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Full name: Republic of Turkey
Population: 74.8 million (UN, 2007
Capital: Ankara
Largest city: Istanbul
Area: 779,452 sq km (300,948 sq miles)
Major language: Turkish
Monetary unit: New Turkish lira
GNI per capita: US $5,400 (World Bank, 2006) |
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Geography
Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey borders eight countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Due to its strategic location astride two continents, Turkey's culture has a unique blend of Eastern and Western tradition. Asian Turkey, 97% of the country, is separated from European Turkey by the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. The territory of Turkey is more than 1,600 kilometres long and 800 km wide, with a roughly rectangular shape.
Climate
The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Mediterranean Sea have a temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet and cold winters. Mountains close to the coast prevent Mediterranean influences from extending inland, giving the central Anatolian plateau of the interior of Turkey a continental climate with sharply contrasting seasons. Temperatures of −30 °C to −40 °C can occur in the mountainous areas in the east, and snow may lie on the ground 120 days of the year. In the west, winter temperatures average below 1 °C. Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures generally above 30 °C in the day. Check the weather in Antalya now
Tourism
Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of archaeological and historical sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterraneancoasts. In the recent years, Turkey has also become a popular destination for spa and healthcare tourism. Turkey is the 9th most visited country in the world and 7th in Europe.
Antalya
Since its founding in the second century B.C. by Attalus II, a king of Pergamon, who named the city Attaleai after himself, Antalya has been continuously inhabited. The Romans, Byzantines and Seljuks in turn occupied the city before it came under Ottoman rule. The elegant fluted minaret of the Yivli Minareli Mosque in the city center has become Antalya's symbol.
The historic center, called Kaleiçi surrounds the Roman harbor. Buildings here date from Ottoman and Roman times. The Karatay Medrese (theological college) exemplifies the best of stone carvings. The two most important Ottoman mosques are the 16th century Murat Pasa Mosque, and the 18th century Tekeli Mehmet Pasa Mosque. Today, the Kesik Minaret Mosque attests to the city's long history in its succession of Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman renovations.
Antalya is accepted as the tourism capital of Turkey. Antalya is a sprawling modern city with a small, charming historic center, the Turquoise Coast's busiest airport, and dramatic sea and mountain views (map). Additionally it is a very important destination in terms of meeting industry. Many national and international congresses are held in Antalya.
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