Short facts about the geography of Turkey
| Location: |
southeastern Europe and southwestern
Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of
Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering
the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and
Syria |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
39 00 N, 35 00
E |
| Map
references: |
Middle
East |
| Area: |
total: 780,580 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km
water:
9,820 sq km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly larger than
Texas |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 2,627 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9
km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km,
Syria 822 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive economic
zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary
agreed upon with the former USSR
territorial sea: 6 NM in the
Aegean Sea; 12 NM in Black Sea and in Mediterranean
Sea |
| Climate: |
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild,
wet winters; harsher in interior |
| Terrain: |
mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain;
high central plateau (Anatolia) |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat
5,166 m |
| Natural
resources: |
antimony, coal, chromium, mercury,
copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore, arable land,
hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 32%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures:
16%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 22% (1993
est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
36,740 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
very severe earthquakes, especially in
northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake
Van |
| Environment
- current issues: |
water pollution from dumping of
chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas;
deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship
traffic |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Environmental
Modification |
| Geography -
note: |
strategic location controlling the
Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and
Aegean Seas | Source: World Factbook |
