The Republic of Turkey stretches between western Asia and south-eastern Europe, where it is bordered by a number of different countries. Turkey lies to the south-east of Bulgaria, to the east of Greece and to the south-west of Georgia. Directly east of Turkey are Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran, while to the south-east are Iraq and Syria.The Mediterranean Sea forms Turkey's southerly coastline and is responsible for many beachfront attractions, including the seaside resorts of Antalya. To the west of Turkey is the Aegean Sea and a further set of popular beaches.
Since Turkey actually straddles two separate continents, the country's rich culture features strong elements and traditions from both east and west. The tourism scene in the country is thriving and cheap holidays to Turkey are fairly easy to come by. Tourist attractions here tend to be very much focused around Turkey's many sites of historical and archaeological interest, with the country actually being the world's ninth most visited.
Tourism in this country is particularly developed and Turkey holidays are especially popular within Istanbul, where literally thousands of different hotels compete. Istanbul is the biggest city in the whole of Turkey and boasts attractions dating back to the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman Empires. Bursa, Edirne, Izmir, Konya, Sinop and Trabzon are all further important Turkish cities worthy of a mention, along with the capital city of Ankara.
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World Guide to Marmaris, Turkey
World Guide to Oludeniz, Turkey
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World Guide to Ankara, Turkey Familiar to many as the Turkish capital city, Ankara is actually only the second-largest city in Turkey, being far smaller than Istanbul. That said, Ankara is still a very important and appealing city, with a noticeably sophisticated character. |
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World Guide to Antalya, Turkey Located within Turkey's western region, Antalya enjoys a scenic Mediterranean setting, with many glorious sandy beaches close by. Antalya's Old Town (Kaleici) is full of history and character, and boasts some excellent harbour views. |
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World Guide to Bodrum, Turkey In recent years, Bodrum's appearance has changed from a sleepy Turkish town to an energetic, exciting and lively port. Bodrum is known by many for its bustling nightspots and restaurants, while sightseers still marvel at its waterfront castle. |
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World Guide to Bursa, Turkey Standing next to Mount Uludag, Bursa has grown into a modern city, although around 500 years ago was actually the capital of the whole Ottoman Empire. Today, Bodrum is Turkey's fourth-largest city and is brimming with culture. |
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World Guide to Istanbul, Turkey If you only have the time to visit one Turkish city, then Istanbul really should be the one. The mosques and palaces of Istanbul are almost endless, and its famed Grand Bazaar is a must see, being spread around almost 60 different streets. |
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World Guide to Izmir, Turkey Izmir is home to an important Turkish port and stands alongside the Mediterranean basin. The history of Izmir is rather unexpected and spans approximately 5,000 years, with the remains of many ancient Greek and Roman sites still standing. |
Turkey Information / Turkey Fast Facts
- Country: Republic of Turkey / Türkiye (Europe / West Asia)
- Population: 70.5 million
- Capital city: Ankara (population 3.9 million)
- Biggest city: Istanbul (population 11.5 million)
- Language: Turkish
- Main exports: agricultural and petroleum products, cement, glass, minerals, plastic and rubber
- Area: 302,535 square miles / 783,560 square kilometres
- Currency: New Turkish Lira (TRY)
- Time zone: UTC + 2, summer UTC + 3
- Country dialling code: +90
- Religion: Islam / Muslim
Map of Turkey
