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: 2,648 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km,
Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Coastline:
7,200 km

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

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

Terrain:
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several
mountain ranges

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

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite,
borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone,
magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable
land, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 30.93%
permanent crops: 3.31%
other: 65.76% (2001)

Irrigated land:
42,000 sq km (1998 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, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea
of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount
Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far
eastern portion of the country

People Turkey

Population:
69,660,559 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (