Backgrounder: brief introduction of Turkmenistan, its presidential election

Turkmens went to the polls on Sunday for a presidential election in which six candidates are competing for the country's presidency.

The following are snapshots of the Central Asian country and its presidential election.

Located on the southeastern coast of the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan, rich in oil and gas resources, has an area of 488,100 square km which borders Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Kazakhstan.

Turkmenistan is a multi-ethnic country with Turkmens as the largest ethnic group. Some 90 percent of the country's 5.2 million population are Muslim.

It declared its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991 and joined the United Nations in 1992.

The presidential poll comes two months after the death of President Saparmurat Niyazov, who died from a heart failure on Dec. 21, 2006 at the age of 66 and left no successor.

The date of the vote was unanimously approved by the People's Assembly, the country's top legislative body, on Dec. 26.

The legislative body also passed a constitutional amendment, allowing Deputy Prime Minister Gurbungali Berdymukhamedov to serve as the country's acting president for 60 days.

Berdymukhamedov, 49, who is also one of the six presidential candidates, has promised the election would be held on a democratic basis.

The other five contenders are Ishanguly Nuryyev, 51, deputy minister of oil and gas; Ashyrniyaz Pomanov, 44, mayor of Turkmenbashi city; Karabekaul district chief Mukhammednazar Gurbanov; Orazmyrad Garadzhayev, 46, mayor of Abadan town; and Amanyaz Atadzhikov, 59, deputy governor of northern Dashoguz Region.

Polling stations opened across the country at 8:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) Sunday and are scheduled to close at 6:00 p.m. (1300 GMT).

The preliminary results are expected on Monday and the official outcome will be released on Wednesday.

Source: Xinhua