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: 783,562 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 769,632 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 13,930 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 38

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Texas
Area comparison map: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,816 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (8): Armenia 311 km, Azerbaijan 17 km, Bulgaria 223 km, Georgia 273 km, Greece 192 km, Iran 534 km, Iraq 367 km, Syria 899 km

Coastline:
7,200 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]

Climate:
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
More Climate Details

Terrain:
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges

Elevation:
mean elevation: 1,132 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Ararat 5,137 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower

Land use:
agricultural land: 49.7% arable land 26.7%; permanent crops 4%; permanent pasture 19%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 14.9%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 35.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
52,150 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the most densely populated area is found around the Bosporus in the northwest where 20% of the population lives in Istanbul; with the exception of Ankara, urban centers remain small and scattered throughout the interior of Anatolia; an overall pattern of peripheral development exists, particularly along the Aegean Sea coast in the west, and the Tigris and Euphrates River systems in the southeast

Natural hazards:
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van; landslides; flooding
volcanism: limited volcanic activity; its three historically active volcanoes; Ararat, Nemrut Dagi, and Tendurek Dagi have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier

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, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link the Black and Aegean Seas; the 3% of Turkish territory north of the Straits lies in Europe and goes by the names of European Turkey, Eastern Thrace, or Turkish Thrace; the 97% of the country in Asia is referred to as Anatolia; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country