republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
Independence date
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
16 December 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Religions
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Languages
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.)
Exports
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
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
tenge (KZT) per US dollar - 120.25 (2008 est.), 122.55 (2007), 126.09 (2006), 132.88 (2005), 136.04 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
5.300%
1.100%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
8
13
Location
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
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe
Area
783,562 km sq
2,724,900 km sq
Coastline
7,200 km
0 km
Climate
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
