Karakum Canal

Karakum Canal, waterway in Turkmenistan, one of the most extensive water-supply canals in the world. The main section, begun in 1954 and completed in 1967, runs some 840 km (520 miles) from the Amu Darya (river) to Gökdepe, west of Ashgabat, skirting the Karakum Desert. In the 1970s and ’80s the canal was extended to the Caspian Sea coast, making the total length 1,400 km (870 miles). Water from the canal, which is navigable for 450 km (280 miles), is used principally for irrigation, and fishing has been developed on the canal.