Turkey is a paradise of sun, sea, and mountains, and offers tourists a complete change from the anxieties and routine of every day life. From April to October most parts of Turkey have an ideal climate, proving perfect conditions in which a visitor can relax on sandy beaches or enjoy the peace of mountains and lakes.

Turkey has a magnificent past and is a land full of historic treasures, covering 13 successive civilizations. Even a person spending only a short time in Turkey can see something of this great past.

Geography
Turkey's landmass is 814,578 km². The European and Asian sides are divided by the Istanbul Bogazi (Bosphorus), the Sea of Marmara, and the Canakkale Bogazi (Dardanelles). Anatolia is a high plateau region rising progressively towards the east, broken by the valleys of about 15 rivers, including the Dicle (Tigres) and the Firat (Euphrates).

There are numerous lakes and some, such as Lake Van, are as large as inland seas. 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 along the coast. Turkey enjoys a variety of climates, changing from the temperate climate of the Back Sea region, to the continental climate of the interior, then, to the Mediterranean climate of the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions. The coastline of Turkey's four seas is more then 8,333 km long.

History
Turkey has been called "the cradle of civilization," and by traveling through this historic land, tourists will discover exactly what is meant by this phrase. The world's first town, a neolithic city at Catalhoyuk, dates back to 6,500 BC. From the days of Catalhoyuk up to the present, Turkey boasts a rich culture that has made a lasting impression on modern civilization. The heir to many centuries of cultures, Turkey is a paradise of information and cultural wealth.

Hattis, Hittitess, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans have all made important contributions to Turkish history, and ancient sites and ruins scattered throughout the country give proof of each civilization's unique distinction.

Turkey also has a very fascinating recent history. Upon the decline of the Ottoman Empire, a young man named Mustafa Kemal, who was a soldier and visionary, liberated Turkey of all foreign invaders after World War I. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923. He led the country to peaceful stability, with tremendous economic growth and complete 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".

Wherever one chooses to visit in Turkey, there are two activities to revel in: shopping and eating. Shopping can be a heady experience, with traditional bazaars offering a vast selection of carpets, leather products, antiques, gold jewelry, ceramics and textiles while modern boutiques display the full range of European fashion. But the greatest surprise to most is Turkish cuisine, which, like a tapestry of the country itself, is a masterpiece of fused cultures and traditions. Lamb, savory pastries and fresh seafood are a few of the cuisine's many tantalizing specialties, but its passion is vegetables raw in salads, stuffed with rice and cooked, simmered with meat or served chilled in olive oil. Eggplant alone is prepared in forty different ways, even as pickles and dessert.

First-time travelers to Turkey's metropolises may be surprised by the rapid growth of high rises, shopping centers and international fast-food chains, and dismayed by their bumper-to-bumper traffic. But beneath these superficial similarities with other fast-growing cities, one quickly finds Turkey's unique flavor. In the bustle of commercial activity, as tides of shoppers sift through the wares of street vendors and small shops that overflow onto the street. In the contrasting calm of tea houses, cafes and restaurants, inexplicably full throughout most of the day. In people's overwhelming hospitality to visitors.

People
According to a 1990 census, Turkey has 57 million inhabitants, 41% of whom live in the countryside. The major cities are: Istanbul (with 7.4 mil); Ankara, the capital(3.2mil); Izmir (2.7 mil); Adana (1.9 mil) ; and (1.1 mil) and Bursa(1.6mil).

Language
The Turkish language belongs to the Ural-Altaic group and has an affinity with the Finno-Hungarian languages. Turkish is written in 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 non-Moslems.

The Turkish Republic is based on a secular, democratic, pluralist and parliamentary system. The National Assembly is elected by popular vote and the nation is governed by the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. Turkey is a founding member of OECD, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, a member of NATO, the European Council and the European Parliament, and a member of the European Union.

Your trip
Turkey's rich history has long made it a destination for students of ancient civilizations. Turkey's countryside is dotted with major archeological sites and Anatolia, or Asia Minor as the Romans called this bridge between Europe and Asia, was home to the Hittites, Urartians, Phrygians, Lycians, Lydians, Romans and Byzantines before the arrival of the Turks early in the 11th century AD. Many of Turkey's present cities are built around the ruins of earlier cities. Archeological finds around Istanbul date to the 13th century BC and Istanbul's first urban settlement to 667 BC. Homer was born in Smyrna, present-day lzmir.

Transportation
Traveling in Turkey is easy, with major highways crisscrossing the country and unusually comfortable bus services. Turkey also has 14 international airports and domestic flights to all its major cities and tourism centers. For the traveler in search of sun and sea, there are more than 5,000 miles of coastline and accommodation options ranging from five star hotels and vacation resorts to small family-run "pansiyons" and camping facilities. Yachting along the hidden coves of the western Mediterranean is increasingly popular and Turkey has over 30 marinas, half of these certified to "blue flag" quality and environmental standards. For the traveler in search of outdoor adventure, Turkey offers excellent and little-known opportunities for whitewater rafting, trekking, mountain climbing and bird watching.

Location: southwestern Asia (that part west of the Bosporus is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Area-comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Coastline: 7,200 km

Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)

Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore

Geography—note: strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas

Population: 65,599,206 (July 1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%

Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews)

Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye

Government type: republican parliamentary democracy

Capital: Ankara

National Holiday: Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923)

Constitution: 7 November 1982

Legal system: derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Baki ILKIN
chancery: 1714 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 659-8200
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mark R. PARRIS
embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara
mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone: [90] (312) 468-6110
FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019
consulate(s) general: Istanbul
consulate(s): Adana

Flag description: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

Economy—overview: Turkey has a dynamic economy that is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with traditional village agriculture and crafts. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. Its most important industry-and largest exporter-is textiles and clothing, which is almost entirely in private hands. The economic situation in recent years has been marked by rapid growth coupled with partial success in implementing structural reform measures. Inflation declined to 70% in 1998, down from 99% in 1997, but the public sector fiscal deficit probably remained near 10% of GDP-due in large part to interest payments which accounted for 42% of central government spending in 1998. The government enacted a new tax law and speeded up privatization in 1998 but made no progress on badly needed social security reform. Ankara is trying to increase trade with other countries in the region yet most of Turkey's trade is still with OECD countries. Despite the implementation in January 1996 of a customs union with the EU, foreign direct investment in the country remains low-about $1 billion annually-perhaps because potential investors are concerned about still-high inflation and the unsettled political situation. Economic growth will remain about the same in 1999; inflation should decline further.

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 42.5%, services 34.5%, industry 23% (1996)

Unemployment rate: 10% (1998 est.)

Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Agriculture—products: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock

Exports—commodities: textiles and apparel 30%, foodstuffs 15%, iron and steel products 13% (1997)

Imports—commodities: machinery and equipment 50%, fuels, minerals, foodstuffs (1997)

Currency: Turkish lira (TL)

Telephone system: fair domestic and international systems; undergoing modernization and refurbishment programs
domestic: cable; AMPS standard cellular system in Ashkhabad with plans for expansion
international: 12 satellite earth stations-Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), Eutelsat, and Inmarsat (Indian and Atlantic Ocean regions); 3 submarine fiber-optic cables (1996); connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line that became operational in 1998

Railways:
total: 10,386 km
Standard gauge: 10,386 km 1.435-m gauge (1,088 km electrified)

Highways:
total: 382,397 km
paved: 95,599 km (including 1,560 km of expressways)
unpaved: 286,798 km (1997 est.)

Waterways: about 1,200 km

Ports and harbors: Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel (Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon

Airports: 117 (1998 est.)

Military branches: Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie