a republic in Asia to the east of the Caspian Sea and to the south of Kazakhstan and to the north of Iran; an Asian soviet from 1925 to 1991
"After decades as an Asian Soviet republic situated between Kazakhstan and Iran, Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991."
A country in Central Asia. Capital: Ashgabat.
"Turkmenistan is a landlocked nation in Central Asia whose capital city is Ashgabat."
The name Turkmenistan comes from the word Türkmen, meaning "Turk-like" or "Turkmen," combined with the Persian suffix -stan. This combination essentially means "land of the Turks."