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Turkmenistan
Hydrological Conditions
Almost 80 percent of the territory of Turkmenistan lacks a constant
source of surface water flow. Its main rivers are located only
in the southern and eastern peripheries; a few smaller rivers
on the northern slopes of the Kopetdag are diverted entirely to
irrigation. The most important river is the Amu Darya, which has
a total length of 2,540 kilometers from its farthest tributary,
making it the longest river in Central Asia. The Amu Darya flows
across northeastern Turkmenistan, thence eastward to form the
southern borders of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Damming and irrigation
uses of the Amu Darya have had severe environmental effects on
the Aral Sea, into which the river flows (see Environmental Issues,
this ch.). The river's average annual flow is 1,940 cubic meters
per second. Other major rivers are the Tejen (1,124 kilometers);
the Murgap (852 kilometers); and the Atrek (660 kilometers).
Data as of March 1996
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