Turkmenistan
Nature
For a person who looks at a map of Turkmenistan for the first time it presents an uninterrupted desert. The substantial part of the total territory of Turkmenistan is occupied by Karakum sands. Still the first impression is sure to appear to be false, as not many of the countries can be proud of such a wealth of plant and animals kingdoms, such a variety of landscapes and climatic zones. The nature of Turkmenistan is rich in tens of tlýousands of types of flora and fauna. Many of these types are unique and can be seen only here on the Turkmen land. The nature of Turkmenistan is also a mighty source of material resources for the people living here. With every step in the desert one can feel the mighty breath of life. The nature of sands is not always favourable to man. But it is the living nature, existing in accorsdance with the laws that have been laid down for millenia. The conditions of hot dry climate, caused the development of unique forms of plants able to get at lifegiving moisture from the great depths, to stand still in its development for the period of severe whithering summer heat and to bloom wild and unstopable in the period of short lifegiving spring.
In the common ecological system of desert, thanks to the sharp biological balanse many representatives of the animal world feel fine as well. All these representative of the fauna begining from Ťthe crokodile of the sands ť - varan and ending with Ťthe ship of desertť - camel - are unique mainly because they posess the surprising abilixy to acclimatization to the extreme climatic pecularities.
And skilful and careful handling of life potential of the desert can also bring substantial profit to man. The desert ranges only allow grazing of multithousand herds of sheep and camels.
But most brightly and completely the Nature of Turkmenistan reveals its colourful variety . in those climatic zones, where there is an abündance of water, the basis of life. Vibrant Mooming of life rains in the cool foothills, in the river valeys, in the boundaries between different natural zones.
But even today in the remotest places, hidden from accidental glances one can come across a porcupine, a Ťred catť, a hyena and even a leopard.
Eight state preserves of Turkcmenistan cover more than half a million hectares of dry lands and about 200000 hectares of bodies of water. On their territory more than 3000 types of plants, 50 types of fish and 279 types of animals are under guard. The forests occupying more than 3 million hectares are also guarded by goverment.
Mountain landscapes are not less characteristic of Turkmenistan than those of desert. This is not surprising. In the south, east and west of Turkmenistan there are mountain masses of the Kopet-Dag, Koyten-Dag, Balkans. If one goes the zigzagging mountain road, every new turn, every new step presents him with inimmitable beauty of canyons, slopes of mountains, alpine meadows, clean rivers and waterfalls. The mountain regions of Turkmenistan is also an invaluable store-house of mineral resourses.
According to the calculations of scientists the plant world of Turkmenistan includes more than 2600 types of wild plants. The animal world of Turkmenistan is represented by not less than 700 types of vertebrate and 10000 types invertebrate animals. The nature of Turkmenistan is rich in medicine herbz. 344 types of medicine herbz grow only in the territory of Turkmenistan.
But not of less value are the unique healing springs, salty lakes rich in minerals and many other manifestations of multifarious nature. As for recreational potential Turkmenistan can be rightfully concidered to be one of the leading in the world.
One cannot khow nature of Turkmenistan not having visited the Caspian sea-shore. The Caspian sea is the largest in the world selfcontained salty sea (lake) which has no connection with the world's oceans. On the territory of the Caspian sea only one can come across flamingo, pelicans and many other birds who are on the list of endangered species (the Red Book). Special attention of the nature protection service is raid to preserving the populations of valuable stuegeon fishes.
