Map of Turkey | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter the country instituted secular laws to replace


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Location: Southwestern Asia (that part west of the Bosporus is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 780,580 km²
Land: 770,760 km²
Water: 9,820 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 2,627 km
Border countries: (8) Armenia 268 km; , Azerbaijan 9 km; , Bulgaria 240 km; , Georgia 252 km; , Greece 206 km; , Iran 499 km; , Iraq 331 km; , Syria 822 km

Coastline: 7,200 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only - to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR
Territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea,; 12 nm in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean Sea

Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore

Land use
Arable land: 32%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 16%
Forests and woodland: 26%
Other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 36,740 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Geography
Note: strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas


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Population: 63,528,225 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.64% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Turk(s)
Adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%

Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic

Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 31% (male 10,180,631; female 9,820,505)
15-64 years: 63% (male 20,326,169; female 19,648,647)
65 years and over: 6% (male 1,638,048; female 1,914,225) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.64% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 21.83 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.43 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 40.7 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.37 years
Male: 69.95 years
Female: 74.91 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.52 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 82.3%
Male: 91.7%
Female: 72.4% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
Conventional short form: Turkey
Local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
Local short form: Turkiye

Government type: republican parliamentary democracy

Capital: Ankara

Administrative divisions: 79 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gazi Antep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Iggdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanli Urfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak
Note: Karabuk, Kilis, and Yalova are three new Turkish provinces mentioned in the 24 December 1995 election results; the Turkish press has mentioned another province called Osmaniye

Dependent areas

Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923)

Constitution: 7 November 1982

Legal system: derived from various continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister Necmettin ERBAKAN (since 8 July 1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Tansu CILLER (since 8 July 1996)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister
Note: there is also a National Security Council that serves as an advisory body to the president and the cabinet
Elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a seven-year term; election last held 16 May 1993 (next to be held NA 2000); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Suleyman DEMIREL elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 54%

Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 24 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000)
Election results: percent of vote by party - RP 21.38%, DYP 19.18%, ANAP 19.65%, DSP 14.64%, CHP 10.71%, independent 0.48%; seats by party - RP 158, DYP 135, ANAP 133, DSP 75, CHP 49; note - seats held by various parties are subject to change due to defections, creation of new parties, and ouster or death of sitting deputies; current seats by party are as follows:RP 160, DYP 120, ANAP 127, DSP 68, CHP 49, BBP 7, DTP 7, independents 10, vacant 2

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president; Court of Appeals, judges are elected by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AsDB, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NATO, NEA, OECD, OIC, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nuzhet KANDEMIR
In the us chancery: 1714 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 659-8,200
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Marc GROSSMAN
From the us embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara
From the us mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5,000, APO AE 9,823
From the us telephone: [90] (312) 468-6,110
From the us FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019
From the us consulates general: Istanbul
From the us consulates: Adana

Flag description: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with traditional village agriculture and crafts. The economy has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The current economic situation is marked by strong growth coupled with worsening imbalances. Real GDP expanded by about 7% in 1996 but inflation rose to 80%, the current account deficit reached about 3% of GDP, and the public sector fiscal deficit probably topped 10% of GDP, leading to speculation that the country could be headed toward a repeat of its 1994 financial crisis. To some extent, Ankara is caught in a vicious circle because half of all central government revenue in 1996 went to pay interest on the national debt. The government that took office in July 1996 - an unusual coalition of Prime Minister ERBAKAN's Islamic Welfare Party and Deputy Prime Minister CILLER's conservative True Path Party - is trying to solve the fiscal problem by greatly accelerating Turkey's privatization program. It has proposed a balanced budget for 1997, although this is widely regarded as over optimistic because it is based on earning more privatization revenue in one year than Turkey has earned over the last decade. Ankara is trying to increase trade with other countries in the region but most of Turkey's trade is still with OECD countries. Despite the implementation in January 1996 of a customs union with the EU, foreign direct investment in the country totaled only about half a billion dollars, perhaps because potential investors were concerned about the prospects for economic stability.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 7% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,100 (1996 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 15%
Industry: 33%
Services: 52% (1995)

Agriculture products: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus; livestock

Industries: textiles, food processing, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (1996)

Labor force
Total: 21.3 million
By occupation agriculture: 47%
By occupation services: 33%
By occupation industry: 20% (1995)
Note: about 1.5 million Turks work abroad (1994)

Unemployment rate: 6.3% (April 1996; another 6.3% officially considered underemployed

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $32.9 billion
Expenditures: $50.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.8 billion (1996)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Total value: $22 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: textiles and apparel 40%, steel products 9%, foodstuffs 20% (1995)
Partners: Germany 23%, Russia 6%, US 7%, Italy 7% (1995)

Imports
Total value: $42 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: machinery 23%, fuels 13%, raw materials 11%, foodstuffs 7% (1995)
Partners: Germany 16%, US 10%, Italy 9%, France 6%, UK 5% (1995)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $75.8 billion (1996)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Turkish liras (TL) per US$1 - 110,119 (January 1997), 81,405 (1996), 45,845.1 (1995), 29,608.7 (1994), 10,984.6 (1993), 6,872.4 (1992)


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Electricity
Capacity: 20.86 million kW (1994)
Production: 86.3 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 1,206 kWh (1995 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 14.3 million (1995 est.)

Telephone system: fair domestic and international systems
Domestic: trunk microwave radio relay network; limited open-wire network
International: 12 satellite earth stations - Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), Eutelsat, and Inmarsat (Indian and Atlantic Ocean regions); 3 submarine fiberoptic cables (1996)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4.3 billion (1996; note - figures do not include about $7 billion for the government's counterinsurgency effort
Percent of gdp: 3.5% (1996)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 104 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 94
With paved runways over 3047 m: 16
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 20
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 13
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With paved runways under 914 m: 28 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 10
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1996 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 1,738 km; petroleum products 2,321 km; natural gas 708 km

Railways
Total: 10,386 km
Standard gauge: 10,386 km 1.435-m gauge (1,093 km electrified)

Roadways

Waterways: about 1,200 km

Merchant marine
Total: 515 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,986,328 GRT/10,157,071 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 155, cargo 232, chemical tanker 24, combination bulk 7, combination ore/oil 11, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 4, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 43, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 20, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 2
Note: Turkey owns an additional 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 163,512 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas, Malta, and Panama (1996 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: complex maritime, air and territorial disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Greece; Hatay question with Syria; dispute with downstream riparians (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; traditional demands on former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: major transit route for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish to Western Europe and the US via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate