29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Languages
French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Exports
cotton, gold, livestock
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
External Debt
$3,192,000,000 $
$306,600,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar 438.77 (2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
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
1.900%
5.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
8
Location
Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
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
1,240,192 km sq
783,562 km sq
Coastline
0 km
7,200 km
Climate
subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
