y 1999 and sentenced to death by a Turkish
court - has observed a unilateral cease-fire since September 1999,
although there have been occasional clashes between Turkish military
units and some of the 4,000-5,000 armed PKK militants, most of whom
currently are encamped in northern Iraq. The PKK changed its name to
the Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress (KADEK) in April 2002.

Geography Turkey

Location: southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia (that portion of
Turkey west of the 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 water: 9,820 sq km land: 770,760 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: 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: 35% permanent crops: 3% other: 62% (1998 est.)

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, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Geography - note: strategic
location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara,