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TURKEY IN BRIEF
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WELCOME TO TURKEY
Turkey is a paradise of sun, sea, mountains, and lakes that offers
the vacationer a complete change from the stress and routine of
everyday life. From April to October, most places in Turkey have an
ideal climate that is perfect for relaxing on sandy beaches or
enjoying the tranquility of mountains and lakes.
Turkey also has a magnificent past, and is a land full of historic
treasures from 13 successive civilizations spanning 10,000 years.
Even if you spend only a short time in Turkey, you can see a lot of
this great heritage.
There is no doubt that one visit will not be enough, and you will
want to come back again and again as you discover one extraordinary
place after another. All of them, no matter how different, have one
thing in common: the friendly and hospitable people of this unique
country.
TURKEY IN BRIEF
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Official Name |
The Republic of
Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti) |
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Founder |
Mustafa Kemal
ATATÜRK ( 1881-1938 ) |
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Capital |
ANKARA |
Turkish Flag
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Population |
74 million (as of 2000) |
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Language |
Turkish (uses
Latin Alphabet) |
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Currency |
New Turkish Lira ( YTL
) as of 1/1/2005
1YTL=1,000,000 TL (
Turkish Lira ) |
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Location |
Eastern
Mediterranean. Located on two contitents Europe and Asia.
The European part of Turkey is called Thrace, while
the Asian part is called Anatolia or ( Asia Minor
)
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Area |
814 578 Km2
(314 500 square miles) |
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% 3
% 97
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on the
European continent
on the Asian continent |
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Major Cities |
Istanbul
Ankara
Izmir
Konya
Bursa
Adana
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20.0 million
4.0 million
3.3 million
2.2 million
2.1 million
1.8 million
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Religion |
99
percent of the population is Muslim. Turkey is a secular
state that assures complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.
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National Anthem |
Istiklal
Marsi
Lyrics by : Mehmet Akif Ersoy
Adopted as Turkeys National Anthem on March 12,1921
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Government |
Turkey is
democratic, secular
and social state governed by the
rule of law; committed to the nationalism of Atatürk and
based on the principle of the separation of powers;
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Legislative Power :
The Turkish Grand National
Assembly
Executive Power :
President and the Council of Ministers.
Judicial Power :
Independent courts and supreme judiciary organs. |
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Coastline |
8333 Km. (5000 miles)
Turkey is surrounded by sea on
three sides, by the Black Sea in the north, the
Mediterranean in the south and the Aegean Sea in the west.
In the northwest there is also an important internal sea,
the Sea of Marmara, between the straits of the Dardanelles
and the Bosphorus
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Geographical Regions |
Turkey has
80 administrative provinces and seven geographical regions.
The first four of the seven regions are given the names of the
seas which are adjacent to them.
- Black Sea Region
- Marmara Region
- Aegean Region
- Mediterranean Region
The other three regions are named in accordance with their
location in the whole of Anatolia.
- Central Anatolia Region
- Eastern Anatolia Region
- Southeastern Anatolia Region
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Famous
Landmarks |
Ayasofya
Museum, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Dolmabahçe Palace,
ancient City of Troy, Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Pergamon,
Pamukkale, Göreme- Cappadocia, Mt.Nemrut, Safranbolu
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Some important products |
As of 1998, Turkey is the world's largest producer of hard-shell
nuts, fig and apricot, the fourth STET in fresh vegetables,
grape and tobacco production and seventh in wheat and cotton
production. Turkish delight and helva are famous throughout
the world.
Turkey is among the leading countries worldwide in textiles
and ready-to-wear clothing production. The exports of this
sector constitutes 36 percent of total industrial exports. The
leather processing industry is also very developed in Turkey,
both in terms of technological level and high production
capacity. It places second to textiles in terms of export
figures.
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Other Useful Information
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Time |
Local
time is equal to GMT + 2 hours. Same time zone all over
the country ( seven hours ahead of U.S. eastern standard
time )
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Electricity |
220 volts
a.c. throughout Turkey |
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Weights and Measures |
Metric and
Kilo system |
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WHEN TO COME
Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean coasts: These coasts have a
typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild
winters. The swimming season becomes shorter the further north
one goes: Marmara and North Aegean - June to September; South
Aegean and Mediterranean - April to October.
Black Sea Coast: Warm summers, mild winters, and
relatively high rainfall.
Central Anatolia: Steppe climate with hot, dry summers;
cold winters.
Eastern Anatolia: Long snowy cold winters with mild
summers.
Southeast Anatolia: Hot summer with mild, rainy winters.
For full information concerning a trip to Turkey, contact
your nearest Turkish Tourist Information Office
or your travel agent. In Turkey, there are
information offices in all principal cities and tourist
centers.
WHAT TO WEAR
a) Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean coasts:
Light, cotton summer clothing and cardigans for evening.
b) Black Sea, Central and Eastern Anatolia:
Summer wear, warmer clothing should be taken for cool evenings
at high altitudes.
c) Comfortable shoes are necessary for
visiting archeological and historical sites.
d) Sun hats and sunglasses are advisable in
the summer.
e) Headscarves should be brought by women for
visiting mosques.
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