ABOUT TURKEY

Formal / Short Name : The Republic of Turkey / Turkey     Capital : Ankara     Some Big Cities : Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Antalya     Government Type : Parliamentary democracy with free market economy     Proclamation Of The : 29 October 1923 Republic     Administrative Divisions : 81 provinces     Proclamation Of The Constitution : 1982

HISTORY :

It is thought that the first human beings lived in Anatolia during the palaeololithic age. Various implements have been found from palaeololithic age in many regions of Anatolia. At the subsequent ages, numerous civilizations established in Anatolia such as Hittit, Phrygia, Persian and Lidians. Turkish people imigrated from middle Assia, established Anatolia Seljukian State in 1071. Between 1243 and 1335, when Mongolians dominated in politically and economically, independed publics established and afterwards, one of them called Ottoman Public laid a foundation of Ottoman Emperor in Anatolia. 2nd Mehmet conqured Istanbul in 1453 and so East Byzantines destroyed. Boundaries of Ottomans extended on the east and west; besides domination of whole Anatolia, included many countries such as Greece, Bulgaria, Iran, Syria, Egypt. Because of insufficient administrations, desertion of improvements in the world and some other matters, regression period of Ottomans began and lots of places were lost. Then some reforms were made by Sultans and the first Constitution that limited power of Sultan in 1876. Some Europen Countries planned to share of the rest of the Ottoman Emperor, and started to occupy Anatolia at the end of the World War 1.At the end of the Nationalist Movement and Independence War presiding Mustafa Kemal Atatürk between 1918 and 1923, the Grand National Assembly proclaimed the Republic of Turkey with the borders of today’s. It has been accepted principles of republicanism, nationalism, populism, reformism, etatism (statism), and secularism at the Constitution. In addition, it has been accepted the principle of Atatürk which called “peace at home, peace in world” regarding foreign policy and the Republic of Turkey has strived to solve every kind of matters under this principle and has good relationships with all neigbours since it established.

GEOGRAPHY :

Turkey is a large, roughly rectangular peninsula. Turkey extends more than 1,600 kilometers from west to east but generally less than 800 kilometers from north to south. Total land area is about 779,452 square kilometers, of which 755,688 square kilometers are in Asia and 23,764 square kilometers in Europe. The European portion of Turkey, known as Thrace (Trakya) is separated from the Asian portion of Turkey by the Bosporus Strait (Istanbul Bogazi or Karadeniz Bogazi), the Sea of Marmara (Marmara Denizi), and the Dardanelles Strait (Canakkale Bogazi). Istanbul is the most important industrial, commercial and cultural-artistic center of the country. The Anatolian city of Ankara, which Atatürk and his associates picked as the capital of the new republic, is the political center of the country. The third big city is on the Egean coast called Izmir. Izmir is known as “the pearl of Turkey” due to it’s historical and natural beatuies, parks and othantic shopping centers.

Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides; the Black Sea in the north, the Mediterranean in the south and the Aegean Sea in the west. In the northwest there is also an important internal sea; the Marmara Sea, between the straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus.
The Black Sea coastline is 1,595 km / 990 mi long and the Mediterranean is nearly the same: at 1,577 km / 980 miles. Because the mountains reach the sea perpendicularly, the Aegean coastline has many curves and is much longer measuring 2,800 km / 1,740 miles.

CLIMATE :

Because of the geographical formation of the country with mountains that run parallel to the coast, Anatolia is a focal point of contrasting climates.
While in coastal areas winters are mild and summers are moderately hot, the inland areas experience extremes of temperature. The hot summers have high daytime temperatures with generally cool nights and the cold winters have limited precipitation with frost occurring on more than 100 days during the year.
In the Mediterranean, Aegean and Southern Marmara regions, the general Mediterranean climate is dominant; summers are hot and dry, winters are mild and rainy. Frosts are rare and snowfall is almost unknown. The temperatures are higher than average of the country.
The Black Sea region, enjoys mild winters and a fair amount of rainfall throughout the year.
In Central Anatolia, a typical plateau climate prevails where the summers are hot with minimum precipitation, and winters are cold with heavy and lasting snows. Villages may be isolated by severe snowstorms.
Eastern Anatolia , summers are hot and extremely dry, winters are bitterly cold. Spring and autumn are both subject to sudden hot and cold spells.

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND SETTLEMENT :
The population distribution is closely related to topographic conditions, soil and rainfall. Population density is higher on the Marmara, Aegean and Black Sea coasts.
Turkey is the 17th most densely populated country in the World. Most of people are young.. 72% of the population is under 35.

The rate of birth is different throughout the country. It is dependent on the education of people and socio-economic conditions. The rate is higher in the rural and eastern areas compared to urban and those of the West.

Male population 50.4%
Female population 49.6%

Settlements are classified according to the number of inhabitants: Less than 2,000 inhabitants is a village (koy), between 2,000 and 20,000 is a town (kasaba) and a population of more than 20,000 is a city (sehir). The towns are smaller and simplier settlements. Villages are the smallest settlements which have agricultural fields around them. Owing to suitable climate and topographic conditions, a lot of agricultural products have been grown by villagers on these fields all around the country. There are 1000 plant spices depend on variousity of local climates.