"The Country where the West meets the East"
Turkey is a paradise of sun, sea,
mountains, and lakes that offers the holiday maker a
complete change from the anxieties and routine of everyday
life. From April to October most parts of Turkey have
an ideal climate providing perfect conditions in which
a visitor can relax on the sandy beaches or enjoy the
peace of mountains and lakes. Turkey has a magnificent
past, and is a land full of historic treasures covering
thirteen successive civilizations. Even a person who
spends only a little time in Turkey can see something
of this great history. There is no doubt that one visit
will not be enough, and you will want to come back again
as you discover one extraordinary place after another.
All of them, no matter how different, have one thing
in common; the friendly and hospitable people of this
unique country.
GEOGRAPHY
Turkey's land mass is 774.885 sq km. The European and Asian sides are divided
by the Istanbul Bogazi (Bosphorus), the Sea of Marmara, and Çanakkale Bogazi
(Dardanelles). Anatolia is a high plateau region rising progressively towards
the east and is broken by the valleys of about fifteen rivers, including the
Dicle (Tigris) and the Firat (Euphrates). There are numerous lakes such as Lake
Van and some of them are as large as inland seas. In the north the Eastern Black
Sea Mountain chain runs parallel to the Black Sea; in the south the Taurus Mountains
sweep down almost to the narrow, fertile coastal plain along the coast. Turkey
enjoys a variety of climates, changing from the temperate climate of the Black
Sea region, to the continental climate of the interior, then, to the Mediterranean
climate of the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions. The coastline of Turkey's
four seas is more than 8333 km long.
HISTORY
Turkey has been called "the cradle of civilizations" and by traveling
through this historic land the tourist will discover exactly what is meant by
this phrase. The world's first town, a neolithic city at Çatalhöyük, dates back
to 6.500 BC. From the days of Çatalhöyük to present time, Turkey boasts of a
rich culture that through out the centuries has made a lasting impression on
modern civilization. Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians,
Ionians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans have
all held important places in Turkey's history, and ancient sites and ruins scattered
throughout the country give proof to each civilization's unique distinction.
PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD
Upon the decline of the Ottoman Empire a young man named Mustafa Kemal, who was
a soldier by occupation but a great visionary in character, took the defeat of
World War I and turned it into a shining victory by liberating Turkey of all
foreign invaders. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founded the Republic of Turkey on the
29th of October, 1923. He led his country into peace and stability, with tremendous
economic growth and complete modernization. Through out decades of change and
growth Turkey still boasts of this success, living by their adopted motto of "Peace
at home, Peace in the World."
POPULATION
Turkey has 68 million inhabitants, 41% of whom live in the countryside. The major
cities are: Istanbul (9.1 mil); Ankara, the capital (3.6 mil); Izmir (2.9 mil),
Adana (2 mil), Antalya (1.1 mil) and Bursa (1.7 mil).
LANGUAGE
The Turkish language belongs to the Ural-Altaic group and has an affinity to
the Finno-Hungarian languages. Turkish is written in the latin alphabet and is
spoken by some 200 million people around the world. |
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