ABSTRACT
Like Libya, the territory of present-day Turkmenistan is characterized by presence of a huge desert that divides it into two great areas. Historically, one can identify instead three different regions: North, related to Khwaresm and the Transoxiana; the South-East, which was part of ancient Khorasan; the South, characterized by thriving agriculture and stock farming. In December the Turkmen Communist Party changed its name again into Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, held its congress and confirmed Niyazov's leadership. Many analysts maintain that Niyazov's major support was in the countryside. The manufacturing of this consensus was based on the promise of 'stability', coupled with, and justified by, the necessity of attaining 'prosperity', which was presented as the final goal of independence. Like other post-Soviet states, after the declaration of independence Turkmenistan had to face at the same time a 'triple transition': from multinational state to nation-state, from centrally planned economy to market economy and from socialist republic to a different kind of polity.
