Head of state: King Juan Carlos I Prime minister: Mariano Rajoy
Population
79,749,461
47,042,984
Life Expectancy
72.770 years
81.270 years
Capital City
Ankara
Madrid
Largest city
Istanbul (population: 11,174,300)
Madrid (population: 3,117,980)
Human Development Index
0.798
0.949
GDP per capita
$14,700 US
$31,000 US
Literacy Rate
87.4%
97.9%
Corruption Perception Index
4.6
6.5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
9.1%
33.6%
Wealthiest Citizens
Husnu Ozyegin ($2.9bn US)
Amancio Ortega ($18.3bn US)
Unemployment Rate
9.800%
21.700%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
republican parliamentary democracy
parliamentary monarchy
Independence date
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain
Religions
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Languages
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
Exports
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
External Debt
$306,600,000,000 $
$2,570,000,000,000 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
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
5.300%
1.200%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
8
18
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
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Area
783,562 km sq
505,370 km sq
Coastline
7,200 km
4,964 km
Climate
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
