GENERAL INFORMATION Name: Republic of Turkey Extension: Approximately 780 thousand sq. kms Approximately 1,600 kms East to West; 650 kms North to South Population: 67.84 million (October 2000 National Census) Capital: Ankara Language: Turkish Religion: 95% Muslim, 5% Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Protestans and other. Turkey is a secular state where religious and state affairs are separated. National Anthem: Istiklal Marsi (“The Independence Hymn”) National Flag: White crescent moon and a star on a red background. Currency: Turkish Lira (TL) Historical Outline:      1299: Establishment of the Ottoman Empire      1922: Fall of the Ottoman Empire      1923: Proclamation of the Republic of Turkey on October 29 (First President: Mustafa Kemal ATATURK) Form of Government: Republic. Turkey has been holding freely contested multi-party elections since 1946.
General Outline The Turkey is a bridge between the three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe, it is straddled by three seas, and it is the point where Europe and Asia meet. Geographically, the country is located in the northern half of the hemisphere at about halfway between the equator and the North Pole, at a longitude of 36 degrees N to 42 degrees N, and latitude of 26 degrees E to 45 degrees E. Turkey is roughly rectangular in shape and is 1,660 kilometers wide. Because of its geographical location, the mainland of Anatolia has been the home of a great amount of activity throughout history. It is the birthplace of many great civilizations and has also been a prominent centre of commerce.
Boundaries The northeast border with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan is 530 kilometers long; the border with Iran is 499 kilometers long, and the border with Iraq is 352 kilometers long. In the south lays the 352 kilometer-long border with Syria. Turkey's borders on the European continent consist of a 206 kilometer frontier with Greece, and a 240 kilometer border with Bulgaria. Geographical Regions Turkey is divided into seven regions: the Black Sea region, the Marmara region, the Aegean, the Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, the East and Southeast Anatolia regions. The uneven north Anatolian terrain running along the Black Sea resembles a narrow long belt. The land of this region makes up approximately 1/6 of Turkey's total land area. The Marmara region covers the area encircling the Sea of Marmara, which includes the entire European part of Turkey, as well as the northwest of the Anatolian plain. Marmara is the smallest but most densely populated region in Turkey. Uludag is the highest peak in the region, and with an elevation of 2,543 it is a very popular winter sports and tourist centre. In the Anatolian part of the region there are fertile plains running from east to west. The Aegean region extends from the Aegean coast to the inner parts of western Anatolia. There are significant differences between the coastal areas and those inland, in terms of both geographical features and economic and social aspects. In general, the mountains in the region fall perpendicularly into the sea, and the plains run from east to west. The plains through which the Gediz, Kücük Menderes, and Bakircay rivers flow carry the same names as these rivers. In the Mediterranean region, located in the south of Turkey, the western and central Taurus Mountains suddenly rise up behind the coastline. The Amanos mountain range is also in this area.
The Central Anatolian region lies in the middle of Turkey and has comparably the mildest mountainous ranges in Turkey. The highest peaks of the region are Karadag, Karacadag, Hasandag and Erciyes (3.917 meters). The Eastern Anatolia region is Turkey's largest and highest region. About three fourths of it rises to altitudes of 1,500-2,000 meters. Eastern Anatolia is composed of individual mountains as well as whole mountain ranges, with vast plateaus and plains. There are numerous inactive volcanoes in the region, including Nemrut, Suphan, Tendurek and Turkey's highest peak, Mount Agri (Ararat), which is 5,165 meters high. At the same time, several plains extended along the course of the River Murat, a tributary of the Firat (Euphrates). These are the plains of Malazgirt, Mus, Capakcur, Uluova and Malatya. The Southeast Anatolia region is notable for the uniformity of its landscape, although the eastern part of the region is comparatively more uneven than its western areas.
Coastlines Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides: by the Black Sea in the north, the Mediterranean in the south, and the Aegean Sea in the west. In the northwest, between the straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, lies the small Sea of Marmara. The path of the Bosphorus, through the Sea of Marmara, and out throught the Dardanelles connects the Black Sea with the rest of the world. Because the mountains in the Black Sea region run parallel to the coastline, the coasts are fairly smooth, without too many indentations or projections. The length of the Black Sea coastline in Turkey is 1,595 kilometers, and the salinity of the sea is 17%. The Mediterranean coastline runs for 1,577 kilometers and here too the mountain ranges are parallel to the coastline. The salinity level of the Mediterranean is about double that of the Black Sea.
Although the Aegean coastline, over 2,800 kilometers, is a continuation of the Mediterranean coast, it is quite irregular because the mountains in the area fall perpendicularly into the Aegean Sea. The coastline faces out to many islands. The Marmara Sea is located within the national boundaries and occupies an area of 11,350 square kilometers. The coastline of the Marmara Sea is over 1,000 kilometers long and is connected to the Black Sea by the Bosphorus, and to the Mediterranean by the Dardanelles. Rivers Most of the rivers of Turkey flow into the seas surrounding the country. The Firat (Euphrates) and Dicle (Tigris) join together in Iraq and flow into the Persian Gulf. Turkey's longest rivers, the Kizilirmak, Yesilirmak and Sakarya, flow into the Black Sea. The Susurluk, Biga and Gonen pour into the Sea of Marmara; the Gediz, Kucuk Menderes, Buyuk Menderes and Meric into the Aegean; and the Seyhan, Ceyhan and Goksu flow into the Mediterranean. Lakes The Eastern Anatolian region contains the largest and greatest number of lakes in Turkey, including: Lake Van (the largest lake in Turkey, 3.713 square kilometers), Ercek, Cildir and Hazar. There are also many lakes in the Taurus Mountains: the Beysehir, Egirdir, Burdur, and Acigoller lakes. Around the Sea of Marmara there are the Sapanca, Iznik, Ulubat, Manyas, Terkos, Kucukcekmece and Buyukcekmece lakes. In Central Anatoia there is Tuzgolu, a great salt lake and the second largest lake in Turkey. The lakes of Aksehir and Eber are also located in this region. As a result of dam construction during the past thirty years, several large lakes have come into existence. With the completion of the Ataturk dam in January 1990, which controls the flow of the Firat (Euphrates) in Sanliurfa, a lake was created that now has a depth of about 526.1 meters. Other created lakes lie at the base of the Keban, Karakaya, Altinkaya, Adiguzel, Kilickaya, Karacaoren, Menzelet, Kapulukaya, Hirfanli, Sariyar and Demirkopru dams. The Climate Although Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the landscape, and the mountains that run parallel to the coasts result in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to another. While the coastal areas enjoy milder climates, the inland Anatolian plateau experiences extremes of hot summers and cold winters with limited rainfall.
	Ephesus Of Turkey's hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved. Ephesus is located in what was once the city of Ionia , a flourishing cultural centre during the Greek Empire, and a busy provincial capital during Roman times. Ionia's Temple of Diana was counted among the Seven Wonders of the World , and the city was generally renowned for its wealth and beauty.
Ankara Turkey's capital is a sprawling urban centre in situated within the Central Anatolian semi-desert. This once small Anatolian town has grown to be the second largest city in Turkey . Some of its featured sights include Hisar, a Byzantine castle located on top of the hill east of Ulus, the oldest neighborhood in Ankara . Just down from the castle is the Anatolian Civilizations Museum , which features magnificent archeological finds from all over the region. A couple of km to the south is Atatürk's mausoleum, a monumental building that pays tribute to the founder of the Turkish Republic, and echoes the architectural styles of several great Anatolian empires. Bodrum Bodrum is one of the South Aegean's prettiest resort cities, with a yacht harbor and a port for ferries traveling to the Greek island of Kos . Palm-lined streets surround the bays, and white sugar-cube houses, now joined by ranks of villas, crowd the hillside. Boating, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving are prime Bodrum activities. Antalya Antalya is the largest city on Turkey 's central Mediterranean coast. As well as several km of pebble beaches and a historic Roman-Ottoman district, Antalya is surrounded by many quiet beach towns and spectacular ancient cities and ruins.
Some Other Facts About Turkey In terms of population, Turkey is the second largest country in Europe (after Germany), with 70 million people. In 2020, it is projected to be the most populous European country, with a population of 83 million. Four million Turks live abroad. Of that number, almost 2.5 million live in Germany. Geographically, Turkey straddles two continents, Europe in the west and Asia in the east. The two continents are divided by the Istanbul and Dardanelles straits, which are located in Turkey. Turkey is unique in being on the one hand Balkan and European, and on the other, Middle Eastern, Caucasian and Asian. It is also as much a Black Sea country as it is an Aegean and Mediterranean one. Another unique aspect of Turkey is the fact that it is the only democratic, secular country among the Muslim nations of the Middle East. In addition to being a pioneering country in the Islamic world, Turkey has also become fully integrated into Europe since 1923, when the Republic was established. She is a member of almost all European/European-related institutions, such as the Council of Europe, OSCE, NATO, OECD. Turkey has been an associate member of the European Union since 1963 and a candidate for full membership in the Union since 1999. Turkey has the second biggest Army in NATO after the United States. Turkey also entertains relations of strategic cooperation with the United States. Turkey lies in close proximity to 70 percent of the world's proven energy resources and is a prospective regional centre for storage and distribution of oil and natural gas. Turkey is among the world's 20 largest economies and she is a member of the Group of 20 countries. The Turkish economy has been identified as being one of the 10 significant emerging markets by U.S. sources. Turkey is a prominent producer and exporter of many commodities. Here are some examples: Turkey is the leading cement producer in Europe and the seventh-ranked producer in the world. Turkey is the second-ranked producer of glass-made items in Europe and fourth-ranked producer in the world. Turkey has 40% of the world marble reserves. Turkey is the second-ranked exporter of jewelry in the world. Turkey is the world's leading supplier of processed leather. Turkey is the second-ranked supplier of textiles and garments to the EU. Turkey is the fifth-ranked carpet exporter in Europe. Turkey is the sixth-ranked cotton producer in the world. Turkey is the world's principal supplier of hazelnuts, chickpeas, fresh and dried figs, and apricots. Turkey is the second-ranked supplier of cherry and watermelon in the world. Turkey is the second-ranked producer of pine tree honey in the world. Turkey is the second-ranked supplier of red lentils in the world. Turkey is the third-ranked producer of tomatoes and second-ranked producer of tomato paste in the world. Turkey is the third-ranked producer of olives and fourth-ranked producer and exporter of olive oil in the world.

To obtain more information about Turkey, please visit The Ministry of Culture and Tourism
http://www.goturkey.com/index.php?lng=en