Mary is a city of Turkmenistan, capital of the Mary Province. Population (as of 1999): 123,000. Mary is one of the Welayatlar of Turkmenistan. ... For the album by Prince, see 1999 (album) 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Geography

The city is an oasis in the Karakum Desert, located on the Murghab river. It was developed by the Soviets as a center for cotton production through the use of extensive irrigation. In 1968, huge reserves of natural gas were discovered 20 kilometers west of town. Oasis in the Libyan part of the Sahara In geography, an oasis is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source. ... For the desert in Kazakhstan, see Aral Karakum. ... Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ... Irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara Irrigation (in agriculture) is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops. ... Natural gas rig Natural gas (commonly refered to as gas in many countries) is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane. ...

History

It is located near the historical city of Merv. The city was founded in 1884 as a Russian military and administrative center. Merv was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the Silk Road, located near todays Mary, Turkmenistan. ... 1884 is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar). ...

Economy

Mary is a major center in Turkmenistan for the natural gas and cotton industries, the nation's two major export industries. It is a trade center for cotton, cereals, hides, and wool. Natural gas rig Natural gas (commonly refered to as gas in many countries) is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane. ... Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ... Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ... Cereal crops are mostly grasses cultivated for their edible seeds (actually a fruit called a caryopsis). ... Hides are skins obtained from animals that are used for human use. ... Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, AR Wool is the fiber derived from the hair of domesticated animals, usually sheep. ...

Transportation

Mary is connected to Ashgabat by rail. Ashgabat (Turkmenian language Aşgabat; also Ashkabat, Ashkhabad, Ashgabad, in Persian عشق آباد Ashq-abad, in Russian Ашхаба́д Ashkhabád) is the capital city of Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic. ...