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

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 780,580 sq km

land: 770,760 sq km

water: 9,820 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries: total: 2,627 km

border countries: 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 Black Sea and in
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

highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

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

Land use: arable land: 32%

permanent crops: 4%

permanent pastures: 16%

forests and woodland: 26%

other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 36,740 sq km (1993 est.)

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

Environment - current issues: water pollution from dumping of
chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban
areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing
Bosporus ship traffic

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Environmental Modification

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

Turkey People

Population: 66,493,970 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.42% (male 9,620,291; female 9,276,347)

15-64 years: 65.45% (male 22,116,599; female 21,401,165)

65 years and over: 6.13% (male 1,878,571; female 2,200,997) (2001
est.)

Population growth rate: 1.24% (2