List of resources for Turkmenistan

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Following is a list of websites for additional information about the Peace Corps and Turkmenistan and to connect you to returned Volunteers and other invitees. Please keep in mind that although we try to make sure all these links are active and current, we cannot guarantee it.

A note of caution: As you surf these sites, be aware that you will find bulletin boards and chat rooms in which people are free to give opinions and advice based on their own experiences. The opinions expressed are not those of the Peace Corps or the U.S. government. You may find opinions of people who were unhappy with their choice to serve in the Peace Corps. As you read these comments, we hope you will keep in mind that the Peace Corps is not for everyone, and no two people experience their service in the same way.

[edit] General Information About Turkmenistan

http://www.countrywatch.com On this site, you can learn anything from what time it is in Ashgabat to how to convert from the dollar to the manat. Just click on Turkmenistan and go from there.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations Visit this site for general travel advice about almost any country in the world.

http://www.state.gov The U.S. State Department’s website issues background notes periodically about countries around the world. Find Turkmenistan and learn more about its social and political history.

http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/official.htm This site includes links to all the official sites for governments worldwide.

http://www.geography.about.com/library/maps/blindex.htm This online world atlas includes maps and geographical information, and each country page contains links to other sites, such as the Library of Congress, that contain comprehensive historical, social, and political background.

http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/info.asp This United Nations site allows you to search for statistical information for member states of the U.N.

http://www.worldinformation.com This site provides an additional source of current and historical information about countries around the world.

[edit] Connect With Returned Volunteers and Other Invitees

http://www.friendsofturkmenistan.org This is the homepage of Friends of Turkmenistan, the former Volunteer group for Turkmenistan. This site has links to information about the country as well as opportunities to connect to former and current Volunteers.

http://www.rpcv.org This is the site of the National Peace Corps Association, made up of returned Volunteers. On this site you can find links to all the Web pages of the “friends of” groups for most countries of service, made up of former Volunteers who served in those countries. There are also regional groups who frequently get together for social events and local volunteer activities. Or go straight to the Friends of Turkmenistan site: www. chaihana.com.

http://www.rpcvwebring.org This site is known as the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Web Ring. Browse the Web ring and see what former Volunteers are saying about their service.

http://www.peacecorpswriters.org This site is hosted by a group of returned Volunteer writers. It is a monthly online publication of essays and Volunteer accounts of their Peace Corps service.

[edit] Online Articles/Current News Sites About Turkmenistan

http://www.eurasianet.org/turkmenistan.project/ The “Turkmenistan Project” is a website managed by the Open Society Institute. This site provides a weekly analysis of news and events in Turkmenistan.

http://www.turkmenistanembassy.org The official website of the Turkmenistan Embassy in Washington, D.C.

http://turkmenistan.usembassy.gov/ Site of the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, which contains links to other sites.

[edit] Recommended Books

1. Brummel, Paul. Turkmenistan: The Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt Travel Guides, 2006. The first English guidebook of its kind, Bradt’s Turkmenistan explores a country knee-deep in curiosities—from a flaming crater and a revolving golden statue of the president to dinosaur footprints and a national holiday devoted to melons.
2. Hopkirk, Peter. The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia. New York: Kodansha International, 1992. The history of the struggle by the Russians and the British for control over Central Asia.
3. Kropf, John W. Unknown Sands: Journeys Around the World’s Most Isolated Country. Dusty Spark Publishing, 2006. A personal story that blends two years of adventure with Turkmenistan’s tumultuous history to present an intriguing profile of the country and its people.
4. Maslow, Jonathan. Sacred Horses: The Memoirs of a Turkmen Cowboy. New York: Random House, 1994. The Akhal-Teke horse, a desert purebred for hundreds of years, is a Turkmen’s most precious possession. But the species was almost wiped out under Soviet rule and only recently has begun to make a comeback.
5. Stevens, Stuart. Night Train to Turkistan: Modern Adventures Along China’s Ancient Silk Road. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1988.
6. Thubron, Colin. The Lost Heart of Asia. New York: Harper Perennial, 1995. Explores how the breakup of the Soviet Union has influenced the lives of people in the area.

[edit] Books About the History of the Peace Corps

1. Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs. All You Need is Love: The Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960’s. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2000.
2. Rice, Gerald T. The Bold Experiment: JFK’s Peace Corps. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1985.
3. Stossel, Scott. Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2004.

[edit] Books on the Volunteer Experience

1. Dirlam, Sharon. Beyond Siberia: Two Years in a Forgotten Place. Santa Barbara, Calif.: McSeas Books, 2004.
2. Casebolt, Marjorie DeMoss. Margarita: A Guatemalan Peace Corps Experience. Gig Harbor, Wash.: Red Apple Publishing, 2000.
3. Erdman, Sarah. Nine Hills to Nambonkaha: Two Years in the Heart of an African Village. New York, N.Y.: Picador, 2003.
4. Hessler, Peter. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. New York, N.Y.: Perennial, 2001.
5. Kennedy, Geraldine ed. From the Center of the Earth: Stories out of the Peace Corps. Santa Monica, Calif.: Clover Park Press, 1991.
6. Thompsen, Moritz. Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle. Seattle, Wash.: University of Washington Press, 1997 (reprint).

Tip: Books—even paperbacks—are heavy, and as you start to pack, you will soon know the value of an ounce. Pick only one or two of these books for your journey. Then copy these bibliography pages, circle what else you want to read, and leave the pages behind with family and friends as a gift wish list. The Peace Corps/Turkmenistan office also has a large library of books left by previous Volunteers.