29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Languages
Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Exports
soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
External Debt
$136,800,000,000 $
$306,600,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar - 3.1636 (2008 est.), 3.1105 (2007), 3.0543 (2006), 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233 (2004)
Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar - 1.3179 (2008 est.), 1.319 (2007), 1.4286 (2006), 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (2004) note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish lira (TRL) was converted to new Turkish lira (TRY) at a rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish lira; on 1 January 2009 the Turkish government dropped the word "new" and the currency is now called simply the Turkish lira
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.800%
5.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
6
8
Location
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Area
2,780,400 km sq
783,562 km sq
Coastline
4,989 km
7,200 km
Climate
mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
