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The bleak expanse of the Karakum Desert from 9,000m.

The barren parched scrubland of the Karakum Desert

A dust cloud from Iran blows north into the Karakum Desert over Mary (centre) with the Amu Darya flowing across the top right hand corner.

Ashgabat, spread along the Karakum Canal with the Kopet Mountains to the south and desert to the north.

The western edge of Turkmenistan where the Karakum Desert meets the Caspian Sea.

Ashgabat, spread along the Karakum Canal, showing the vital reservoirs that store this city's water.

Map of Turkmenistan and the surrounding nations.

The cracked clay-like surface of the Karakum Desert after a recent rainfall.

The ravined edges of a canyon, falling into the flat expanse of the Karakum Desert.

The Karakum Desert and the artificially irrigated agricultural land lie face to face.

A river gouges out a valley from the Karakum Desert floor in Turkmenistan.

The valuable cotton plan, known locally as "white gold".

Boats on the floor of the Aral Sea; abandoned as the water retreats and the sea shrinks.

False colour representation of the Amu Darya agricultural delta flowing into the Aral Sea to the northwest.

"White gold" - buds of valuable cotton are tended carefully as they are a valuable crop.

The Aral Sea in 2009 with the former 1960 shoreline shown.

The Amu Darya, flowing from the mountains in the southeast to the Aral Sea in the northwest.

1905 - 1915. Turkmen man posing with camel loaded with sacks, probably of grain or cotton.

An ancient building, now lying in ruins, in the city of Mary (formerly known as Merv).

An aerial view of Mary: a vast ancient city, most of which now lies in ruins.

A 12 metre high statue of President Niyazov facing the sun.

Darvaza Gas Crater ("The Door to Hell"), a natural gas crater ignited by the Soviets in the 1970s, is a symbol of Turkmenistan's abundant natural resources.

Yomut Nomads in Turkmenistan in front of their Yurt.

Ex-president Niyazov with the Akhal-Teke Horses statue behind, celebrating Turkmenistan's nomadic culture.

The Turkmen coat of arms: the central position of the horse highlights its significance in the historic Turkmen nomadic lifestyle.

Independence and Peace Monument, with a golden Niyazov President in the centre, built after independence from Soviet rule in 1991.

A caravanserai, a roadside tavern where people rest and recover from a day's travel, in Merv at the end of the 20th century.