Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Temperature

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

 

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

Population

Population density

Emigration

Immigration

Literacy

Health

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Other religions (share of the total population)

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

In total, Turkey spends US$20.448 million on its military, or 3.15 percent of its GDP. This makes Turkey the 17th highest military spender in the world and represents 1.07 percent of total global military expenditure.

The military of Turkey, the Turkish Armed Forces, consist of an army, and Navy and an air force. The president of Turkey serves as head of the Army and has become an integral part of NATO since 1952. Most of its activities have been peacekeeping missions as well as military interventions during the Syrian civil war where it currently occupied territory in northern Syria. Over the last two decades, Turkey has started to invest heavily in the development of its military equipment and is currently among the leading manufacturers of drones.  

Military membership

Turkey is also a member of 13 international military organizations. This makes it the 12th most militarily connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation 
  • Member state of NATO 
  • Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) 
  • Conference on Disarmament 
  • Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons 
  • Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 
  • Wassenaar Arrangement 
  • Nuclear Suppliers Group 
  • Australia Group 
  • Missile Technology Control Regime 
  • International Atomic Energy Agency 
  • NATO 
  • Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative 

Military membership

International wars

Turkey has partaken in 16 international wars. These are: 

  • Franco-Turkish War 1918-1911 
  • Turkish War of Independence 1919-1913 
  • Greco-Turkish War 1919-1911 
  • Turkish–Armenian War 1910-1910 
  • Red Army invasion of Georgia 1911-1911 
  • Korean conflict 1945-present 
  • Korean War 1950-1953 
  • Vietnam War 1955-1975 
  • Turkish invasion of Cyprus 1974-1974 
  • Iraqi Kurdish Civil War 1994-1997 
  • Armenian-Azerbaijani border conflict 1994-present 
  • Iran–PJAK conflict 2004-2015 
  • South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes 2010-2010 
  • Libyan Civil War 2011-2011 
  • Iraqi–Kurdish conflict 2017-2017 
  • Second Nagorno-Karabakh war 2010-2010 

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

In total, Turkey is a member of 17 international political organizations. This makes it the 17th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Member state of the United Nations 

  • International Labour Organization 

  • the Council of Europe 

  • European Cooperation in Science and Technology 

  • Asia Cooperation Dialogue 

  • Turkic Council 

  • Union for the Mediterranean 

  • Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization 

  • International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property 

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

Despite being a republic, it is the 137th most democratic state in the world. This is largely the result of a single political party which has dominated politics for more than 20 years. As a result, there has been a large centralization of power to the president and the erosion of civil liberties which range from imprisonment to regional clashes between the government and protesters. 

Democracy/Dictatorship

The politics of Turkey take place in the form of a presidential republic where the president is head of state as well as head of government. It has a separation of power between its legislative, judicial and executive branch which has become increasingly fragile. 

  • Organization of Islamic Cooperation 

  • International Organization of Turkic Culture 

  • UNIDROIT 

  • Interpol 

  • Permanent Court of Arbitration 

  • Association of World Election Bodies 

  • Western European and Others Group 

  • World Organization for Animal Health 

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If you want to know more about other states, click on the flag on the right to discover Turkmenistan.

Turkey 

Known for its ancient history, its geological anomalies as well as being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Turkey/Türkiye, or the Republic of Turkey, has been at the center of history surrounding Europe, Asia and Africa. The eastern part of Turkey was part of the Hittite Empire, the Persian Empire and the Empire of Alexander the great until the Romans took over the area in the second century. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, it became part of the Byzantine Empire in the fifth century. From the fifth century until the second half of the 15th century, the Byzantine Empire fought with numerous Sultans over territory, but ultimately lost to the Ottoman Empire. After consolidating its power, the Ottoman Empire rapidly expanded through Southeast Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire gradually decline throughout the centuries and shortly after the first world war, the Ottoman Empire signed an armistice and became partitioned. After a war for independence following a national uprising, the modern state of Turkey was created in 1923. Since then, Turkey has seen several military coups, the latest being in 2016. It also has a Kurdish minority that has tried to gain independence for more than 50 years. Aside from these struggles, Turkey has transformed itself into a modern economy and has gained a strong influence within the region. 

The geography of Turkey is quite diverse. It is located in Europe as well as Asia and is for the most part surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea as well as the Black Sea. It has a higher mountain range to its east which run along its northern and its southern coast. Most of its terrain is lightly vegetated with the exception of its coastal areas which are densely forested. Despite being mostly connected to the sea, Turkey borders seven other states with Georgia to its northeast, Armenia and Iran to its east, Iraq and Syria to its south and Greece and Bulgaria to its west. 

It is the 36th largest state with a total surface area of 787.480 square kilometers or 304.048 square miles. This makes Turkey slightly smaller than Chile and slightly larger than Mozambique. 

It has a total water surface area of 14.000 square kilometers or 5.407 square miles. This makes Turkey the 37th largest state in the world. 

Most of its drinking water is derived from groundwater. Most of its tap water is considered unsafe to drink. 

The climate of Turkey is a Mediterranean climate which is known to have four seasons. Its summers are relatively hot, and its winters are mild with the exception of its eastern part which regularly sees snow. The average temperature is 11.15 degrees Celsius or 52 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes Turkey the 150th warmest state in the world. 

The average high temperature is 17.8 degrees Celsius or 64 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The average low temperature is 6.9 degrees Celsius or 44.4 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Rainfall is unevenly spread out throughout the year with its spring and its winter the receiving more than four times the amount of rainfall compared to its summer period. On average, Turkey receives 65.4 centimetres or 25.7 inches of rainfall per year which ranks it as the 137th highest in the world. 

The capital of Turkey, Ankara, is home to roughly 5 million people. The closest capital is Nicosia, Cyprus, with a distance of 546 kilometers or 339 miles. The capital that is the furthest removed is Wellington, New Zealand, with a distance of 16.828 kilometers or 10.456 miles.  

Over the last century, the economy of Turkey has transformed itself from an agricultural economy into a free market economy. Despite large diversifications, a large portion of its population, 25 percent, still works in the agricultural sector. Other sectors that Turkey recently developed are its textile, electronics and transport industry. Large existing sectors are its tourism industry as well as being a gateway for oil and gas pipelines that come from the Mediterranean Sea or the Caspian Sea. Most of its goods are exported to Germany which is solely responsible for nearly 10 percent of all exports. Most of its imports comes from Germany, Russia and China which combined represent 30 percent of all imports. 

Turkey is a member of 24 international economic organizations. This makes it the 3rd most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • African development Bank 
  • Asian Development Bank 
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 
  • Bank for International Settlements 
  • Black Sea Trade and Development Bank 
  • Council of Europe Development Bank 
  • Financial Action Task Force 
  • International Energy Agency 
  • International Development Law Organization 
  • International Monetary Fund 
  • Islamic Development Bank 
  • OECD - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development   
  • World Bank Group 
  • World Customs Organization 
  • World Trade Organization 
  • Economic Cooperation Organization 
  • Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation 
  • TRACECA Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia 
  • International Energy Agency 
  • Energy Charter Treaty 
  • Nuclear Energy Agency 
  • International Renewable Energy Agency 
  • G20 
  • Advisory Centre on World Trade Organization Law 

It has a GDP of US$755.959 million, which makes it the 20th highest in the world and represents 0.9 percent of total global GDP.  

Its GDP per surface area is the 70th highest in the world with US$959.972 per square kilometer or US$2.486.317 per square mile.  

Its GDP per capita is the 75th highest in the world with US$9.037. 

The absolute earnings (GDP per capita) reflect the average yearly income. The figure below shows how much, on average, an inhabitant of another state earns for every $1 earned by a citizen of this state.

Its purchasing power parity per capita is the 56th highest in the world with US$27.643. 

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of this state with that of the rest of the world. The graph on the left shows how much purchasing power of 1$ compared to the purchasing power of other states

It is the 18th most populous state in the world with a total population of 83.7 million people. The majority of its population are ethnic Turks with a Kurdish minority. 

It has the 78th highest population density in the world with 106 people per square kilometer or 274 people per square mile.  

4.2 percent of the population, or 3.5 million people, have migrated to other states. This makes Turkey the 20th state with the highest number of emigrants and represents 1.39 percent of total global emigration. The main destination has been western Europe which has had an official immigration policy with Turkey since the 1960s. The majority of Turks have migrated to Germany which is solely responsible for 25 percent of all Turkish migrants. 

Immigration to Turkey is represented by 5.7 million people, or 6.9 percent of its population. This makes Turkey the 11th state with the highest number of immigrants and represents 2.3 percent of total global immigration. The largest supplier of immigrants has been Syria which is solely responsible for more than 65 percent of all immigrants. Almost all Syrians arrived to Turkey as refugees that escaped the Syrian civil war. 

The literacy rate in Turkey is 95.2 percent which is the 89th highest in the world. This number is likely to increase because Turkey has made education free and compulsory from the age of 7 to 15. 

The Turkish health care system is based on a universal healthcare insurance policy which is funded through taxes. Healthcare is of high standards compared to the region and is almost fully accessible for all its citizens. Most of its health risks are related to noncommunicable diseases such as obesity as well as a high smoking rate. The average life expectancy is 78.5 years which is the 52nd highest in the world. Women have an average life expectancy of 81.2 years, while men have an average life expectancy of 75.6 years. 

The government of Turkey provides freedom of religion towards all religions and does not have an official state religion, but critics have argued that it favoured adherence to the Sunni branch of Islam. 

Christianity has been present in Turkey since the first century and has been the dominant religion in Turkey until the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Throughout the centuries, Turkey has been accused of killing Christians within its borders, most notably Greek nationals and the Armenian genocide. Today, the Christian population is represented by 0.3 percent of the population which makes it the 189th most Christian state in the world. 

Islam is the largest religion in Turkey and is represented by 98.4 percent of the population which makes it the ninth most Islamic state in the world. The majority of the population adheres to the Sunni branch of Islam and had established itself during the Arab conquest in the eighth century. 

Buddhism is represented by 0.08 percent of the population and mainly consists of migrants from Southeast Asia. 

Hinduism is represented by 0.03 percent of the population and are mainly migrants from India that work in the tech sector as well as tourism. 

Judaism is represented by 0.05 percent of the population and has been present since the fourth century BC. 

Other religions are represented by 0.18 percent of the population and mainly consists of Tengrism, which is an ancient Turkic religion which focuses on unity with the universe. 

Irreligion is represented by 0.8 percent of the population.