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TURKEY IN BRIEF

Official Name: The Republic of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti)
Founder: Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK (1881-1938)
Capital: Ankara

Major Cities:	Istanbul	10.0 million
	Ankara	4.0 million
	Izmir	3.3 million
	Konya	2.2 million
	Bursa	2.1 million
	Adana	1.8 million

Population:

67.8 million (as of 2000)

Language:

Turkish (uses Latin Alphabet)

Currency:

New Turkish Lira (YTL) as of 01/01/2005
1YTL = 1,000,000 TL (Turkish Lira)

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.

Area:

814 578 Km2 (314 500 square miles)
% 3 on the European continent
% 97 on the Asian continent

National Anthem: Istiklal Marsi
Lyrics by: Mehmet Akif Ersoy
Adopted as Turkey’s National Anthem on March 12, 1921

Religion:

99 percent of the population is Muslim. Turkey is a secular state that assures complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.

Government:

Turkey is democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law; committed to the nationalism of Ataturk and based on the principle of the separation of powers:
- Legislative Power: The Turkish Grand National Assembly
- Executive Power: President and the Council of Ministers.
- Judicial Power: Independent courts and supreme judiciary organs.

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.

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

Famous Landmarks:

Ayasofya Museum, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Dolmabahce Palace, ancient City of Troy, Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Pergamon, Pamukkale, Goreme-Cappadocia, Mt.Nemrut, Safranbolu.

Other Useful Information

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).

Electricity:

220 volts a.c. throughout Turkey

Weights and Measures:

Metric and Kilo system

If you are interested in shopping there are many things for you in Turkey. There are shopping malls in cities across Turkey although the best shopping experience to be had for the tourist is in the traditional shopping bazaars of Turkey. The wonderful architecture and sights and smells of the East make shopping in Turkey a great day out.

Shopping tips in Turkey

When you are shopping in the bazaars in Turkey you will notice many of the shops sell the same things. If you spot anything you like while shopping ask the price at a few different stalls before thinking about buying. Shopping in Turkey can be a confusing experience as prices are rarely standard and there is always room for haggling. The first price you are quoted when shopping can often be over twice what the shop keeper is willing to sell for so it’s always worthwhile haggling. Haggling can be a great part of your shopping experience in Turkey as often you will be invited into the stop for tea or coffee while you and shop keeper chat and negotiate. If you think you are not going to buy even after haggling and drinking the shop keeper’s tea it’s fine to say goodbye and carry on shopping, as this is normal in Turkey. The only thing not to do when shopping in Turkey is make an offer and then back out , so be careful about doing this when haggling.

What are the Average Air and Water Temperatures for Turkey's major cities?

Temperatures are given in oC (degrees Celsius) in Turkey, which can be converted to oF (degrees Fahrenheit) with the formula: oF = (9/5)oC + 32

Average Air and Water Temperatures For Major Cities in oF

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Antalya
Air	50	52	55	61	68	77	83	83	77	68	59	54
Water	63	63	63	64	70	75	81	83	81	77	72	66
Izmir
Air	48	50	52	61	68	77	83	81	73	64	59	50
Water	52	52	54	59	68	75	79	79	75	70	63	55
Istanbul
Air	41	43	45	54	61	70	73	73	68	61	54	46
Water	48	45	46	52	59	68	73	73	70	63	57	52
Trabzon
Air	43	43	45	52	59	68	75	77	75	68	61	55
Water	50	48	48	50	57	68	75	77	75	68	61	55
Ankara
Air	32	34	41	52	61	68	73	73	65	55	46	36
Erzurum
Air	16	19	27	41	52	59	66	68	59	48	36	23
Diyarbakir
Air	36	36	46	57	66	79	88	88	77	63	50	50