Turkmenistan Economy, People, Culture and Flag

People of Turkmenistan

the people of Turkmenistan are originally nomadic Turkmen. Though the majority of them are Muslims of the Sunni sect, little of their Muslim identity can be detected as they combine their adopted faith with a pre-dating animist belief which is steeped in spirituality. As per tradition, the ancestors of the people of Turkmenistan were nomads who were famous because they engaged in the process of breeding sturdy horses.

Arts, Culture and Music of Turkmenistan

• Art : traditional nomadic Turkmen art is rife all through the country and can be seen at close quarters on a daily basis. Some of the wide spread examples are Bukhara carpet weaving, sheep-skin caps and jackets, the Yaka and Chirpy Embroidery which is distinctive of their clan, Keteni Silk weaving, handcrafted Silver ware and jewellery, Koshma felts and Zergar Silver Jewellery which double as armour . The list is pretty much endless.
• Culture : the country of Turkmenistan reflects a quaint blend of tribal nomadic life with modern practices. One of the very interesting rituals involves the making of the Tamdyr-Oven Chorek bread. Also, Somsa making is an equally intriguing part of Turkmen life. The culture of Turkmenistan also reflects influences from other cultures like Persian influence, Greek, Arabs, Oguz, Mongol, Russian, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz and Taliks as well.
• Music : due to being culturally influenced by the Kyrgyz and the Kazakh, the music of Turkmenistan inevitably has elements and traits of Kyrgyz and Kazakh music.

The songster is a nomad performing his art by traveling from one place to another. They are called the ‘Bakshy' which means ‘healer' or ‘magician'. The chief instrument that accompanies the songs are the ‘Dutar'. Another type of classical music in turkmenistan is the ‘Mugam'.

Flag of Turkmenistan

the flag of Turkmenistan is a crisp representation of its identity. The flag is rectangular in shape and has a green backdrop. On the left side, covering the length of the flag is a vertical band containing five different patterns of carpets. Below the patterns are two crossed olive branches. To the immediate right of the carpet band are a crescent white moon and five white five-pointed stars. The olive pattern was a late addition. The moon is representative of the country's Islamic culture, while the stars stand for the five regions of the country. The flag has been in use since February 1997.

Economy of Turkmenistan

despite having quite a barren landscape, Turkmenistan scores in its production of cotton and natural gas. Half of its agricultural land is completely dedicated to the production of cotton. In fact, it also ranks as the tenth largest cotton producer in the world. As far as its gas reserves are concerned, it has world ranking there too – being the fourth largest. Aside of these, the only other industry that makes a significant contribution to the economy of Turkmenistan is its fishing industry and also its carpet industry.

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