Demographics

As of 2005, the population of Turkey stood at 72.6 million with a growth rate of 1.5% per annum. The Turkish population is relatively young, with 25.5% falling within the 0-15 age bracket. According to statistics released by the government in 2005, life expectancy stands at 68.9 years for men and 73.8 years for women, with an overall average of 71.3 years for the populace as a whole.

Article 66 of the Turkish Constitution defines a "Turk" as anyone who is "bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship"; therefore, the legal use of the term "Turkish" as a citizen of Turkey is different from the ethnic definition. The majority of the Turkish population are of Turkish ethnicity. Other major ethnic groups include the Kurds, Circassians, Roma, Arabs and the three officially-recognized minorities (per the treaty of Lausanne) of Greeks, Armenians and Jews. There are also small populations of Levantines, mostly of Italian and French descent, in Istanbul and Izmir>.

The largest non-Turkic ethnicity is the Kurds, a distinct ethnic group traditionally concentrated in the southeast of the country. Minorities other than the three official ones do not have any special group privileges, and while the term "minority" itself remains a sensitive issue in Turkey, it is to be noted that the degree of assimilation within various ethnic groups outside the recognized minorities is high, with the following generations adding to the melting pot of the Turkish main body. Within that main body, certain distinctions based on diverse Turkic origins could be made as well. Reliable data on the exact ethnic repartition of the population is not available, as the Turkish census figures do not include ethnic or racial figures.

Economy

The Turkish economy has been noted for its numerous booms and busts over the years. However, the country has recently achieved macro-economic stability and inflation is now at a 30-year low.

The industrial sector was responsible for almost 30 per cent of Turkey's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005. The country's major industries are textiles and clothing, but the automotive, metalworking, chemicals and pharmaceutical sectors are developing. The service sector is also continually expanding and now accounts for 58 per cent of GDP, largely due to tourism.

Despite the recent optimistic signs, Turkey continues to face many economic challenges that include a thriving black economy and unequal distribution of wealth. The complex legal system and high levels of bureaucracy also pose a burden.

In addition, the labour market is still far from being efficient and the spread of employment opportunities across the country is uneven, being focused mostly in the tourist areas and the cities.

Foreign Direct Investment

Turkey has attracted a growing amount of FDI, which has increased steadily and in parallel with the country's economic growth. There was a substantial inflow in 2005 of $9.65 billion, which is an increase of 239 per cent from the year before. A number of significant obstacles remain for foreign companies, which face unnecessary bureaucracy and a very weak legal system. As a result, FDI inflows have been less than those received by more investor-friendly countries, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Climate

Turkey is a large country with such a diverse terrain that its climate varies from one region to another. The South Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey have a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot summers, where as in Istanbul, which is in the north the summers and short and the winters are cold. The wettest region in Turkey is the Black sea coast and is the only region which receives rainfall throughout the year.

In the Central Anatolian region the summers can be very hot and dry and the winters extremely cold. Towards the Eastern Anatolian region the summers are becoming milder and the winters harsher.

Leisure

With the variety of landscapes and geographical regions, Turkey is a country where you can do all sports and activities you can imagine. You can paraglide over the Dead Sea, do scuba diving in Antalya, rafting in River Coruh, yachting in the blue coastal line, hot air ballooning in Cappadoccia, mountaineering in mount Ararat and hunting in the national parks of Turkey. You can also play golf, explore caves, ski on the mountains, visit hot springs and spas, enjoy the national parks, view the wild life or travel the green plateous of Turkey.

Culture

The culture of Turkey varies depending on the region and the ethnic background of its inhabitants. In the larger towns and cities of Turkey the culture is very similar to Europe in many ways. It is part of the culture of Turkey for both men and women to work and the clothes worn by people in these parts of Turkey reflect western culture closely. Turkish people living along the coastal towns who belong to the middle class look to Europe for their cultural ideals and a foreign visitor will easily feel at home here. Ataturk took great measures to modernize the culture of Turkey, changing laws, dress codes and the educational system all of which had a great bearing on the culture of Turkey.

Language

The official language is Turkish and is spoken by 90% of its 69 million population and it is the 7th most widely used language in the world. Worldwide it is spoken by 200 million people. Other languages include Kurdish, Greek and Armenian. English and French are also spoken as second languages.

Food

The food in Turkey is delicious. Turkey enjoys an abundance of fresh food produced locally because of the pleasant climate and rich soil. The long coastline Turkey has along the Mediterranean Sea means there is always plenty of fresh sea food on offer. In fact Turkey is one of the few countries that produce more food than it consumes and is able to export food surpluses. One shortcoming of Turkey as a large tourist destination is the lack of foreign food available in Turkey, however Turkish food is wonderful and makes up for the dearth of foreign food varieties.

Hospitality

Turkish people are very friendly and will go out of there way to assist you and are happy to spend time just chatting. Hospitality is an important part of Turkish culture and Turks believe that visitors should be treated as guests of God. This attitude has survived many centuries and has not diminished by mass tourism.

Currency

The unit of Turkish currency is the New Turkish Lira (YTL). This was put into circulation on 1 January 2005.

Tourism

Turkey continues to be a tourist hotpot destination. In 2006 it attracted 19,800,000 visitors. Tourism accounts for 20% of Turkey's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Visitor numbers are expected to grow by 10% over the next decade.

Music

There are many types of Turkish music ranging from classical Ottoman Turkish music to contemporary Turkish music. The style of music found in turkey varies between regions with more Arabic influence in the music of Southern Turkey.

Local Turkish folk music is comparatively more upbeat and lively and even foreign visitors will enjoy this type of music. One genre of Turkish music is known as Turku which combines elements from both traditional Turkish music and western music and is quite popular in Turkey today.
Turkish music has been influenced by Western music over the past century and although not popular, types of music such as opera and orchestras have enthusiastic followings in Turkey. The Turkish government provides financial support for developing such types of music in Turkey so its survival is assured.
Undoubtedly more popular is modern Turkish pop music which has its own distinct flavour however broadly follows the trends set by pop music in the west. The stars of Turkish pop music are similar to western music stars in terms of dress, music videos and the glamorous lifestyle they lead. Also western pop music is very popular in Turkey and especially the young Turkish people are familiar with many of the American and European pop stars and listen to their music on the radio, although Turkish pop is probably more popular.

Education

The Turkish Education System was built in accordance with the Ataturk's Reforms after the Turkish War of Independence. It is a state supervised system which was designed to create a skillful manpower for the social and economic process of the country.

Turkish system mandates 8 years of primary education between the ages of 6 and 14, and in 2001 enrollment of children in this age range was nearly 100%. For 14-18 year olds three or more years of secondary education are available in public, distance-learning, and vocational high schools. About 95% of students attend public schools, but inadequacies of the public system increasingly motivates middle-class parents to seek private education.