Turkey

The Republic of Turkey or Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), is a bicontinental country that is located mainly in the Middle East (Southwest Asia) and partly in Southeast Europe; The Anatolian peninsula comprises most(97%) of its territory, and is situated between the Black Sea on the north and the Mediterranean Sea to south and west, with the Aegean Sea (and Marmara Sea) in between. A small portion of the country's territory (3%) is situated in southeastern Europe, west of the Bosphorus straits.

Related Topics:
Turkish - Bicontinental country - Middle East - Southwest Asia - Southeast Europe - Anatolia - Black Sea - Mediterranean Sea - Aegean Sea - Marmara Sea - Europe - Bosphorus straits

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The territory of Turkey extends from 36° to 42° N and from 26° to 45° E. It is roughly rectangular in shape and is 1,660 kilometers wide. Because of its position straddling the continents of Europe and Asia and surrounded by three seas, it has been a historical crossroads, the homeland of and battleground between great civilizations, and a centre of commerce. The area of Turkey inclusive of lakes is 814,578 square kilometres, of which 790,200 are in Asia and 24,378 are located in Europe.

Related Topics:
Europe - Asia

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The land borders of Turkey total 2,573 kilometres, and the coastlines (including islands) total another 8,333 kilometres. Turkey has two European and six Asian countries as neighbours: Bulgaria and Greece on the west; Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan on the northeast; Iran (Persia) on the east; and Iraq and Syria on the south.

Related Topics:
Coastlines - European - Asian - Bulgaria - Greece - Georgia - Armenia - Azerbaijan - Iran - Iraq - Syria

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The land border to the northeast with the Commonwealth of Independent States is 610 kilometres long; that with Iran, 454 kilometres long, and that with Iraq 331 kilometres long. In the south is the 877 kilometre-long border with Syria, which took its present form in 1939, when the Republic of Hatay joined Turkey. Turkey's borders on the European continent consist of a 212-kilometre frontier with Greece and a 269-kilometre border with Bulgaria.

Related Topics:
Commonwealth of Independent States - Republic of Hatay

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Until 1922, the country was the center of the Ottoman Empire.

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