29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Religions
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
Languages
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Exports
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
foodstuffs, textiles, machinery
External Debt
$306,600,000,000 $
$5,200,000,000 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
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 10.326 (2008 est.), 12.177 (2007), 13.131 (2006), 12.6 (2005), 12.33 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
5.300%
0.400%
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
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Area
783,562 km sq
33,851 km sq
Coastline
7,200 km
0 km
Climate
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
