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Turkey

✨ The bridge between two worlds

Türkiye is a transcontinental country located mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia, with a smaller part, East Thrace, in southeastern Europe. It covers about 783,562 square kilometres and is bordered by eight countries: Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest, Georgia to the northeast, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east, and Iraq and Syria to the south. Its territory is surrounded by the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, while the Bosporus and Dardanelles connect these maritime regions and separate European and Asian Türkiye.

The landscape is diverse, ranging from coastal plains to high plateaus and rugged mountain ranges. Mount Ararat, near the eastern border, reaches about 5,137 metres and is the country's highest peak. Ankara is the capital, while Istanbul is the largest city and lies on both sides of the Bosporus. Türkiye's position between Europe and Asia has long made it an important crossroads for trade, migration and cultural exchange. Türkiye has several climate zones because of its large territory and varied relief.

Coastal areas generally have milder conditions, while the interior is more continental, with greater differences between summer and winter temperatures. The eastern mountains are colder and receive substantial snowfall in winter. Important rivers include the Euphrates and Tigris, both of which rise in eastern Türkiye. The country also contains forests, steppes, wetlands, fertile agricultural plains and diverse coastal ecosystems. These environments support many species, including brown bears, wolves, wild goats and numerous migratory birds.

Agriculture remains significant, with wheat, barley, olives, grapes, citrus fruits, tea and hazelnuts among the major products. Manufacturing, tourism, trade and services are also important parts of the economy. Turkish is the official language. Türkiye's geography has strongly influenced its history, settlement patterns and economic development, particularly because of its access to several seas and its position between major regions of Europe and Asia.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two continents at once? Half of the city is in Europe and the other half in Asia, separated by a stretch of sea called the Bosphorus. You can take a boat to go from one continent to another in just a few minutes! It is also a city that has borne three different names throughout history: Byzantium, Constantinople, and finally Istanbul.

Imagine a place where the pointed rocks look like giant houses for fairies. That's Cappadocia! What's even more incredible is that people actually carved houses, churches, and even entire underground cities into this soft rock long ago. Today, the sky over Cappadocia fills every morning with hundreds of colorful hot air balloons floating above this fairy-tale landscape.

Did you know that tulips, which are often associated with the Netherlands, actually come from Turkey? Sultans of the Ottoman Empire loved these flowers and cultivated them by the thousands in their gardens. They were the ones who gave them to European travelers centuries ago. Today, every spring, Istanbul organizes a major festival where millions of tulips are planted everywhere to recall this beautiful history.