Which Asian country has the official currency manat and capital Ashgabat?

The Asian country whose official currency is the manat and whose capital is Ashgabat is Turkmenistan. The Turkmen manat, abbreviated TMT, is divided into 100 tenge and is issued by the Central Bank of Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan introduced its first manat on 1 November 1993, replacing the Soviet ruble after independence. Severe inflation later led to a redenomination: on 1 January 2009, 5,000 old manats became 1 new manat. The name “manat” is related to words meaning coin, and the same currency name is also used in Azerbaijan, which is why the two countries are sometimes confused.

Ashgabat is Turkmenistan’s capital and largest city. It lies near the Kopet Dag mountain range in the country’s south, close to the border with Iran. The city is known for monumental white-marble buildings, broad avenues and highly planned architecture.

Turkmenistan became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Unlike neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, it uses the manat rather than a currency derived from the ruble or a national som.