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
water: 9,820 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km

Area - comparative slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries
total: 2,648 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Coastline 7,200 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: 35%
permanent crops: 3%
other: 62% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 42,000 sq km (1998 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; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country

NOTE: The information regarding Turkey on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Turkey Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Turkey Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.