Republic of Turkey

780,580 sq km

68,893,918 (July 2004 est.)

Ankara

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek

220 volts a.c. all over Turkey

Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

republican parliamentary democracy

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March 2003)

23.8 million

There are ATM machines throughout Turkey, particularly in the larger cities and around tourist centers. Credit cards are also accepted by most of the merchants and at hotels.

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.

water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic .

party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country