29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Languages
Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Exports
liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
External Debt
$125,300,000,000 $
$306,600,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar - 3.64 (2008 est.), 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (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
10.000%
5.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
8
Location
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
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
11,586 km sq
783,562 km sq
Coastline
563 km
7,200 km
Climate
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
