Country guide - Turkey  

 
 

Introduction: Turkey is located on the Anatolian Peninsula in between West Asia and Eastern Thrace. It is bound by the Agean Sea to the west, Bulgaria and the Black Sea to the north, Georgia to the north east, Armenia and Iran to the east and Iraq, Syria and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

Official Name: Republic of Turkey
Area: 779,452 Sq Km (300,948 Sq Miles)
Population: 68,109,469
Continent: Middle East, Europe and Asia. The smaller north western portion (Thrace) is part of Europe, while the larger portion (Anatolia) is part of Asia.
Density per square mile: 226
Capital City: Ankara
Religions: 99% Sunni Muslims while the remainder are Orthodox Christians

Language: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek
Government: Republic

Currency: Turkish lira
GDP: $468 billion
GDP Per Head: $7,000

Natural Resources: Antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore, arable land, hydropower
Land Use: Arable Land 34.53%
Agriculture: Tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock.
Industry: Textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Tourism: Stretching out on two continents, Turkey is a paradise where one can experience the four seasons simultaneously... Whether you are fond of art, history, archeology or nature, you will feel the happiness beyond desires and hopes during your stay in Turkey. Surrounded by the crystal clear waters of a shinning sea at four directions, Turkey generously offers her 8000km long shores before your eyes. Turkey is rich in flora and fauna. Activities are endless in this vast country.

Natural Hazards: Very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van
Health Risks: Polio, tetanus, diptheria, typhoid, hepatitis A & B, rabies and TB are all present in Turkey so vaccinations for all these should be considered.

Climate: Turkey has a climate that is characterised by great extremes and wide temperature variations between regions and seasons due to the size of the country. The narrow coast land and mountain slopes to the north, west and south have wetter and milder winters than the interior as well as moderately hot summers. The interior plateau winters are cold with frost while the summers are hot. Eastern Turkey has bitter cold winters and hot summers. Average annual rainfall in Istanbul is 28 inches while average temperature ranges in Ankara are from -4 to 4 degrees Celsius in January to 15 to 31 degrees Celsius in August.

Time: GMT/UTC + 1 hour
National Days: October 29

Visas: UK, Australian, and US citizens, as well as those from Austria, Canada, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, do need visas. You may obtain a multiple entry visitor's visa valid for 90 days at the port of entry on payment of ten pounds sterling, cash (Scottish currency is not accepted). Citizens of New Zealand, Japan, South Africa and most of the countries of Western Europe, need only a valid passport for stays of up to 3 months.

British Embassy Details

 

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