Language: Turkish (Latin Alphabet)

Currency: Turkish Lira (TL)

Government: Turkey is a democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law; committed to the nationalism of Atatürk and based on the principle of the separation of powers.

Religion: 99% of the population is Muslim. Turkey is the only secular Muslim Country that guarantees complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.

Population:

	Census (in 2000)	Estimated (for 2004)
Turkiye	67.8 millions	74.4 millions
United States	281.4 millions	294 millions
California	33.9 millions	36.1 millions

Capital: Ankara (3.4 million population)

Largest City: Istanbul (10+ million population)

Area: 814,578 Km² (314,500 sq miles) compare to the state of CA, 158,693 sq miles

Coastline: 8333 Km. (5000 miles) Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides, by the Black Sea in the north, the Mediterranean in the south and the Aegean Sea in the west. In the northwest there is also an important internal sea, the Sea of Marmara, between the straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus.

Civilizations lived in Turkiye (in order):
- Hittite Civilization
- Urartu Civilization
- Phrygian Civilization
- Lydian Civilization
- Hellenic Period
- Roman Period
- Byzantine Civilization
- Seljuk Civilization
- Ottoman Civilization
- Republic of Turkiye


Did you know that:

• The famous Trojan Wars took place in Western Turkey, around the site where the Trojan horse rests today.

• The first church built by man (St. Peter’s Church) is in Antioch (Antakya), Turkey.
• The oldest known human settlement is in Catalhoyuk, Turkey (7th Millennium BC)
• Ephesus and Halicarnosus – two of the wonders of the ancient world – are in Turkey.
• St. Nicholas, also known as Santa Clause, was born in Demre,
  on Turkey’s Mediterranean Coast.
• Noah’s Ark landed on Mount Ararat (Agri Dagi) in Eastern Turkey. The last meal on Noah’s Ark, a pudding of sweet and
  sour taste (asure), is still served throughout Turkey.
• Turks introduced coffee to Europe.
• Turks gave the Dutch their famous tulips.
• Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents.
• Turkey is noted for having one of the three most famous and
  distinctive traditional cuisine’s in the world.
• The First Ecumenical Council was held in Iznik, Turkey.
• Writing was first used by people in ancient Anatolia. The first clay tablets – in the ruins of Assyrian Karum (Merchant Colony – date back to 1950 B.C.
• The oldest tin mine was found in Goltepe, 60 miles south of Tarsus.
• The first Neolithic paintings found on man-made walls are in Catalhoyuk, Turkey.
• Anatolia is the birthplace of historic legends, such as Homer (the poet), King Midas, Heredotus (the father of history), and St. Paul the Apostle.
• Julius Caesar proclaimed his celebrated words, "Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered)" in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey.
• Female goddesses dominated the Central Anatolian pantheon for thousands of years before these supernatural powers were transformed to male gods.
• The Hittites sold Abraham the cave where he buried his wife Sarah, when the Israelites came to Palestine.
   

Please watch the Flash Animation about Turkey