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MilitaryMilitary branches
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2010) Military service age and obligation
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2009) Manpower available for military service
Males age 16-49 1,380,794
Females age 16-49 1,387,211 (2010 est.) Manpower fit for military service
Males age 16-49 1,066,649
Females age 16-49 1,185,538 (2010 est.) Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
Male 53,829
Female 52,988 (2010 est.) Military expenditures World Ranking: 34
3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Turkmenistan (Ashgabat):
 
GPS points from Turkmenistan (Ashgabat)
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Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires, and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim crusaders, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians. In medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmenistan later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited, have begun to transform the country. Turkmenistan is moving to expand its extraction and delivery projects. The Turkmen Government is actively working to diversify its gas export routes beyond the still important Russian pipeline network. In 2010, new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to China and to northern Iran began operating, effectively ending the Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president; he was reelected in February 2012.