29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
12 March 1968 (from UK)
Religions
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)
Languages
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
Exports
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish
External Debt
$306,600,000,000 $
$5,205,000,000 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
Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar - 27.973 (2008 est.), 31.798 (2007), 31.656 (2006), 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
5.300%
0.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
8
1
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 Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Area
783,562 km sq
2,040 km sq
Coastline
7,200 km
177 km
Climate
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
