Official Name

Republic of Turkey (Turkiye Cumhuriyeti)

Location

Turkey is located in southeastern Europe (above the 45th parallel, North). It is bordered on the west by the Aegean Sea, on the north by the Black Sea, and on the south by the Mediterranean Sea. It touches Greece, Bulgaria, and Georgia to the north, Armenia and Iran to the east, and Iraq and Syria to the south.

Land Area

770,760 sq km (297,513 sq mi).

Coast

7,200 km (4,471 mi) of coastline on the Aegean, Black, and Mediterranean Seas.

Climate

The Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions where we organize our tours, have mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

Population

Over 70 million inhabitants, of which 29% are younger than 15, and 65% are between 15 and 64 years old.

Language

Turkish is the official language of Turkey, but English is also widely spoken.

Government

Turkey is a republican parliamentary democracy, led by a president (who is elected by the National Assembly), the prime minister (appointed by the president), and a Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the president. The Legislative Branch consists of the 550-member Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi). The Judicial Branch consists of the Constitutional Court appointed by the president and Court of Appeals elected by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors.

Capital

Ankara, located in Central Anatolia.

Currency

The Turkish currency is the Turkish Lira (TL). The exchange rate was approximately 1.67 Turkish Lira (TL) for every 1 US Dollar in February of 2009. Resources and Industry: The Turkish economy relies heavily on tourism and agricultural products. In particular, Turkey is the biggest producer of wool in Europe. Turkey is also a food exporter. Turkey's mining industry extracts coal, chromite, copper, and boron, and manufacturing, especially of steel products, dominates the economy.

Transport

382,397 km (237,468 mi) of road; 8,607 km (5,345 mi) of train tracks.

Electric current

220 volts. 50 Hz

Electric plug details

European plug with two circular metal pins.

Country dialing code

90

Time Zone

GMT +3 hours (April-September) GMT +2 hours (October-March)