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.

Capital
Ankara

Currency
In 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.

Geography
Formally 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.

Festivals
Festivals 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.

Language
The 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.

Economy
Turkey’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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