29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
26 July 1965 (from UK)
Religions
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Sunni Muslim
Languages
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Exports
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
fish
External Debt
$306,600,000,000 $
$943,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
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
rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
5.300%
5.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
8
0
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
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Area
783,562 km sq
298 km sq
Coastline
7,200 km
644 km
Climate
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
