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Turkey

Asia · 85 million

About Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a sovereign country located in Asia, specifically within the Western Asia subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Ankara, and the country is home to approximately 85.7 million people. In its native language, the country is known as “Türkiye”. Turkish serves as the primary official language, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Turkey. The official currency in circulation is the Turkish lira (₺), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Turkey is widely recognised for Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, kebabs and Turkish coffee. People from Turkey are referred to as Turkish.

Geography & climate

Turkey covers approximately 783,562 km² of territory, making it a large country by land area. It shares land borders with 8 neighbouring countries — a position that has historically influenced migration patterns, regional politics, and cross-border commerce. Geographically, Turkey sits in the Northern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 39.0° N, 35.0° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+03:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Turkey can be summarised as: anatolian plateau & coasts with hot summers, cool winters. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 85.7 million inhabitants, Turkey is one of the more populous nations on Earth. The principal spoken language is Turkish, which dominates public life, schooling, signage, and the workplace. Locals refer to their homeland as “Türkiye”, a name with linguistic and historical roots that long predate modern borders. Citizens are formally known in English as Turkish, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Turkish lira (₺) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Turkey should familiarise themselves with the capital, Ankara, the local time zone (UTC+03:00), the local currency (Turkish lira). The international dialling prefix is +90, which is required when phoning a Turkey number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .tr, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Turkey is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Turkey is generally classified within the Asia region and more specifically the Western Asia subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties. GlobeIQ groups it under "Middle East" for the purposes of the game's regional hint.

Bordering countries

Turkey shares land borders with 8 countries. Click any neighbour to read about it:

Did you know?

Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents — Europe and Asia — separated by the Bosphorus strait.

Turkey in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Turkey appears as an easier opening puzzle for new players. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Turkey carries the personality tags “🕌 Ottoman Heritage” and “☕ Bridge of Continents”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Turkey to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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