Turkmenistan is divided into five regions, or welaýatlar (singular welaýat) and one capital city (şäher) with provincial legal status.

They are Ahal, Balkan, Dashoguz, Lebap and Mary, plus the capital city of Ashgabat.

As of 20 December 2022 there were 37 districts (Turkmen: etraplar, singular etrap), 49 cities (Turkmen: şäherler, singular şäher), including 7 cities with district status (Turkmen: etrap hukukly), 68 towns (Turkmen: şäherçeler, singular şäherçe), 469 rural councils (rural municipal units, Turkmen: geňeşlikler, singular geňeşlik) and 1690 villages (rural settlements Turkmen: oba ilatly ýerler) in Turkmenistan.

[1][2][3] The capital city of Turkmenistan is Ashgabat, which is an administrative and territorial unit with provincial authorities.

[11] On 15 June 2020, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow announced intention to create a fifth borough of Ashgabat, to be called Altyn etraby, centered on the new resort zone created on the shores of the former Gurtly Water Reservoir, recently renamed "Golden Lake" (Altyn köl).