Turkey
at
a Glance
Eastern Mediterranean. Located on two continents: Europe and Asia.
The European part of Turkey is called Thrace, while the Asian part
is called Anatolia (or Asia Minor)
AREA: 814,578 square kilometers (314,500 square
miles), 3% on the European continent, 97% on the Asian continent.
The two parts are divided by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and
the Dardanelles. Turkey has a coastline of over 7,000 km.
CAPITAL: Ankara
POPULATION: 70.7 million (as of 2005)
CURRENCY:New Turkish Lira (YTL)
RELIGION: 99% Muslim, 1% Armenian Orthodox, Greek
Orthodox, Jewish, Catholic and others
Only country in the Muslim world with a constitutional provision
on secularism
STATE SYSTEM AND STRUCTURE
Republic. Democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule
of law; committed to the Atatürk nationalism and based on separation
of powers:
Legislative power: Turkish Grand National Assembly
Executive power: President and Council of Ministers
Judicial power: Independent courts and supreme judiciary organs
GNP: 299.475 billion U.S. Dollars (2004), 17th
biggest economy in the world
GNP GROWTH RATE: 9.9% (2004), 1st among OECD countries
in 2004
FOREIGN TRADE VOLUME: 160 billion U.S. Dollars (2004)
ARMED FORCES: 598,000, 2nd largest armed forces in NATO
GDP:US$378.4 billion in 2006 (US$361.5 billion
in 2005)
GDP per head: US$5,202 in 2006 (US$ 5,016 in 2005)
ANNUAL GROWTH: 7.4% in 2005 (8.9% in 2004)
MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Automotive, Textiles, Iron &
Steel, clothing, electrical machinery
NUMBER OF TOURISTS RECEIVED 17.5 million (2004)
POPULATION OF TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD:
5 million (3.86 million of which are in EU countries)
ELECTRICITY: 220 volts a.c.
MEASURES AND WEIGHTS: Metric and kilo systems
HEALTH
Vaccination not required by Turkish Authorities.
CLIMATE
Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts: Typical Mediterranean
climate with hot summer and mild winters.
Black Sea Coast: temperate with warm summers, mild winters
and relatively high rainfall.
East and Central Anatolia : continental climate; hot summers
and cold winters.
MAJOR CITIES:
Istanbul 7.4 million
Ankara, the Capital 3.5 million
Izmir 2.7 million
Adana 1.9 million
Konya 1.8 million
LOCAL TIME: GMT + 2
REGIONS
OF TURKEY
Turkey is a beach paradise
with over 8000 km of sunny strips of sand. It also has an abundance
of plant and wildlife species that can be enjoyed while camping
or trekking in the many national parks which are dotted around the
country.
Home to more than 20 different fascinating civilisations, Turkey
has a 10,000 year-old heritage, much of which is still being uncovered.
Its rich history is very much part of the present, with temples,
ancient theatres, churches, mosques, tombs, statues of gods, palaces
and fortresses, and of course the many detailed and fascination
museums which bring the past to life.
In cities like Istanbul, there is a modern, lively ambience of contemporary
society living alongside tradition, where art and music can be enjoyed
whether it belongs to today or yesterday.
Sources:
www.mfa.gov.tr (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey)
www.kultur.gov.tr (Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey)
www.die.gov.tr (Turkish State Institute of Statistics)
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