Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general. Prime minister : Freundel Stuart
President: Abdullah Gul
Population
287,733
79,749,461
Life Expectancy
74.520 years
72.770 years
Capital City
Bridgetown
Ankara
Largest city
Bridgetown (population: 98,511)
Istanbul (population: 11,174,300)
Human Development Index
0.889
0.798
GDP per capita
$23,700 US
$14,700 US
Literacy Rate
99.7%
87.4%
Corruption Perception Index
7
4.6
Percentage of Women in Parliament
13.7%
9.1%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Husnu Ozyegin ($2.9bn US)
Unemployment Rate
12.000%
9.800%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
parliamentary democracy
republican parliamentary democracy
Independence date
30 November 1966 (from UK)
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Languages
English
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Exports
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
External Debt
$668,000,000 $
$306,600,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)
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
0
8
Location
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
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
430 km sq
783,562 km sq
Coastline
97 km
7,200 km
Climate
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
