Turkey is an attractive country for tourists. Turkey has very
different faces so naturally there are so many tourist destinations
there. Turkey's gorgeous, beach-strewn coastline and the fabulous
city-break destination of Istanbul draw hordes of tourists every year.
Turkey is located at the southwestern extremity of Asia and at the
southeastern extremity of Europe. With territories in two continents,
Turkey is a bridge between them and at the same time a door leading from
one to the other. Turkey has an extensive internal transportation
network of railways, highways, and airlines that allows convenient and
comfortable access to any part of the country.
Istanbul, once known
as the capital of capital cities, has many unique features. It is the
only city in the world to straddle two continents, and the only one to
have been a capital during two consecutive empires - Christian and
Islamic. Once capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul still remains the
commercial, historical and cultural pulse of Turkey, and its beauty lies
in its ability to embrace its contradictions. Ancient and modern,
religious and secular, Asia and Europe, mystical and earthly all
co-exist here. Istanbul has lots of bars and nightclubs, as well as some
good concert, opera and ballet venues.
CapitalAnkara
CurrencyIn
January 2005, the currency in Turkey changed, and the country
introduced the new currency, the New Turkish Lira (YTL) to replace the
Turkish Lira. The only difference between these currencies is that the
new Lira has dropped off the last six zeros, meaning that one New
Turkish Lira is worth the same of one of the old Turkish Lira.
GeographyFormally
called the Republic of Turkey borders the Black Sea and Georgia and
Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq to the southeast, the
Syrian Arab Republic and the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean Sea
to the west and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Owing to its prime
location spanning across two different continents, Turkey’s culture
experiences an exceptional mixture of both the Eastern and Western
tradition and influences.
FestivalsFestivals and Events
in Turkey are a time to celebrate and indulge in riotous merrymaking.
Over more than 100 Festivals and Events in Turkey are organized every
year. Local festivals alongside international culture and art festivals
are take place in major destinations including Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara
and Antalya. Among the major tourist sites, Istanbul is the most
significant centre of international culture and art festivals and
events.
If you are visiting Turkey during summer, you can
participate in a number of annual music festivals. These festivals in
Turkey are held with much gusto in the summer months. If you are crazy
about rock-n-roll, pop music, classic music and jazz, you can be a part
of the Yapi Kredi Art Festival.
LanguageThe official
language, Turkish, is the first language spoken by 90% of the 63m
population. Minority languages include Kurdish, spoken by 6% of the
population. Arabic is spoken by 1.2% of the Turkish population; most of
those speakers are bilingual Arabic and Turkish speakers. Other minority
languages include Circassian, spoken by more than 0.09% throughout the
country, Greek, Armenian and Judezmo, a Romance language spoken by Jews.
EconomyTurkey’s
population of 62.8 million is young and growing, it has the largest
landmass in Western Europe, and its economy is the 16th largest in the
world. The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has identified Turkey as one
of the ten most promising emerging economies. The agricultural industry
is very successful accounting for over 30 percent of the economy. The
official currency is the Lira. Turkey's economy is dependent on a two
different aspects of its country's heritage. While the time-honored
agricultural segment is a major contributor, so are the new industrial
sectors of banking, transport, and communications.
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