Turkey

Anatolia (Turkey in Asia) was occupied in about 1900 B.C. by the Indo-European Hittites and, after the Hittite empire's collapse in 1200 B.C. , by Phrygians and Lydians. The Persian Empire occupied the area in the 6th century B.C. , giving way to the Roman Empire, then later the Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Turks first appeared in the early 13th century, subjugating Turkish and Mongol bands pressing against the eastern borders of Byzantium and making the Christian Balkan states their vassals. They gradually spread through the Near East and Balkans, capturing Constantinople in 1453 and storming the gates of Vienna two centuries later. At its height, the Ottoman Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf to western Algeria. Lasting for 600 years, the Ottoman Empire was not only one of the most powerful empires in the history of the Mediterranean region, but it generated a great cultural outpouring of Islamic art, architecture, and literature. After the reign of Sultan Sleyman I the Magnificent (14941566), the Ottoman Empire began to decline politically, administratively, and economically. By the 18th century, Russia was seeking to establish itself as the protector of Christians in Turkey's Balkan territories. Russian ambitions were checked by Britain and France in the Crimean War (18541856), but the Russo-Turkish War (1877 1878) gave Bulgaria virtual independence and Romania and Serbia liberation from their nominal allegiance to the sultan. Turkish weakness stimulated a revolt of young liberals known as the Young Turks in 1909. They forced Sultan Abdul Hamid to grant a constitution and install a liberal government. However, reforms were no barrier to further defeats in a war with Italy (19111912) and the Balkan Wars (19121913). Turkey sided with Germany in World War I, and, as a result, lost territory at the conclusion of the war.

Capital Of Turkey Ankara - is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after stanbul. Centrally located in Anatolia, Ankara is an important commercial and industrial city. It has been the neural center of the Turkish Government, and houses all foreign embassies. It is an important crossroads of trade, strategically located at the center of Turkey's highway and rail network, and serves as the marketing center for the surrounding agricultural area. Modern ANKARA is really two cities, a double identity that is due to the breakneck pace at which it has developed since being declared capital of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Until then Ankara had been a small provincial city, famous chiefly for the production of soft goat's wool. This city still exists, in and around the old citadel that was the site of the original settlement. The other Ankara is the modern metropolis that has grown up around a carefully planned attempt to create a seat of government worthy of a modern, Western-looking state.

Religion of Turkey Judaism - religion developed among the ancient Hebrews and characterized by belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions Christianity - is a monotheistic religion whose adherents believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God and their savior. Christianity developed out of a sect of Judaism that believed Jesus was the messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. The main tenet of Christianity is that Jesus was resurrected.

Islam - slam, an Arabic word which, since Prophet Muhammad's time has acquired a religious and technical significance denoting the religion of Muhammad and of the Qur'an, just as Christianity denotes that of Jesus and of the Gospels, or Judaism that of Moses, the Prophets, and of the Old Testament.

Land Area And Population Land area: 297,591 sq mi (770,761 sq km) Population: 78,785,548 (July 2011 est.)