A country of sun and history, Turkey is located where the three continents making up the old world, Asia, Africa and Europe are closest to each other and straddle the point where Europe and Asia meet.

Because of its geographical location, the mainland, Anatolia, has witnessed the mass migration of diverse peoples shaping the course of history. The home to countless civilisations, Anatolia has developed a unique synthesis of cultures, each with its own distinct identity, yet each linked to its predecessors through insoluble treads.

As an ancient land and modern nation; Turkey today is both the inheritor and conservator of the common heritage of mankind

Geography

Turkey is 814,578 sq km in area. The European and Asian regions are seperated by the Istanbul Bogazi (Bosphorus), the sea of Marmara, and the Canakkale Bogazi (Dardanelles). Anatolia is about 15 rivers, lakes and some, such as Lake Van, are as large as inland seas.

Turkey enjoys a variety of climates, ranging from the temperate climate of the Black Sea region, to the continental climate of the interior, then, to the Mediterranean climate of the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions.

The coastline touching the four seas that border the country is 8333 km in length.