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Turkey has a vibrant culture, delicious cuisine, and friendly people.
Their landscapes are glorious, making it one of the world’s most
enchanting places. The Blue Mosque is popular for its blue walls
surrounding its interiors. It is located in Istanbul, which was built in
the 1600s. Today, let’s take a look at some interesting facts about
Turkey.
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The official name of Turkey is the Republic of Turkey.
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Geographically, Turkey sits in two
continents, Europe and Asia, although around 97% of it's land area is on
the Asian side.
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There are eight countries that share a border with Turkey including
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Bulgaria, Greece, and Georgia.
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Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and is the third most populous
urban area in Europe. But it is not the capital, Ankara is in fact the
capital of Turkey.
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The highest point in Turkey is Mount Ararat 5137 m (16,854 ft).
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Turkey's warm climate is good for growing crops. Livestock and forestry
are also important industries.
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Turkey has a strong manufacturing sector, it makes and exports cars,
planes, electronics, clothing and textiles.
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The currency used in the country is called the Turkish Lira.
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The ancient city of Troy was located in modern day Turkey.
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The most
popular sport in Turkey is football (soccer), the Turkish national team
came third in the 2002 World Cup Finals.
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Basketball and volleyball are also popular sports in Turkey.
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Turkey is a popular tourist destination and home to over ten World
Heritage Sites.
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One-third of the 9,000 plant species found in Turkey are endemic,
meaning they grow only in that country and nowhere else. Turkey is also
home to five unique mammal species, 13 reptile species, and 52
freshwater fish species not found anywhere else on Earth.
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About one-quarter of the roses grown in the world come from Turkey.
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Turkey has had more than 25 major earthquakes, measuring up to 7.8 on
the Richter scale, since 1939.
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Mimar Sinan is Turkey’s best known architect. Born in 1497, he was a
Christian who became a Muslim and was eventually appointed chief of the
imperial architects under Süleyman the Magnificent. He went on to design
321 buildings, 85 of which are still standing. His best known work is
the Süleymaniye Mosque. |