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Country Profile
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
wide.
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 centre of commerce because of its land
connections to three continents and the sea surrounding it on three
sides.
Area
The
actual area of Turkey inclusive of its lakes, is 814,578 square kilometres,
of which 790,200 are in Asia and 24,378 are located in Europe.
Boundaries
The
land borders of Turkey are 2,573 kilometres in total, and coastlines
(including islands) are another 8,333 kilometres, Turkey has two European
and six Asian countries for neighbours along its land borders.
The
land border to the northeast with the commonwealth of Independent States
is 610 kilometres long; that with Iran, 454 kilometres long, and that
with Iraq 331 kilometres long. In the south is the 877 kilometre-long
border with Syria, which took its present form in 1939, when the Republic
of Hatay joined Turkey. Turkey's borders on the European continent consist
of a 212-kilometre frontier with Greece and a 269-kilometre border with
Bulgaria.
Geographical
Regions
Turkey
is generally divided into seven regions: the Black Sea region, the Marmara
region, the Aegean, the Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, the East and
Southeast Anatolia regions. The uneven north Anatolian terrain running
along the Black Sea resembles a narrow but long belt. The land of this
region is approximately 1/6 of Turkey's total land area.
The
Marmara region covers the area encircling the Sea of Marmara, includes
the entire European part of Turkey, as well as the northwest of the
Anatolian plain. Whilst the region is the smallest of the regions of
Turkey after the Southeast Anatolia region, it has the highest population
density of all the regions.
The
most important peak in the region is Uludag (2,543 metres), at the same
time it is a major winter sports and tourist centre. In the Anatolian
part of the region there are fertile plains running from east to west.
The
Aegean region extends from the Aegean coast to the inner parts of western
Anatolia. There are significant differences between the coastal areas
and those inland, in terms of both geographical features and economic
and social aspects.
In
general, the mountains in the region fall perpendicularly into the sea.
and the plains run from east to west. The plains through which Gediz,
Kücük Menderes and Bakircay rivers flow carry the same names as these
rivers.
In
the Mediterranean region, located in the south of Turkey, the western
and central Taurus Mountains suddenly rise up behind the coastline.
The Amanos mountain range is also in the area.
The
Central Anatolian region is exactly in the middle of Turkey and gives
the appearance of being less mountainous compared with the other regions.
The main peaks of the region are Karadag, Karacadag, Hasandag and Erciyes
(3.917 metres).
The
Eastern Anatolia region is Turkey's largest and highest region. About
three fourths of it is at an altitude of 1,500-2,000 metres. Eastern
Anatolia is composed of individual mountains as well as of whole mountain
ranges, with vast plateaus and plains. The mountains: There are numerous
inactive volcanoes in the region, including Nemrut, Suphan, Tendurek
and Turkey's highest peak, Mount Agri (Ararat), which is 5,165 metres
high.
At
the same time, several plains extended along the course of the River
Murat, a tributary of the Firat (Euphrates). These are the plains of
Malazgirt, Mus, Capakcur, Uluova and Malatya.
The
Southeast Anatolia region is notable for the uniformity of its landscape,
although the eastern part of the region is comparatively more uneven
than its western areas.
Coastlines
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, important
waterways that connect the Black Sea with the rest of the world.
Because
the mountains in the Black Sea region run parallel to the coastline,
the coasts are fairly smooth, without too many indentations or projections.
The length of the Black Sea coastline in Turkey is 1,595 kilometres,
and the salinity of the sea is 17%. The Mediterranean coastline runs
for 1,577 kilometres and here too the mountain ranges are parallel to
the coastline.
The
salinity level of the Mediterranean is about double that of the Black
Sea.
Although
the Aegean coastline is a continuation of the Mediterranean coast, it
is quite irregular because the mountains in the area fall perpendicularly
into the Aegean Sea. As a result, the length of the Aegean Sea coast
is over 2,800 kilometres. The coastline faces out to many islands.
The
Marmara Sea is located totally within national boundaries and occupies
an area of 11,350 square kilometres. The coastline of the Marmara Sea
is over 1,000 kilometres long; it is connected to the Black Sea by the
Bosphorus and with the Mediterranean by the Dardanelles.
The
Climate
Although
Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions
are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the landscape , and the existence
in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, results
in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to
the other. While the coastal areas enjoy milder climates, the inland
Anatolian plateau experiences extremes of hot summers and cold winters
with limited rainfall.
Currency
The
currency used for transactions in Turkey is Turkish Liras (TL). US Dollars
as well as Euro are widely used. Using Visa or Mastercard around Turkey
is common yet a commission charge may apply in most transactions.
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