General Info about Turkey

Flag: 

 
Capital: Ankara 

Official Name: The Republic of Turkey(Türkiye Cumhuriyeti)
Founder: Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK (1881-1938)
Population: 67.8 million (2000)
Language: Turkish (Latin alphabet)
Major cities: Istanbul - 10.0 million, Ankara - 4.0 million, Izmir - 3.3 million
Currency: New Turkish Lira (YTL)
National anthem: Istiklal Marsi (lyrics by Mehmet Akif Ersoy, adopted in 1921)

Area
Total area which Turkey covers is about 814.578 km² . Turkey is located in Eastern Mediterranean on two continents: Europe (3% of the territory) and Asia (97% of the territory). European part of Turkey is called Thrace, the Asian part is called Anatolia or Asia Minor. Turkey has 80 administrative provinces and she is divided in 7 geographical regions: Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean, Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, Mediterranean, Southeastern Anatolia.        

Culture
The culture of Turkey is diverse, combining Ottoman, European and Islamic traditions. Turkey was transformed from forrmer religion-driven Ottoman Empire to a modern nation-state where religion and state are strongly separated. During the first years of the republic the government invested a large amount of resurces into fine arts such as paintings, sculptures and architecture. This was done as a process of modernisation as well as for creating a cultural identity. The culture of Turkey combines efforts to be both, modern and western, and still maintain her traditional, historical and religious values.

Climate
Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean regions have typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. Black Sea coast has warm summers, mild winters and realtively high rainfall. Central Anatolia has steppe climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Eastern Anatolia has long snowy cold winters with mild summers ooposed to Southeast Anatolia's hot summers and mild, rainy winters.

Population & Religion
Turkey has 67.8 million inhabitants. 99% of the population is Muslim. Turkey is a secular state that assures complete freedom of other non-muslim religions.

Official Language & Alphabet
Turkish language and Latin alphabet.

Currency
The official currency of the Republic of Turkey is Turkish lira.
Banknotes used are: 1,5,10,20,50,100 (YTL) new lira and coins used are: 1,5,10,25,50 new kurus and 1 new lira.

 Important Telephone Numbers
International dialling prefix for Turkey: +90
Emergency 112, Fire 110,
Police 115, Gendarm 156 

National Holidays in 2008

1 Jan New Year's Day
1 May Labour Day

Working Hours

Shops and department stores are opened between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., or to 3 p.m. A smaller number of stores close between noon and 4 p.m. Many stores are also opened on Sundays, especially in the summer, and some smaller are opened 24 hours a day. Public services and companies usually work from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Entry Documents Required
Passport or some other form of identification is needed. Some countries need a visa for Turkey. Please check with Turkish embassy in your country.

Electricity & Water
Electricity: 220 V. Tap water is safe to drink, but it is advisable to drink bottled water instead.