General
Turkey is located at a point where the three continents of the old world (Asia, Africa, and Europe) are closest to each other and where Asia and Europe actually meet. Because of its geographical location Turkey has been important throughout history and is the birth place of many great civilizations.
Turkey is a truly spectacular country surrounded by sea on three sides, with more than 300 natural and 130 artificial lakes; almost 35% of its land area covered by forests and mountains.
Turkey is home to 120 species of mammals, 439 birds, and 345 fish and the wolf, fox, wildcat, lynx, marten, hyena, bear, deer, gazelle, boar and beaver. Endagered species such as turtles and tortoises still abound. Of the seven species of sea turtle, two which can be found in the Mediterranean basin are the “leather back” turtle (Caretta Caretta) and the green turtle (Chelonia Mydas), both of which are threatened with extinction.
Geography
Turkey has a land mass of 814,578 square kilometres of which 790,200 fall within Asia and 24,378 located in Europe. The European and Asian parts are divided by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles.
Anatolia is a high plateau rising progressively towards the east and broken up by the valleys of about 15 rivers, including the Tigris and the Euphrates. There are numerous lakes one of which is Lake Van which is as large as an inland sea. In the north the eastern Black Sea Mountain chain runs parallel to the Black Sea, in the south the Taurus Mountains sweep down almost to the narrow fertile coastal plain. Turkey enjoys a variety of climates ranging from the temperate climate of the Black Sea region, the continental climate of the interior and the Mediterranean climate of the Aegean/Mediterranean coastal regions.
The land borders of Turkey stretch for 2,573 kilometres and its coastlines (including islands) for a further 8,333 kilometres. Turkey shares its land borders with two European and four Asian countries. Its borders with Europe consist of a 212 kilometre frontier with Greece and a 269 kilometre border with Bulgaria. To the northeast lie Turkey’s 610 kilometre border with the Commonwealth of Independent States and its 454 kilometre border with Iran. To the south lies Turkey’s 877 kilometre border with Syria (which took its present form in 1939 when the Republic of Hatay joined Turkey) and its 331 kilometre border with Iraq.
Turkey’s Coastline
Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides. To the north lies the Black Sea, to the south lies the Mediterranean and in the west is the Aegean Sea. There is also an important internal sea, the Sea of Marmara, which lies between the straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus, important waterways that connect 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 kilometres. The Mediterranean coastline runs for 1,577 kilometres and here too the mountain ranges run parallel to the coastline.
Although the Aegean coastline is a continuation of the Mediterranean coast it is quite irregular because the mountains in the area fall perpendicularly into the Aegean Sea. As a result the length of the Aegean Sea coast is over 2,800 kilometres facing out to many islands.
The Marmara Sea is located totally within Turkey’s boundaries and occupies an area of 11,350 square kilometres. The coastline of the Marmara Sea is over 1,000 kilometres long connected to the Black Sea by the Bosphorus and with the Mediterranean by the Dardanelles.
Turkey’s Regions
Turkey is generally divided into seven regions which are categorised as the Black Sea region, the Marmara region, the Aegean, the Mediterranean and Anatolia regions consisting of Central, East and Southeast.
The uneven terrain running along the Black Sea resembles a long narrow belt and comprises one-sixth of Turkey's total land area.
The Marmara region covers the area encircling the Sea of Marmara incorporating the entire European part of Turkey as well as the northwest of the Anatolian plain. Whilst the region is the smallest of the regions in Turkey after the Southeast Anatolia region, it has the highest population density of all the regions.
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 geographical features, economic and social aspects.
The Mediterranean region is located in the south of Turkey where the western and central Taurus Mountains suddenly rise up behind the coastline.
The Central Anatolian region is exactly in the middle of Turkey and gives the appearance of being less mountainous compared with the other regions.
The Eastern Anatolia region is Turkey's largest and highest region with three-quarters of the region at an altitude of 1,500-2,000 metres, home to Turkey’s highest peak Mount Ararat.
The Southeast Anatolia region is notable for the uniformity of its landscape, although the eastern part of the region is more uneven than the west.
History
Turkey has been called "the cradle of civilization" and by travelling through this historic land tourists will discover exactly what is meant by this phrase. The first city ever settled in the world with organised systems of agriculture, animal husbandry and trading was a Neolithic city Catalhoyuk in central Turkey, dating back to 6,500 BC.
From the days of Catalhöyük up to the present Turkey boasts a rich culture that has through the centuries made a lasting impression upon modern civilization. The legacy of all these admirable cultures make Turkey a paradise of information and cultural wealth. Hattis, Hittites, Carians, Lelegians, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans have all made important contributions to Anatolian history. The ancient sites and ruins scattered throughout the country bear testimony to each civilization's unique contribution. Traveling by car in Turkey you are always within half an hour’s drive of an ancient city remaining from those civilizations.
Turkey also has a fascinating more recent history. Upon the decline of the Ottoman Empire a young man named Mustafa Kemal, a soldier by occupation but in character a great visionary, turned Turkey’s defeat in World War I into a shining victory by liberating Turkey from all foreign invaders. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923, leading his country into peace and stability enabling tremendous economic growth and major modernization. Through decades of change and growth Turkey still boasts this success living by its adopted motto of "Peace at Home, Peace in the World."
Population
According to the 2000 census, Turkey has 72 million inhabitants, 41% of whom live in the countryside. The major cities are: Istanbul (10.1 million), Ankara, the capital (4.1 million), Izmir (3.4 million), Bursa (2.1 million), Adana (1.9 million) and Antalya (1.7 million).
Language
The Turkish language belongs to the Ural-Altaic group and has an affinity with the Finno-Hungarian languages. Turkish is written with the Latin alphabet and is spoken by some 150 million people around the world.
Religion
Although Turkey is 99% Moslem, it is a secular state that guarantees complete freedom of worship to all religions.
Economy
Agriculture plays a very important role in the Turkish economy. The main crops are wheat, rice, cotton, tea, tobacco, hazelnuts and fruit. Sheep are Turkey's most important livestock and Turkey is one of the world’s major cotton and wool producers.
Turkey is rich in natural minerals amongst which those principally extracted are coal, chrome (an important export), iron, copper, bauxite, marble and sulphur.
In recent years Turkey has become a major tourist destination. With the rapid development of both summer and winter resorts, more and more people from around the world are able to enjoy the history, culture and beautiful sites of Turkey. From swimming in the Mediterranean to skiing in Uludag Turkey has something to offer every tourist.
Industry is also developing rapidly and is directed mainly towards the processing of agricultural products, metallurgy, textiles, manufacture of automobiles and agricultural machinery.
Political Structure
The Turkish Republic is based on a secular, democratic, pluralistic and parliamentary system where human rights are protected by law and social justice. The National Assembly is elected by popular vote and the nation is governed by the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
Twenty Things You Never Knew About Turkey
1. The first church ever built was in Antioch, southern Turkey.
2. It was the first country to produce and use coins - 2,700 years ago.
3. Turkey has 9,000 species of flowers.
4. The cherry was first found in Turkey by the Romans.
5. Before the 13th century Turkey provided state insurance for tradesmen who suffered losses through robbery or theft.
6. Turkey provides 70% of the world's hazelnuts.
7. Turkey was the birthplace and home of St Nicholas - popularly known as Santa Claus.
8. Turkey was where Noah's Ark landed - at Mount Agri (originally called Mount Ararat) in Eastern Turkey.
9. Turkey is the location of the city of Troy in the west of the country where the Trojan war was fought for ten years.
10. Turkey was producing wine as early as 4000 BC.
11. Turkey introduced tulips to Holland.
12. Turkey has the earliest landscape painting, dating from 6200 BC.
13. Turkey was the birthplace of King Midas.
14. Turkey was the original destination of the Orient Express.
15. Turkey has the most valuable silk carpet in the world, with 144 knots per sq. cm, in the Mevlana Museum, Konya.
16. Turkey was the location of the first known beauty contest judged by Paris with Aphrodite, Hera and Athena as leading participants.
17. Turkey gave the English language the words turquoise and yoghurt.
18. Turkey was the birthplace of St. Paul: for centuries the sick have drunk from the well of St. Paul in Tarsus.
19. Turkey is said to have provided the water for the Garden of Eden from its 2 great rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris.
20. 70% of Turkey’s population is under 35.
Did you know ?
· Anatolia, which is mentioned in many religious and historical stories is today's TURKEY.
· The earliest landscape painting in history exists on a wall of a çatalhoyuk house dating from 6200B.C showing the eruption of a volcano Hasandag in TURKEY.
· The first recorded international treaty in the world was "The treaty of Kadesh" between Hitite and Egyption Empires, Hattusili III and Ramses II, in 1284 B.C.
· Many city names in different parts of the world such as Philadelphia,Paris,Antioch,Troy or continental name ‘Europe’ originated in TURKEY.
· The oldest known Shipwreck on the earth was excavated by a team headed by Don Frey is in Kaş/TURKEY
· 640 BC - For the first time the coins made of electrum were used by the Lydians in Sardis /TURKEY.
· King Midas is an Anatolian, his tomb is today in Gordion-Ankara /TURKEY
· Alexander the Great cut the Gordion knot near Ankara.The double knot in World Famous Turkish carpets is called ‘Gordes Dugumu’ which is the Turkish expression for the Gordion Knot.
· Seven wonders of the world are The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Hanging gardens of Babylon, The Statue of zeus at Olimpia, The Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos of Alexandria. The first two are in the Agean region of TURKEY.
· The famous words of Julius CAESAR ‘veni,vidi,vici’ ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ were said in Amasya when he came in 47 BC east of Ankara / TURKEY.
· Anatolia was the first major stronghold of Christianity. The Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis was said to be watered by a river which separated into four streams as it left the Garden; two of them the Tigris (Dicle) and Euphrates (Fırat) rise in the mountains of eastern TURKEY.
· Mount Ararat ( Agrı dağı ) according to book of Genesis Noah’s Ark landed on that mountain and Noah’s children started repopulating the world from this mountain in eastern TURKEY.
· Early Christians escaping from the Roman persecution sheltered in Cappadocia.
· St. Paul was born in Tarsus (southern Turkey). He undertook most of his missionary journeys and wrote most of his Biblical epistles to early Christians in TURKEY.
· The seven churches of revelation which are; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelpia and Laodicea are all situated in TURKEY.
· St. Nicholas (known as Santa Claus today) according to legend secretly bestowed dowries upon the daughters of poor citizens. This originated the custom of giving presents on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, a tradition later transferred to 'Christmas Day’. He was born and lived as a bishop of Myra in Demre / TURKEY.
· Cleopatra and Mark Anthony had their romantic tyrst in TURKEY.
· The largest Library of the ancient world (2nd. Century BC ) was in Pergamum / TURKEY
· The city Antioch (Antakya) is where the first Christian church of the world was built by St.Peter and St. Barnabas and this is also the city where the followers of Jesus were first called Christian. Antioch is in TURKEY.
· Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist spent their last years in Ephesus/TURKEY.
· The fourth largest Cathedral of the world is in Istanbul / TURKEY.
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