Turkey Fact Sheet

	The Turkish are known for hospitality, here cuisine meant for outstanding test, there coastline is romantic and divine, Most Turkish cities having many spectacular mosques and castles. And while rising costs in Mediterranean 's Turkey provide you the one of the best value to your money. And a place for life time memorable tourist destination. Turkey is situated at western Asia and southeastern Europe. Having Area: 300,948 sq mi (779,452 sq km), nearly all of which lies in Asia. Population (2002 est.): 67,140,000. Its Capital is Ankara.

	This is culturally much diversified country having many Ethnic groups include the Turks and Kurds. Its official Languages is Turkish; many other languages are spoken like Kurdish, Arabic. The Turkish language belongs to the Ural-Altaic group and having affinity with the finno-Hungarian languages. Major Religion is Islam (mostly Sunnite); Christianity and Judaism to a small extent. Turkey Currency is Turkish lira. Turkey is a mountainous country with an extensive plateau spread over central Anatolia. The highest peak is Mount Ararat (16,853 ft [5,137 m]). The Taurus Mountains is in the south. The rivers include the Tigris , Euphrates , Kizil, and Menderes. Mining and agriculture is major activity in Turkey. Turkey is a major producer and exporter of chromite and also mines iron ore, lignite, coal, bauxite, and copper. It is the Middle East 's leading steel producer. Major agricultural products in Turkey are wheat, barley, olives, and tobacco. Tourism also is important. In recent years, Turkey has become a major tourist destination in Europe. With the fast development of both summer and winter resorts, more and more Tourist from around the world are able to enjoy the culture, history, and beautiful sites of Turkey. From swimming in the Mediterranean to skiing in Uludag , Turkey has something to offer every tourist. Turkey is a republic with one legislative house; Turkey chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Turkey 's early history corresponds to that of Anatolia , the Byzantine Empire , and the Ottoman Empire. Byzantine rule emerged when Constantine the Great made Constantinople (modern Istanbul ) his capital. Ottoman Empire dominated for more than 600, begun in the 12th century to 1918 after the Young Turk revolt precipitated its demise. Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a republic was proclaimed in 1923. Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks." Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging social, legal, and political reforms. He transformed country from orthodox Muslim country to a Modern nation.

	Facts about Turkey
	Capital City: Ankara Population: 69,660,559 (July 2005 est.) Religion: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews) Language: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek Currency: Turkish lira (TRL), New Turkish lira (YTL) after 1 January 2005 Dial Code: ++55 Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4, GMT/UTC -3 , GMT/UTC -2 , GMT/UTC -5 Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior Visa Requirement : Passports must be valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are required for tourists of many nationalities, including Australia , Canada and the USA ; visas are generally granted for a period of 90 days, with one extension of up to 90 days possible. Public Holidays : Although there are festivals taking place all year round in Brazil , the country's most famous event is Carnival, which lasts for five days from the Friday to the Tuesday immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. It is celebrated all over Brazil and there are more authentic versions than the glitzy tourist drawcard held in Rio ; but Rio 's is a fantastic spectacle nonetheless. In its sambódromo, a tiered street designed for samba parades, there is a frenzy of sweat, sequins, noise and mayhem as the 16 top samba schools each have their hour of glory. - Jan 1 - Feb 6 - 8 - Apr 14 - Apr 21 - May 1 - May 26 New Years Day - Carnival - Good Friday - Tiradentes - Labour Day - Corpus Christi Sep 7 - Oct 12 - Nov 2 - Nov 15 - Dec 25 - Independence Day - Our Lady Aparecida, Patron Saint of Brazil - All Soul's Day - Proclamation of the Republic Day - Christmas Day Electricity: 110/220V ,60Hz Warning: No Warning at this moment