Turkey

geography · Europe and Asia · culture

Bridges two continents. Turkey sits right between Europe and Asia, with most of its land in western Asia (a region called Anatolia) and a smaller part in southeast Europe. This unique location has made it a crossroads of cultures for thousands of years.

Two amazing capitals. Ankara is the official capital and second-largest city, but Istanbul is the largest city and the heart of Turkey's economy and culture. Istanbul is famous for being one of the few cities that stretches across two continents.

Over 86 million people. Turkey is home to many different groups, with most people being ethnic Turks and Kurds being the largest minority group. It's a diverse country with a Muslim-majority population but is officially a secular state.

Surrounded by water. Turkey is almost completely surrounded by seas and water, with the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Aegean Sea to the west. This gives Turkey many beautiful coastlines and important ports.

Seven neighbors. Turkey shares borders with Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east, Iraq and Syria to the south, and Bulgaria and Greece to the west, making it a well-connected crossroads between regions.