General
Information
|
Total Land Area: |
769,630 km2 |
|
Land boundaries: |
2,875 km |
|
Coastline: |
8,333 km |
|
Capital: |
Ankara |
|
Other Large
Cities: |
Istanbul, Izmir,
Adana |
|
Official
Language: |
Turkish |
|
National
Currency Unit: |
Turkish Lira (TRL) |
|
National Day: |
October 29 |
Location and
Geography
Turkey is the
largest country in
Europe (aside from
Russia). It is
bordered by Georgia,
Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Iran in the
East, Iraq, Syria
and the
Mediterranean Sea in
the South, Greece
and Bulgaria in the
North-west, the
Black Sea in the
North, and the
Aegean Sea in the
West. Marmara is an
inland sea that
separates Europe and
Asia by two natural
passages: Dardanel
and Bosphorus. The
land in Europe is
called Trakya.
Anatolia, which is
the land area
located in Asia, is
a high plateau
bounded by the
Pontic Mountains in
the North, the
Taurus Mountains in
the South, and
stretching out to
the peak of Mount
Ararat in the
Caucasus Mountains
in the East.
Mountain ranges give
way to narrow
coastal plains in
the North-east and
South, and to
treeless valleys
between rolling
hills and low
mountains in the
centre. The climate
varies considerably
across Turkey from
North to South and
West to East. It is
mild on the Black
Sea coast, warm on
the Aegean and
Mediterranean
coasts, and cold and
dry in the inland.
Demography
|
Population:
|
69.63 million
(2002) |
|
Crude Birth
Rate:
|
22 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Crude Death
Rate:
|
7 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Infant Mortality
Rate:
|
35 per thousand
(2002) |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Male: 66 years,
Female: 71 years
(2002) |
|
Urban
Population:
|
67.0 percent
(2002) |
|
Adult Literacy:
|
85.50 percent
(2001) |
Economy
Turkey has a dynamic
economy that is a
complex mix of
modern industry and
commerce along with
traditional crafts
and agriculture.
Some of its main
natural resources
are antimony, coal,
chromium, bauxite,
mercury, copper,
iron ore, borate and
sulphur. It has a
strong industrial
base in textiles and
food processing.
Cotton production is
a major input of the
textile sector.
Telecommunications,
automotive and
tourism are the
fastest growing
sectors in Turkey. A
large arable area
and a variety of
climates enable the
production of a
diversity of crops.
Turkey is also a
major agricultural
producer and among
the world’s eight
food self-sufficient
countries. It also
ranks as the fifth
and ninth,
respectively, in
terms of the world’s
vegetable and fruit
production. It is
the largest cotton,
tea and tobacco
producer in Europe.
|
GDP at Current
Market Prices:
|
184162 million
US$ (2002) |
|
Per Capita GDP:
|
2645 US$ (2002) |
|
Share of Sectors
in GDP:
|
13.0%
Agriculture,
27.0% Industry,
60.0% Services,
(2002) |
|
Total Exports:
|
35058 million
US$ (2002) |
|
Total Imports:
|
50820 million
US$ (2002) |
|
Major Exports
Items: |
Textiles and
apparel,
foodstuffs, iron
and steel
products |
|
Major Imports
Items: |
Minerals,
machinery and
transportation
equipment, fuels |
|
Major Trading
Partners: |
Germany, US,
Italy, France,
UK and Russia |
|
