceived resort ever built"....
Tourist Zone with 60 modern hotels to be built along a 16 km stretch of the Caspian Sea shoreline.
Climate
Türkmenbaşy has a desert climateDesert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
(BSh/BSk, according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), with hot summers and chilly winters. The average temperatures are 2 °C in January and 28 °C in July. The average annual precipitation is 131 mm (5 in).
Economy and transport
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
and sea link to the West. A ferry service connects Türkmenbaşy to Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. It is the western terminus of the Trans-Caspian railway
Trans-Caspian railway
The Trans-Caspian Railway is a railway that follows the path of the Silk Road through much of western Central Asia. It was built by the Russian Empire during its expansion into Central Asia in the 19th century. The railway was started in 1879, following the Russian defeat of Khokand...
, which connects the city to Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat and points further east. The city is also connected to Ashgabat by bus and by Turkmenistan Airlines
Turkmenistan Airlines
Turkmenistan Airlines is the flag carrier of Turkmenistan, headquartered in Ashgabat. The airline connects its home base of Ashgabat with destinations in Russia, Europe and Asia...
.
Western Turkmenistan has major petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and 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...
reserves, and Turkmenistan's largest oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
is in Türkmenbaşy.
Sights
- Museum of Regional History
- Gate to former Krasnovodsk fort
- Beaches
- Khazar Nature ReserveKhazar Nature ReserveHazar Nature Reserve is a nature reserve of Turkmenistan.It is located on the south-east coast of the Caspian Sea, in Balkan Province and covers an area of 2,690 km²...
- Natural History Museum