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BRIEF
INFO & LINKS ABOUT TURKEY
Turkey is a paradise of sun, sea, mountains, and lakes that offers
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 thir teen successive civilizations.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
Turkey's land mass is 774.815 sq km. The European and Asian sides
are divided by the Istanbul Bogazl (Bosphorus), the Sea of
Marmara, and the ,Canakkale 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 Flrat (Euphrates). There are numerous lakes and
some, such as Lake Van, 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 sea 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.
Turkey has been called "the cradle of civilization" and by
travelling through this his toric land the tourist will discover
exactly what is meant by this phrase. The world's first town, a
neolithic city at Catalhoyuk, dates back to 6,500 BC. From the
days of Catalhoyuk up to the present time Turkey boasts of a rich
culture that through the centuries has made a lasting impression
on modern civilization. The heir many centuries of cultures makes
Turkey a paradise of information and cultural wealth. Hattis,
Hittites, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, lonians,
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.
Turkey also has a very fascinating recent history. 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 Ataturk 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 decades of change and growth Turkey still boasts of this
success by affectively living by their adopted motto of "Peace at
Home, Peace in the World."
In recent years Turkey has become a major tourist destination in
Europe. With the rapid development of both summer and winter
resorts, more and more people from all over the world are able to
enjoy the history, culture, and beautiful sites of Turkey. From
swimming in the Mediterranean to skiing in Uludag, Turkey has some
thing to offer each tourist. Agriculture plays a very important
role in the Turkish economy. The main crops are wheat, rice,
cotton, tea, tobacco, hazelnuts, and fruit. Sheep are Turkey's
most important livestock, and Turkey is one of European wool and
cotton producer. The principal minerals extracted are coal, chrome
(an important export), iron, copper, bauxite, marble and sulphur.
Industry is developing rapidly and is directed mainly towards the
processing of agricultural products, metallurgy, textiles, and the
manufacture of automobiles and agricultural machinery
Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate
with hot summers and mild winters. The swimming season be comes
shorter the further north one goes: Marmara and North AegeanJune
to Sep tember, South Aegean and Mediterranean April to October.
Black Sea Coast:
remperate climate with warm summers, mild winters, and rela tively
high rainfall.
Central Anatolia:
These areas have a steppe climate with hot, dry summers; cold
winters.
Eastern Anatolia:
Long snowy, cold winters with mild summers.
Southeast Anatolia:
These areas have a hot summer with mild, rainy winters.
The national monetary unit is the Turkish lira (TL.). The coinage
is in 500, 1000 and 2500, 5000 lira pieces. Bank notes are of
5000,10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000 and 250,000, 500.000 lira.
The exchange rates for foreign currencies are published daily.
Eurocheques can be cashed immediately, as can traveller's cheques
upon producing identification.There is no limit on the amount of
foreign currency that may be brought into Turkey, but not more
than $ 5,000 worth of Turkish currency may be brought into or
taken out of the country
According to 2000 census Turkey has 65 million inhabitants, 41% of
whom live in the countryside. The major cities are: Istanbul (9.8
mil); Ankara, the capital (3.8 mil); izmir (3.2 mil); Adana (1.9
mil); Antalya (1.1 mil); and Bursa (1.6 mil). The Turkish
population is 99% Muslim. Turkey is a secular state and guarantees
complete freedom of worship to non-Moslems.
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 150 million people around
the world
The Turkish Republic is based on secular democratic, pluralist and
parliamentary system, where human rights are protected by law and
social justice. The National Assembly is elected by popular vote
and the nation is governed by the Council of Ministers headed by
the Prime Minister. Turkey is a founding member of OECD, the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation, a member of NATO, the
European Council and the European Parliament, and an associate
member of the European Community
· Oldest democracy in the region. .
· Only secular muslim country in the world.
· Democratic government since 1923.
· Rapidly-growing free market economy.
· Ability to serve as a regional base.
· A cultural bridge for:
· Europe, Asia and the Near East
· Russia and the Newly Independent States to the north
· Middle Eastern countries to the south and east
· Balkan states to the west.
Here are some links for further info to help
you learn more
about Turkey & Istanbul below;
Ministry of Tourism’s official page:
www.kultur.gov.tr
Turkish Government’s official page:
www.basbakanlik.gov.tr
association of Turkey’s travel agents:
www.tursab.org.tr
Turkish Airlines’ web page:
www.thy.com.tr
Tutkish State Railways:
www.tcdd.gov.tr
Turkish Maritime Lines:
www.tdi.gov.tr
Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul:
www.ibb.gov.tr
national parcs and hunting:
www.milliparklar.gov.tr
Weather in Turkey:
www.meteor.gov.tr
for pictures about Turkey:
www.turkses.com
www.balsoy.com
www.evrim.org
Brief info about Istanbul,museums,mosques and to meet a local
guide,click:
http://www.istanbulwithme.exactpages.com
www.e-tourismconsultant.com
mail@istanbulwithme.com
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