TURKEY
(Republic Turkey)

Capital: Ankara

Flag: national flag consists of a white half moon (opened by summer) and a white star on the red field.

Anthem: Istiklal Marsha (March of independence).

MONETARY BLOCK: In 2005 the new Turkish lira (ytl) was entered. There are coins 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kurus and 1 lira. ytl1 = $0.73529 (or $1 = tl1.36) as of 2005.

WEIGHT AND MEASURES: the metric system is the legal standard.

HOLIDAYS: New year, on January 1; National sovereignty and Children's Day, on April 23; Spring day, on May 1; Youth Day and sport, on May 19; Victory Day, on August 30; Independence Day (Republic anniversary), on October 29. Moveable religious feasts include Seker Bayrami (three days) and Eid al-Adha (four days).

TIME: 15:00 - 12:00.

ARRANGEMENT, SIZE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Republic of Turkey consists of Asia Minor or Anatoly (Anadolu); small area of east Thrace (Trakiya) or Turkey in Europe; and several sea islands in the Aegean Sea with a total area of 780 580 sq.km (301 384 sq. miles), about 1600 km long (994 miles) and 650 km (404 miles) of a не-sw. Rather, the territory occupied by Turkey is a little more, than the State of Texas. From the total area of 97% there are in Asia also 3% in Europe. Turkey is away from important Black Sea passages - Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and Bosphorus. It borders on the Black Sea, across Georgia and Armenia, across Iran, across Iraq, across Syria and the Mediterranean Sea, across the Aegean Sea and in the northeast of Greece and Bulgaria, on the general overland border of 2,648 km (1,645 miles) and the coastline in 7200 km (4 474 miles). The capital of Turkey, Ankara, is located in a northwest central part of the country.

TOPOGRAPHY

Besides low hills of the Turkish Thrace, fertile river valleys which open to the Aegean Sea, warm plains of Antalya and Adana on the Mediterranean Sea and also a narrow coastal strip along the Black Sea, the country wrinkled of strong ridges which surround and cross the high, semi-droughty anatoliysky plateau. Average heights fluctuate from 600 m (2000 feet) above sea level in the West to more than 1800 m (6 000 feet) among wild east mountain lands. The highest point - Mount Ararat (Byuyuk Agri of Dagui, 5 166 m / 16 949 feet) which rises only in Turkey on crossing of the Turkish, Armenian and Iranian borders. There are more than 100 peaks with heights of 3000 m (10 000 feet) or more.

Besides the Tiger and Euphrates which have the sources in east Anatoly the rivers are rather small. As spillways of these streams are semi-barrier slopes, seasonal fluctuations of a stream are very big. The biggest lake - the Lake Van (3,675 sq.km / 1 419 quarter. Miles); other main lake - Tuz Lake which water has the level of salinity it is so high that is a commercial source of salt. In 7,2 thousand. Km (5,474 miles) of the coast of Turkey is several good natural harbors.