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"The Country where the West meets the East"

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

Turkey has a magnificent past, and is a land full of historic treasures covering thirteen successive civilizations. Even a person who spends only a little time in Turkey can see something of this great history.

There is no doubt that one visit will not be enough, and you will want to come back 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.

GEOGRAPHY

Turkey's land mass is 774.885 sq km. The European and Asian sides are divided by the Istanbul Boðazý (Bosphorus),  the Sea of Marmara, and Çanakkale Boðazý (Dardanelles).  Anatolia is a high plateau region rising progressively towards the east and is broken by the valleys of about fifteen rivers, including the Dicle (Tigris) and the Fýrat (Euphrates).

There are numerous lakes such as Lake Van and some of them 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 Black 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 than 8333 km long.

HISTORY

Turkey has been called "the cradle of civilizations" and by traveling through this historic land the tourist will discover exactly what is meant by this phrase. The world's first town, a neolithic city at Çatalhöyük, dates back to 6.500 BC. From the days of Çatalhöyük to present time, Turkey boasts of a rich culture that through out the centuries has made a lasting impression on modern civilization.

Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans have all held important places in Turkey's history, and ancient sites and ruins scattered throughout the country give proof to each civilization's unique distinction.

PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD

Upon the decline of the Ottoman Empire a young man named Mustafa Kemal, who was a soldier by occupation but a great visionary in character, took the defeat of World War I and turned it into a shining victory by liberating Turkey of all foreign invaders.  Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founded the Republic of Turkey on the 29th of October, 1923. He led his country into peace and stability, with tremendous economic growth and complete modernization. Through out decades of change and growth Turkey still boasts of this success, living by their adopted motto of "Peace at home, Peace in the World."

POPULATION

Turkey has 68 million inhabitants, 41% of whom live in the countryside. The major cities are: Istanbul (9.1 mil); Ankara, the capital (3.6 mil); Izmir (2.9 mil), Adana (2 mil), Antalya (1.1 mil) and Bursa (1.7 mil).

LANGUAGE

The Turkish language belongs to the Ural-Altaic group and has an affinity to the Finno-Hungarian languages. Turkish is written in the latin alphabet and is spoken by some 200 million people around the world.

LIVING IN TURKEY

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AVARAGE CENTRIGRADE TEMPERATURES
FOR MAJOR REGIONS IN TURKEY