A Brief Description
The historic palette of Turkey is traced to Stone Age settlements constructed in 7500 BC, and here, today, unforgettable names like Troy and the Trojan War, Homer, Cyrus the Great, Alexander the Great, the Holy Roman Empire and the Medieval Crusades leap from the pages of its ancient history, and many relics and ruins of same still stand for all to view.
Overrun, conquered, and eventually lost by a litany of forces over eons of time, the modern country of Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by its national hero Mustafa KEMAL, later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks."
Under his authoritarian (and rather effective) leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging social, legal, and political reforms.
In 1950, an experiment with multi-party politics led to election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of power.
Since then - as in many new democracies - there were periods of instability and intermittent military coups, which in each case resulted in the return of political power to civilians.
Through it all the unflappable spirit of the Turkish people has prevailed, and in recent years the government has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy, so it can eventually join the European Union.
Turkey is geographically, politically and officially part of two continents - Europe and Asia. The smaller northwestern portion (Thrace) is part of Europe, while the larger portion (Anatolia) is part of Asia.
As exotic and riveting tourism destinations go, some say it has no peer. Why not find out for yourself?
Learn more about the history of Turkey here.
A view of the Bosporus Strait, Istanbul, Turkey
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Facts and Figures
 Name Turkey
(long form) Republic of Turkey
Population 69,660,559
Population & Density (all countries) here
Capital City Ankara (3.6 million)
Currency new Turkish Lira (YTL)
Currency Converter
here
Languages Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, others
Flag here
National Day October 29
Religions Muslim (99%) mostly Sunni, others
Geographic Coordinates
Latitude/Longitude (Capital City)
39º 55' N, 32º 50' E
Relative Location Turkey is in both the northern and eastern hemispheres. It's mostly positioned in the Middle East, a recognized geographical region of southwestern Asia; additionally, the far northwestern portion is part of the European continent. The country is bordered by Greece, Bulgaria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq and Syria, and the Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Land Statistics
Coastline 4,474 miles (7,200 km)
Land Areas
(land) 297,591 sq miles (770,760 sq km)
(water) 3792 sq miles (9,820 sq km)
(TOTAL) 301,383 sq miles (780,580 sq km)
Land Area (all countries) here
Landforms
The European side of Turkey is mostly a series of rolling hills, while across the Bosphorus Strait into central Turkey, the land rise into an elevated central plateau (Anatolian), surrounded by (and mixed with) high, rugged mountains, including the Taurus, Koroglu and Pontic ranges.
Many peaks in Turkey exceed 10,000 feet, and the tallest, most rugged ones, including Mt. Ararat, are found in the Eastern Taurus Mountains.
Along the Black Sea and Mediterranean coastlines the land is lower and quite fertile. The Tigras, Kizilirmak, Sakarya and Euphrates are the most significant rivers, and Lake Van is the largest lake.
Note: As a geological point-of-interest, the country is positioned on one of the planet's major fault lines, and earthquakes are rather common.
 Highest Point Mt. Ararat at 16,948 ft. (5,166m)
 Lowest Point Mediterranean - (0 ft.) (0 m)
Land Divisions 81 provinces, including: Adana, Adiyaman, Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat and Zonguldak.
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Maps
Turkey (large color) Map here
Turkey Outline Map here
Turkey CIA version here
Dardanelles Strait here!
Turkey Maps at UT here
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Asia Continent (printable) here
Asia Outline Map here
Asia (Southeast) Outline Map here
Asia (Name the Country) Map Test here
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Indian Subcontinent Map here
Middle East Landforms here
Middle East Map here
Middle East Outline Map here
Middle East Rivers here
Tsunami Map (December 2004) here
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World Outline Maps (printable) here
World Time Zone Map here
Recommended Links
Turkey (Complete) info on the (GDP)
economy, imports and exports, natural resources, government, population, military, transportation, and more here
Turkey Embassy here!
Turkey Ministry of Tourism here!
Turkey Photos at TrekEarth.com here
Istanbul City Guide here!
Ephesus Guide here!
Let's Go Turkey here!
A busy boulevard in Istanbul, Turkey
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Time and Weather
Climate
The Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions experience cool, rainy winters, and warm (often hot) dry summers, with moderate precipitation. Spring and fall are considered ideal times to visit these areas as temperatures still approach the high 70s and rain fall amounts are low.
In contrast, the Black Sea coastal region is generally cooler throughout the year and has the heaviest rainfall in Turkey, averaging 55 inches per year.
The central Anatolian Plateau, blocked from the sea by high mountains, has very cold temperatures in the winter, and extreme, almost unbearable heat in summer. Rainfall is light here, but winter snowfalls are heavy.
The far-eastern highlands have hot, dry summers and very cold winters with heavy snowfall.
Traveler Info
Attractions
From the historic cities of Troy and Ephesus, on through the many layers of its ancient archaeological past, Turkey is without-doubt, one of the world's most interesting and well-traveled destinations.
Add to that history lesson some of the finest white sand beaches anywhere, fishing and scuba diving venues, beautiful national parks, skiing resorts, outstanding food, hilltop castles, golden mosques, exotic shopping bazaars, stunning mountain scenery that almost defies description, and now, a much-improved transportation system.
Major attractions for visitors include the caves and landscape at Cappadocia; the biblical and Islamic past of the eastern provinces; the sophistication and historic sites of Ankara, the capital city; the sunshine and therapeutic waters of the Mediterranean coastline and its Roman history and ruins; the major beach resorts of the southwestern and western coastlines, and then there's Istanbul, a mysterious and modern city that's divided by the Bosphorus, and stands on both the Asian and European continents.
Terrorist bombings -- some with significant numbers of casualties -- over the past four years have struck religious, political, tourist and business targets in a variety of locations in Turkey. The possibility of terrorist attacks, both transnational and indigenous, remains high, and all travelers are encouraged to exercise caution and good judgment, keep a low profile, and remain vigilant with regard to their personal security.
Country Dialing Code 90
Electricity Turkey uses 220 volts AC (50 Hz)
Electrical adapters, products and tips here
Travel Warnings
here
Visa Information
here
 PLEASE
NOTE:
Before making travel plans for any worldwide destination, we strongly recommend you authenticate important details regarding visas, local health care, customs, etc. We always find it helpful to contact the nearest consulate of any country before beginning a journey into a foreign land.
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