Country Name
Turkey or the Republic of Turkey.
Location
Turkey is located in the Middle East. It is bordered to the north by the Black Sea, to the east by Georgia, Armenia, and Iran, from the south by Iraq, Syria, Cyprus, and the Mediterranean, and from the west by the Aegean Sea, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Turkey is also bordered by several seas such as the Mediterranean Sea,
the Aegean Sea, and the Black Sea, The Marmara Sea is also located on the inner border of the region between Asia and Europe.
A large population of Turkey in Anatolia, known as Asia Minor, by 97% of the total area, and the remaining 3% is located in Europe.
The Bosphorus Bridge connects the Asian part with Turkey and the European part, which cuts the Bosporus Strait.
Capital
Ankara.
Reason for Naming the country
The word "Turkey" in Turkish is divided into two words: the first one is "Türk" which refers to the name of the Turkish nationality and the word "ye" which means "the owner", "our land" or "associated with us". This name was called by the Turks in the Middle Ages.
Flag
Turkey's flag was adopted as the national flag and ensign in 1844 as the Ottoman flag. The flag was legally standardized with the Turkish Flag Law on 29 May 1936.
The Turkish flag is composed of a bright red background with a white crescent moon and five-pointed star, The flag is commonly known as al "sancak", and is known as "Al Bayrak" which translates to “the red banner/ flag.” This name is used for the flag in the country’s national anthem.
The main feature of the Turkish flag is the white crescent moon and five-pointed star located slightly off-center. This design was derived from the Ottoman flag which was first adopted in the late 1700s.
The law states that the eight stars should be replaced by the five-star (in the present flag), which symbolizes Turkish democracy and identity.
The Red color in the Turkish culture symbolizes the blood of the martyrs that were shed during the first Kosovo War in 1362-1389, and therefore the red color was used in all the flags that passed through the state.
The crescent and the star, in addition to being symbolic of Islam, are associated with the Turks with a famous legend of the reflection of the moon and the stars on the blood of the martyrs that were like the lake in the Kosovo war.
Flag Facts:
- The flag of Tunisia is similar to the flag of Turkey in color and symbols.
-All Turkish military uniforms feature a flag patch. They can be placed on the right shoulder or the front of the uniform.
- Many Turkish people bring their flags when celebrating national events including Republic Day.
Language
Turkish is the only official language throughout Turkey.
70% to 75% of the population of Turkey speak Turkish, while the Kurdish language is spoken by 18%.
Religion
Most of the population of Turkey is Muslim, both Sunni and Alawite, with 99.8% of the total population.
The rest are Christians of different denominations such as the Armenians, the Greek, and Syriac communities, with about 0.2% of the total population of Turkey. Although most the Turks are Muslims, Turkey is a secular state.
Currency
Turkish Lira (₺) (TRY).
Time Zone
+03:00 GMT.
Government Regime
A unitary parliamentary constitutional republic.
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