Turkey
By Will Kramer
Country Basics
The capital of Turkey is Ankara. The red on their flag represents the blood of Turkey's soldiers at the time of war, while the white star and crescent moon represent the Ottoman Empire. Below is the Turkish Anthem.
Turkish National Anthem Rocks by Layer Inc.
Turkey's Geography
Turkey is on the continent of Eurasia, this is the land between Europe and Asia. It is surrounded by Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Bulgaria. A few major land forms are the Bosporus Strait and the Taurus, Koroglu, and Pontic mountain ranges. Major Land marks native to Turkey include the Galata Tower, the Library of Celcus, and the Grand Bazaar. Major bodies of water in or near Turkey include the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and the Golden Horn. Turkey is about 1,000 meters higher in elevation than it's neighbors. This means that rivers flow into the sea or the nearby countries. The Turkish people have built tunnels in the mountains for transportation. They did this because there are many mountains in Turkey.
Turkey's Government
Turkey is a Democracy. Their president is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Turkey's leaders are chosen by the citizens through a public vote. All Turkish citizens have civil rights as long as they follow their roles and responsibilities.
The Economy of Turkey
Turkey's GDP as of 2013 is approximately 822.1 billion USD (US dollars). This tells us that Turkey is a rich nation. Turkey's form of currency is Turkish Lira. Turkey's main exports are EU, Iraq, Russia, USA, United Arab Emirates and Iran. They mainly manufacture machinery. The average life span is about 75 years, the birth rate is about 2 births per woman, the literacy rate is 98.3%, and the drinking water is 100% sanitary in urban regions and 98.8% sanitary in rural regions.
Turkey's Culture
People dress in a European style way in Turkey. This usually includes pants or dresses that go past the knee, and a light long sleeve shirt. The major languge spoken is Turkish. Their music consists of Asian folk music with traces of gypsy music. They also mix American and European genres. A few major holidays are Victory Day, Sacrifice Feast days (Sept. 12-15), and Labor and Solidarity day. The main percentage of society is Muslim (99.8%). They mainly eat a mixture of Greek, Central Asian, Caucasian, Sephardi, Jewish, Middle Eastern, and Balkan cuisines. The main entertainment in Turkey comes from dance. Some of these dances are as followed: Halay, Karsilama, Hora, and Zaybek.
Turkish History
The rise of the Ottoman Empire in 1326. In 1453, the Ottoman Empire nearly completed the conquest by capturing many countries including Turkey which, at the time, was called the Republic of Turkey. Turkey ws released in 1976. This was due to Turkey winning the Polish-Ottoman war, in which the Ottoman Empire was ultimately defeated.
In 1982, a new consitution was formed. This changed Turkey from a Unitary State into a Democracy.
Turkey recently launched an airstrike after being bombed in Ankara. This bombing hit a militarized vehicle and killed six soldiers and twenty-eight citizens, leaving 61 injured. Turkish citizens suspect it was the work of Kudish terrorists. After Turkey suspected the bombing, they launched an airstrike on Northern Iraq, suspecting that's where the Kudish terrorists are located, as well as other dangerous terrorist groups.