Mary Province

Mary Welaýaty (formerly Марыйская область, Maryjskaja oblast ) is one of the five provinces of Turkmenistan.

The province is located in the southeast of the country, bordered on the southeast and south by Afghanistan. The south of the province by the river flows Murghab, which seeps into the Kara Kum desert and the Karakum Canal crosses the province.

The area is 86,800 km ², its population (2006) approximately 1,584,000, thus resulting in a population density of around 18 inhabitants / km ².

The provincial capital is Mary, who is close to the famous ruined city of Merv; other major cities include Baýramaly and Eloten.