eaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.92 years
male: 69.53 years
female: 74.43 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.58 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish

Ethnic divisions: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%

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

Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 82.3%
male: 91.7%
female: 72.4%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye

Data code: TU

Type of government: 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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993) was
elected for a seven-year term by the National Assembly
head of government: Prime Minister Mesut YILMAZ (since 12 March
1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Nahit MENTESE (since 12 March 1996)
were appointed by the president
National Security Council: advisory body to the president a