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Turkey is a geographically diverse country with
snow capped mountains and broad rivers in the east to
green coasts and rich agricultural valleys in the west,
to a lush, rainy, temperate climate in the north and a
hot, dry climate in the south. Stretching from the
nation's border with Greece to its frontier with Syria,
the Turkish Coast is a coastal strip that has
thousands of miles of unspoiled sandy beaches and
coves fringed by pine forests, hundreds of pristine
fishing villages and market towns, and a wealth of
ancient ruins found nowhere else in the world.
The nation is one of the largest in Europe and
is about the size of Britain and France combined. The
population of Turkey is approximately 65 million.
The country is unique in that 97% of it is in
Asia and 3% is in Europe. The Asian side is known as
Anatolia and the European side, Thrace. The two are
separated by the Dardanelles (Canakkale) and by the
Bosphorous Straights in Istanbul. Istanbul is Turkey's
largest and most famous city and its capital is
Ankara. Although Turkey is 99% Muslim, it is a secular
state that guarantees complete freedom of worship to
non-Muslims.
From April to October, most places in Turkey have an
ideal climate that is perfect for relaxing on sandy
beaches or enjoying the tranquility of mountains and
lakes. The winter months are from November – March.
Time Zones Turkish Standard Time is seven hours
ahead of Eastern Standard Time and two hours ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time. Electricity Electricity in Turkey
is 220 volts. The speed for electronics is fifty
cycles.
Two-round prongs are the standard plugs for normal
appliances.
Customs Visitors to Turkey may bring in the following
duty free: 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 1kg tobacco, 1kg
coffee, 1.5kg instant coffee, up to seven bottles of
spirits of which no more than three shall be of the
same brand. Valuable items such as electronics,
antiques and sports equipment brought into the country
will be registered into the owners' passports.
Travellers leaving without these imported items would
have to pay duties. Gifts not exceeding $285 in value
may be brought into the country duty free |
