Information about Turkey ; Where to stay, Where to go, What to eat, holiday places and must-see places.
More than 30 million turists visit to Turkey per year. Historical places, summer and winter facilities...
There are seven region in Turkey. Marmara, Aegean, Central Anatolia, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Eastern Anatolia and Southheast Anatolia. Most popular region is Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean.
With an approximate area of 780.000 km2 and over 70 million population., Turkey is on of the most interesting countries in our aged world. Throughout the history of mankind, Turkey for its unique location has always been an ideal site for many civilizations and many left their traces as they passed through. Almost all scholars agree that Turkey is - the worlds largest open-air museum-. A bridge between East and West, North and South and Asia and Europe; Turkey is definitely one of the most attractive countries on earth. There are a lot of famous city in Turkey ; Istanbul, Izmır, Antalya, Mugla, Manisa, Ankara etc.
From the earliest human settlements dated back to the Paleolithic the continuous progress of mankind can be traced through the Neolithic, Calcolithic eras to the Bronze and Iron ages.
The excavations carried out in hundreds of ancient sites throughout the country, are the evidences of a great culture, from the Hittites to Phrigians and Urartians
Lydians to Persians and Achaeans. A country of unrivaled heritage the Cradle of Civilizations.
Turkey a huge country with a touch of Mediterranean culture and more the country of tolerance and of warm, hospitable people who could share the last loaf of bread with a stranger that knocks on the door.
Turkey, the country of caring people, people that welcome any quest with generosity. A mosaic of beliefs, customs, traditions and nomad culture of the Central Asian steppes outcome of thousands of years, blended in with the local cultures and civilizations. A country that belongs to the proud descendants of a great past.
Geography of Turkey
Turkey is centrally located wihin the territories of the pre war Ottoman Empire that extended from the Adriatic Sea all the way to the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. A greater portion of Turkey is in the Asian continent and known as Anatolia or Asia Minor. North-west corner of Turkey, Eastern Thrace occupies 23.000 km2 and is part of Europe. There is a constant increase in the elevation toward east that is interrupted by the Central Anatolian Plateau at around 800 m.above sea level. Further east, the the elevation reaches an average of 2200 m.
The Taurus mountain range with an average elevation of 2500 m., extends along the Mediterranean coast line and dominates the southern part of Turkey. The Pontic chain in the north has an average elevation of 1500 m. ans lies parallel to the Black sea. The mountain ranges of Western Anatolia lie on east-west axis, vertical to the Aegean Sea. This situation has created an extremely irregular coast line embroidered with natural wonders, amazing bays and peninsulas.
In the south rivers, fed by the snow water down from the peaks of the Taurus mountain, irrigate many fertile plains of the Mediterranean coast, rich with alluvial soil. The plateaus to the east of the tectonic basin of the Salt Lake are dominated by several volcanoes with a height of 3000 m. to 4000 m. and higher. Mt.Ararat is the highest of these volcanoes, located in the same region. Lake Van is the largest lake of the country.
Climate and Vegetation
A large portion of Turkey is influenced by the Mediterranean climate. Therefore, the summer months are warm and dry and the winter is mild and rainy. There are significant changes in seasonal and day and night temperatures. The Black Sea coast, especially, the eastern portion, gets the highest rainfall.
The Central and East Anatolian Plateaus are semi barren and has scarce vegetation. Large areas of popular trees are common along the rivers. Thtoughout the ages, there has been a huge consumption and destruction of forest and the severe results of land erosion are clearly visible. However, the mountain ranges that border these plateaus has some dense vegetation and large forested regions with a rich variety of trees.The southern part of the country basically has vast areas of low bushes and shrubs.
Turkey cant be considered a rich country in terms of undeground waters and rivers as a result of land characteristics and unsuitable climate conditions. None of the rivers are suitable for navigation and transportation.
Demoghraphy
The estimated population of Turkey is over 70 million. The over 3 million citizens, currently living in foreign countries, especially in Germany. Should also be taken into account. Today, %70 of the population reside in towns and cosmopolitan cities and the rest in rural areas. After 1950's the structural changes in the society, mechanization in agriculture and industrial progress have resulted in an extensive displacement of regional populations. The outcome of this internal immigration is still a serious issue on the agenda, shacks in the big city ghettos and poverty. From 1960's on the high birth-rate that resulted in a very young population, has been taken under control by intensive family planning programs and birth control.
In Turkey today, a vast majority of the population lives in the Aegean, Mediterranean and primarily in the Marmara regions, far more developed compared to the East and South-East Anatolian regions that currently has severe economical problems.
