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Turkey: Geography
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Location:
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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
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Geographic coordinates:
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39 00 N, 35 00 E
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Map references:
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Middle East
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Area:
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total: 780,580 sq km
water: 9,820 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Texas
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,648 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km
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Coastline:
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7,200 km
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR
territorial sea: 6 NM in the Aegean Sea; 12 NM in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea
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Climate:
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temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
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Terrain:
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high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m
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Natural resources:
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antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore, arable land, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 34.53%
permanent crops: 3.36%
other: 62.11% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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42,000 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van
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Environment - current issues:
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water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Environmental Modification
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Geography - note:
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strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country
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