[citation needed] The population (est 2004) was 86,800, mostly ethnic Turkmens but also Russian, Armenian and Azeri minorities.

In 1717, Russian Prince Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky landed and established a secret fortified settlement on this location, where the dry bed of a former mouth of the Amu-Darya River once emptied into the Caspian Sea.

The fort, Krasnovodsk, served as Imperial Russia's base of operations against Khiva and Bukhara, as well as the semi-nomadic Turkmen tribes.

The railway had originally begun from Uzun-Ada on the Caspian Sea, but the terminus was shifted north to the harbour at Krasnovodsk.

In 1942, a large part of the Polish Anders' Army along with many civilians was evacuated from the USSR via the local port to Iran.

On 8 October 1993, Krasnovodsk was renamed by President for Life Saparmurat Niyazov after his self-proclaimed title Türkmenbaşy ("Head of [all] Turkmens") by Resolution No.

[9] The second President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, pledged in July 2007 to invest $1 billion in a project slated to turn Türkmenbaşy into a major tourist resort.

He ordered development of the Awaza tourist zone with 60 modern hotels to be built along a 16 km (10 mi) stretch of the Caspian Sea shoreline.

In recent years, the city has undergone large-scale reconstruction: historic district, entrance roads, and vital infrastructure.

The refinery produces a range of products, including unleaded gasoline, petroleum coke, asphalt, laundry detergent, hydro-treated diesel, and lubricating oil.

[25] The Turkmenbashy oil refinery is Turkmenistan's largest producer of liquid petroleum gas, accounting for two-thirds of total production with annual output of about 300 thousand tonnes.

[30] The production facility is capable of performing maintenance and repair work on 20–30 ships, by processing 2000 tons of steel per year.

[40] Turkmenbashi Marine Secondary Vocational School[41] of Türkmendeňizderýaýollary Agency prepares specialists for the needs of the sea and river transport of Turkmenistan.

[46] Today, the city is served by an international airport and national rail services, municipal buses, minibuses, cabs, bike lanes.

The city is important as transport junction, formed by seaport with ferry terminal, airport and railway station.

It is the western terminus of the Trans-Caspian railway, which connects the city to Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat and points further east.

In 1998, as part of its three-month expedition to the Caspian Sea, the Turkmenbashy International Seaport was visited by the Cousteau Society on the Alcyone ship).

During World War II it was transferred to the top of the plateau and the airfield was collocated with a Soviet Air Force base.

[53] Turkmenistan Airlines provides direct flights from Türkmenbaşy International Airport to Ashgabat, Daşoguz, Mary, Istanbul and Türkmenabat.