Ashgabat
Ashgabat (Turkmen: Aşgabat, Persian: عشق آباد, Ešq-âbâd, Russian: Ашхабад, Ashkhabad, English: Ashgabat or Ashkhabad) is the capital city of Turkmenistan. Between 1919 and 1927 it was named Portolatsk (Полторацк, Poltoratsk). It lies between the Kopetdag mountain range and the Karakum desert, and the main industries are glass manufacturing, wine making, cotton textile industry etc. Current population is 695,300 (2001). It is surrounded by the Ahar Province, but the city of Ashgabat alone is in the same status as the state, and administratively does not belong to any state. ...