Turkiye
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Ankara
- Population
- 84,625,585 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 783,562 sq km
- Government
- presidential republic
- Religions
- Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
- Ethnic Groups
- Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 19%, other minorities 6-11% (2016 est.)
- Currency
- Turkish liras (TRY)
- Life Expectancy
- 76.7 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .tr
- Climate
- temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
- Terrain
- high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges
- Natural Resources
- coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower
- Major Exports
- garments, cars, gold, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire by reformer and national hero Mustafa KEMAL, known as Ataturk or "Father of the Turks." One-party rule ended in 1950, and periods of instability and military coups have since fractured the multiparty…