An etrap, often translated as "district," is the second-level administrative division of Turkmenistan. In terms of hierarchy, an etrap is situated below a welaýat (province). An etrap may include several cities (in turkmen: "şäher" / pl. "şäherler"), towns ("şäherçe" / pl. "şäherçeler") and rural councils ("geňeşlik" / pl. "geňeşlikler") which include villages ("oba" / "pl. obalar"). An etrap is headed by an häkim (translated as "governor" in the case of a district, but translated as "mayor" in the case of a city, a town or a borough); they are appointed by the President of Turkmenistan (Constitution of Turkmenistan, Articles 80-81).
Some districts may not fit in the hierarchy expressed before, those are the following ones:
Aşgabat, which is the only city to lawfully act as a province This document is reproduced online at https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Districts_in_Turkmenistan., is divided into four etraplar (here translated as "borough").
7 cities act lawfully as districts of their own. Those are the provinces' capital cities, Türkmenbaşy and Baýramaly. Among those cities, Arkadag is the only one to be divided into two etraplar in the same way Aşgabat does.
Regarding cities "with district status" (), by Turkmen law, "...such cities must have population over 30,000 and be the administrative center of a province (welaýat)." Although the law officially limits the possible number of such cities to five (the number of provinces), other cities are periodically accorded the status of a district. As of November 9, 2022, 7 cities in Turkmenistan own the status of district. Unlike other cities, they are headed by an häkim rather than a geňeş ("council") chaired by an arçyn ("elder") and have their own budget.
List of districts As of September 19, 2025, there are 58 districts in Turkmenistan. Among them, 7 are boroughs and 7 are cities with a district status. Here is a list of the districts of Turkmenistan arranged by administrative divisions and alphabetical order. Cities with a district status are highlighted in bold. NamePopulation (2022)Area (km²)DensityNumber of towns, cities and rural councilsNumber of villagesCapitalAdministrative divisionAk bugdaý144,11922,3706.443/km²1777ÄnewAhal provinceAltyn asyr39,5696,0586.532/km²713Altyn asyrAhal provinceArkadag56747.5311.93/km²20ArkadagAhal provinceBabadaýhan97,31214,4006.758/km²812BabadaýhanAhal provinceBäherden126,40916,6907.574/km²1527BäherdenAhal provinceGökdepe161,81916,01010.11/km²1645GökdepeAhal provinceKaka83,7087,54111.10/km²1020KakaAhal provinceSarahs80,6435,69614.16/km²1120SarahsAhal provinceTejen152,6997,55820.20/km²1730TejenAhal provinceGorjaw000ArkadagKärizek56710ArkadagBagtyýarlyk309,619271.61,140/km²00AşgabatBerkararlyk266,42570.923,757/km²00AşgabatBüzmeýin175,179449.1390.1/km²00AşgabatKöpetdag278,840187.71,486/km²00AşgabatBalkanabat188,42911,29016.69/km65BalkanabatBalkan provinceBereket39,28222,1101.777/km²522BereketBalkan provinceEsenguly45,4369,8014.636/km²813EsengulyBalkan provinceEtrek23,74710,6802.224/km²56EtrekBalkan provinceGyzylarbat72,4739,8527.356/km²925GyzylarbatBalkan provinceMagtymguly34,6644,1368.381/km²823MagtymgulyBalkan provinceTürkmenbaşy91 745167.4548.1/km²10TürkmenbaşyBalkan provinceTürkmenbaşy34,11965,5500.5205/km²820Türkmenbaşy şäherçesiBalkan provinceAkdepe130,6812,32656.18/km²1449AkdepeDaşoguz provinceBoldumsaz102,435564.05181.6/km²936BoldumsazDaşoguz provinceDaşoguz201,142160.61,252/km²10DaşoguzDaşoguz provinceGaraşsyzlyk210,2498,94423.51/km²1367AndalypDaşoguz provinceGörogly164,89414,80011.14/km²1573GöroglyDaşoguz provinceGubadag155,061668.95231,8/km²1567GubadagDaşoguz provinceKöneürgenç176,7841,318 134.1/km²1772KöneürgençDaşoguz provinceRuhubelent28,17217,8201.581/km²1042RuhubelentDaşoguz provinceSaparmyrat Türkmenbaşy162,86119,7408.250/km²27111Saparmyrat TürkmenbaşyDaşoguz provinceŞabat218,0757,17930.38/km²1677ŞabatDaşoguz provinceÇärjew154,39726,5255.820/km²1292ÇärjewLebap ProvinceDänew159,6346,08926.22/km²1861DänewLebap ProvinceDarganata57,95214,8903.892/km²89DarganataLebap ProvinceDöwletli104,8644,04325.94/km²1341DöwletliLebap ProvinceFarap79,3023,96420.005/km²932FarapLebap ProvinceGarabekewül60,4034,98912.11/km²1130GarabekewülLebap ProvinceHalaç133,9091,80074.39/km²1031HalaçLebap ProvinceHojambaz82,8095,77014.35/km²929HojambazLebap ProvinceKerki132,56217,5507.553/km²1029KerkiLebap ProvinceKöýtendag122,5234,78925.58/km²1529KöýtendagLebap ProvinceSaýat128,0825,90121.705/km²2047SaýatLebap ProvinceTürkmenabat230,861158.51,457/km²10TürkmenabatLebap ProvinceBaýramaly70,37628.94 2,432/km²10BaýramalyMary ProvinceBaýramaly170,46210,39016.41/km²1723MekanMary ProvinceGaragum62,2182,452 25.37/km²818ÝagtyýolMary ProvinceMary167,02783.042,011/km²10MaryMary ProvinceMary173,1401,352128.1/km²1828Saparmyrat TürkmenbaşyMary ProvinceMurgap174,1775,63730.90/km²1732MurgapMary ProvinceOguzhan32,9502,04416.12/km²1010ParahatMary ProvinceSakarçäge176,3949,82817.95/km²1829SakarçägeMary ProvinceTagtabazar134,75128,1904.780/km²1729TagtabazarMary ProvinceTürkmengala124,6429,11213.68/km²1441TürkmengalaMary ProvinceWekilbazar168,7349,43017.89/km²1633MollanepesMary ProvinceÝolöten155,6168,67717.93/km²1846ÝolötenMary ProvinceAwaza00Türkmenbaşy
List of districts for each province
Aşgabat See also Map of the Boroughs of Ashgabat
As of January 5, 2018, Ashgabat includes four boroughs (uly etraplar): NamePopulation (2022)Area (km²)DensityNumber of towns, cities and rural councilsNumber of villagesAdministrative divisionBagtyýarlyk309,619271.61,140/km²00AşgabatBerkararlyk266,42570.923,757/km²00AşgabatBüzmeýin175,179449.1390.1/km²00AşgabatKöpetdag278,840187.71,486/km²00Aşgabat
Ahal province NamePopulation (2022)Area (km²)DensityNumber of towns, cities and rural councilsNumber of villagesCapitalAdministrative divisionAk bugdaý144,11922,3706.443/km²1776ÄnewAhal provinceAltyn asyr39,5696,0586.532/km²713Altyn asyrAhal provinceArkadag56747.5311.93/km²20ArkadagAhal provinceBabadaýhan97,31214,4006.758/km²812BabadaýhanAhal provinceBäherden126,40916,6907.574/km²1527BäherdenAhal provinceGökdepe161,81916,01010.11/km²1645GökdepeAhal provinceKaka83,7087,54111.10/km²1020KakaAhal provinceSarahs80,6435,69614.16/km²1120SarahsAhal provinceTejen152,6997,55820.20/km²1730TejenAhal provinceGorjaw000ArkadagKärizek56710Arkadag
Balkan province NamePopulation (2022)Area (km²)DensityNumber of towns, cities and rural councilsNumber of villagesCapitalAdministrative divisionBalkanabat188,42911,29016.69/km65BalkanabatBalkan provinceBereket39,28222,1101.777/km²522BereketBalkan provinceEsenguly45,4369,8014.636/km²813EsengulyBalkan provinceEtrek23,74710,6802.224/km²56EtrekBalkan provinceGyzylarbat72,4739,8527.356/km²925GyzylarbatBalkan provinceMagtymguly34,6644,1368.381/km²823MagtymgulyBalkan provinceTürkmenbaşy91 745167.4548.1/km²10TürkmenbaşyBalkan provinceTürkmenbaşy34,11965,5500.5205/km²820Türkmenbaşy şäherçesiBalkan provinceAwaza00Türkmenbaşy
Daşoguz province NamePopulation (2022)Area (km²)DensityNumber of towns, cities and rural councilsNumber of villagesCapitalAdministrative divisionAkdepe130,6812,32656.18/km²1449AkdepeDaşoguz provinceBoldumsaz102,435564.05181.6/km²936BoldumsazDaşoguz provinceDaşoguz201,142160.61,252/km²10DaşoguzDaşoguz provinceGaraşsyzlyk210,2498,94423.51/km²1367AndalypDaşoguz provinceGörogly164,89414,80011.14/km²1573GöroglyDaşoguz provinceGubadag155,061668.95231,8/km²1567GubadagDaşoguz provinceKöneürgenç176,7841,318 134.1/km²1772KöneürgençDaşoguz provinceRuhubelent28,17217,8201.581/km²1042RuhubelentDaşoguz provinceSaparmyrat Türkmenbaşy162,86119,7408.250/km²27111Saparmyrat TürkmenbaşyDaşoguz provinceŞabat218,0757,17930.38/km²1677ŞabatDaşoguz province
Lebap province NamePopulation (2022)Area (km²)DensityNumber of towns, cities and rural councilsNumber of villagesCapitalAdministrative divisionÇärjew154,39726,5255.820/km²1292ÇärjewLebap ProvinceDänew159,6346,08926.22/km²1861DänewLebap ProvinceDarganata57,95214,8903.892/km²89DarganataLebap ProvinceDöwletli104,8644,04325.94/km²1341DöwletliLebap ProvinceFarap79,3023,96420.005/km²932FarapLebap ProvinceGarabekewül60,4034,98912.11/km²1130GarabekewülLebap ProvinceHalaç133,9091,80074.39/km²1031HalaçLebap ProvinceHojambaz82,8095,77014.35/km²929HojambazLebap ProvinceKerki132,56217,5507.553/km²1029KerkiLebap ProvinceKöýtendag122,5234,78925.58/km²1529KöýtendagLebap ProvinceSaýat128,0825,90121.705/km²2047SaýatLebap ProvinceTürkmenabat230,861158.51,457/km²10TürkmenabatLebap Province
Mary province NamePopulation (2022)Area (km²)DensityNumber of towns, cities and rural councilsNumber of villagesCapitalAdministrative divisionBaýramaly70,37628.94 2,432/km²10BaýramalyMary ProvinceBaýramaly170,46210,39016.41/km²1723MekanMary ProvinceGaragum62,2182,452 25.37/km²818ÝagtyýolMary ProvinceMary167,02783.042,011/km²10MaryMary ProvinceMary173,1401,352128.1/km²1828Saparmyrat TürkmenbaşyMary ProvinceMurgap174,1775,63730.90/km²1732MurgapMary ProvinceOguzhan35,8492,04417.54/km²1112ParahatMary ProvinceSakarçäge176,3949,82817.95/km²1829SakarçägeMary ProvinceTagtabazar134,75128,1904.780/km²1729TagtabazarMary ProvinceTürkmengala124,6429,11213.68/km²1441TürkmengalaMary ProvinceWekilbazar168,7349,43017.89/km²1633MollanepesMary ProvinceÝolöten155,6168,67717.93/km²1846ÝolötenMary Province
Abolished districts Here is a list districts abolished at some point: Altyn asyr District - Abolished on January 5, 2018, then reestablished on September 19, 2025. Archabil District Beýik Türkmenbaşy District Çandybil District Derweze District Döwletli District - Abolished on November 9, 2022, then reestablished on September 19, 2025. Farap District - Abolished on November 9, 2022, then reestablished on September 19, 2025. Garabekewül District - Abolished on November 25, 2017, then reestablished on September 19, 2025. Gubadag District - Abolished on November 9, 2022, then reestablished on September 19, 2025. Gurbansoltan Eje District - Abolished on November 9, 2022, then reestablished on September 19, 2025, with the name of Garaşsyzlyk. Kenar District (Türkmenbaşy City) Magdanly District Oguzhan District - Abolished on November 9, 2022, then reestablished on September 19, 2025. Ruhabat District Sakar District Serhetabat District
See also Regions of Turkmenistan OpenStreetMap Wiki: Districts in Turkmenistan
Notes
References
External links Statoids