THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY


The lands of Turkey are located at a point where the three continents making up the old world, Asia, Africa and Europe are closest to each other, and straddle the point where Europe and Asia meet. Geographically, the country is located in the northern half of the hemisphere at a point that is about halfway between the equator and the north pole, at a longitude of 36 degrees N to 42 degrees N and a latitude of 26 degrees E to 45 degrees E. Turkey is roughly rectangular in shape and is 1,660 kilometers long and 550 kilometers wide.
The actual surface area of Turkey inclusive of its lakes and rivers, is 814,578 square kilometers, of which 790,200 are in Asia and 24,378 are located in Europe.
The land borders of Turkey are 2,753 kilometres in total, and coastlines (including islands) are another 8,333 kilometers. Turkey has two European and six Asian countries for neighbors along its land borders.
The land border to the northeast with the Commonwealth of Independent States is 610 kilometers long; that with Iran, 454 kilometers long, and that with Iraq 331 kilometers long. In the south is the 877 kilometer-long border with Syria. Turkey's borders on the European continent consist of 212-kilometer frontier with Greece and a 269-kilometer border with Bulgaria.
Because of its geographical location the mainland of Anatolia has always found favour throughout history, and is the birthplace of many great civilizations. It has also been prominent as a center of commerce because of its land connections to three continents and the sea surrounding it on three sides.




TURKISH DEMOGRAPHICS


Population:
1927: 13.6 million; 1940: 17.8 million; 1950: 20.9 million; 1960: 27.7 million; 1970: 35.6 million; 1975: 40.1 million; 1987: 52 million; 1990: 57 million; 1995: 60 million
Major Cities:
Istanbul: 8.2 million, Ankara: 3.8 million, Izmir, 3 million, Adana: 1.7 million.
Official language:
Turkish
Religions:
muslim 98%, orthodox, gregorian, jewish, catholic, protestant and other Christian sects: 2%.
Currency:
Turkish lira
Flag:
Red with a vertical white crescent and a five-pointed star



GOVERNMENT AND LEGAL SYSTEM


Capital:
Ankara
Government type:
Parliamentary democracy with free market economy
Proclamation of the Republic:
29 October 1923
Proclamation of the Constitution:
7 November 1982.
Administrative divisions:
79 provinces
Legislative:
Unicameral, Grand National Assembly with 450 deputies (general elections every 5 years)
Executive:
President (7-year term) and Council of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister (5-year term).
Judiciary:
Independent, with Constitutional Court supervising conformity of laws to the 1982 Constitution. Turkish laws have been derived from various European systems, mainly French, Italian, and Swiss.
Last elections:
20 October 1991
Right to vote:
At the age of 18
Major international organizations:
UN, NATO, OECD, CSCE (Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe), UN. European, Parliament, EC (associate member), GATT, Black Sea Economic Cooperation, WHO, IMF, ILO, UNESCO, ECOSOC, FAO, IDB (Islamic Development Bank), INTELSAT, INTERPOL.

GEOGRAPHIE AND RESOURCES OF TURKEY


Total Area:
779,452 square km. Thrace: 23,764 square km. (Europe), Anatolia: 755,688 square km. (Asia). Max. length; 1,565 km. Average width: 550km.
Coastline:
8,372 km. Aegean: 2,805 km. Mediterranean: 1,577 km. Black Sea: 1,695 km. Marmara: 927 km.
Frontiers:
2,753 km. Syria: 877 km. Former USSR (Georgia, Armenia, Nakhitchevan Autonomous Region); 610 km. Iran: 545 km. Irak: 331 km. Bulgaria 269 km. Greece: 212 km.
Land:
30% arable; 4% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 28% other.
Lakes:
9,423 square km. In order of size: Van, Tuz Golu (Salt Lake), Beysehir, Egidir, Aksehir, Iznik, Burdur, Manyas, Acigol, Ulubat (Apolyont).
Mountains:
Max. altitude: Mt. Ararat: 5,165 m. Kackar; 3,923 m. Erciyes; 3,917 m. B Hasan; 3,268 m. Nemrut: 2,282 m. Uludag (Mt. Olympus): 2,543. Average altitude; 1,131 m. (80% of land above 500 m. altitude)
Rivers:
Firat (Euphrates): 1,263 km. in Turkey, Kizilrmak: 1,182 km., Sakarya: 824 km. Murat: 722 km. Seyhan: 560, Menderes (Meander): 584 km. Dicle (Tigris): 523 km. in Turkey, Yesilirmak 519 km. Ceyhan: 509 km. Porsuk: 488 km. Coruh: 442 km. Gediz: 401 km.
Islands: Gokceada, Bozcaada, Uzunada, Alibey (Aegean Sea), Maramara Avsa Isles: Eknik, Koyun, Pasalimani, Princes' Isles: Buyukada, Heybeliada, Burgaz, Kinali, Sedef (Marmara Sea), Karaada, Salih, Kekova (Mediterranean)
Straits:
Bosphorus (links Black Sea to Marmara Sea), Dardanelles (links Marmara Sea to Aegean Sea)
Regions:
Seven geographical and administrative region: Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Central Anatolian, Eastern and Southeastern.
Climate:
Three climate zones: Mediterranean (hot and dry summers, mild and wet winters), continental (hot and dry summers, cold and harsh winter), Black Sea: (temperate and wet all year long).
Hydroelectric generators:
(capacity in thousands of megawatts) Ataturk Dam on Firat (8400, to achieve full capacity in 1995), Karakaya Dam on Firat (7,354), Keban Dam on Firat (5,800), Oymapinar Dam on Manavgat (1,920), Gokcekaya Dam on Sakarya (562), Sanyar Dam on Sakarya (400), Hirfanli Dam on Kizilirmak (400).
Thermoelectric generators:
Ambarli (4,500), Seyitomer (1,800), Tuncbilek (830), Catalagzi (800), Mersin (700), Sihaltaraga (450).
Agricultural output:
(1991 figures) Wheat (20 million tons), barley (7.3 million tons), corn (2.3 million tons), cotton (990,000 tons), tea (712,000 tons, 1986), tobacco (287,500 tons), hazelnuts 375,000 tons.
Natural resources:
Oil, coal, iron, ore, copper, uranium, manganese, antimony, chromium, mercury, borate, sulphur, zinc, borax, meerschaum.