Published in association with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

On October 27, 1991, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Hammer and sickle gave way to a flag, a national ant

“For those who still get their ‘-stans’ mixed up, Hiro’s book provides a detailed and nuanced overview of the region.” —Financial Times (Best Books

Turkmenistan is a Central Asian country bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. It became an independent country in 1991 after the Soviet Uni

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan became free of the Soviet Union in 1991. But though they are new to modern statehood, this is a