Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

east. Iraq, Syria, and the Mediterranean

Sea lie to the south. The Aegean Sea,

Greece, and Bulgaria lie to the west.

The Asian part of Turkey has

mountains and a central plateau, or

raised flat area. The highest peak is

Mount Ararat, which rises 16,853 feet

(5,137 meters). The European part of

Turkey is lower and flatter. The

country’s longest river, the Kizil, flows

through the peninsula.

Most of Turkey has a dry climate with

hot summers.Winters are cold in central

Turkey and mild near the coasts. Earthquakes

are common.

Plants and Animals

Grasslands cover much of the country.

Pine, oak, cedar, juniper, and chestnut

trees grow along the coast.

Deer, wild goats, bears, and lynx live

near the Mediterranean coast. Gazelles

and hyenas live in central and eastern

Turkey.Wolves, jackals, badgers, and

otters live throughout the country. Turkey’s

birds include buzzards, storks, vultures,

and eagles.

Parts of Turkey are very mountainous.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Turkey 111

 

People

Most of Turkey’s people are Turks. They

speak a language called Turkish. Most of

the rest of the people are Kurds. They

live in eastern Turkey and have their

own language. Almost all the people of

Turkey follow Islam.

More than half of the population lives in

cities and towns. Turkey’s largest city is

Istanbul.

Economy

Services and manufacturing are the main

parts of Turkey’s economy. Services

include communications, transportation,

and tourism. Manufacturers produce

fabrics, clothing, processed foods,

iron and steel, chemicals, cars, and electronics.

Turkey’s land provides oil, coal,

copper, and other minerals.

Many Turks are farmers. Wheat, sugar

beets, citrus fruits, cotton, olives,

tobacco, and figs are important crops.

Sheep, cattle, and goats are the main

livestock.

History

Humans have lived in the Asian part of

Turkey, called Anatolia, since at least

7000 BC. The Hittite people invaded in

about 2000 BC. Greeks and Persians later

fought over the land. Romans took over

Anatolia by about 30 BC.

Byzantine Empire

Under the Roman Empire, Anatolia

was at peace. In AD 395 the Roman

Empire was divided into western and

eastern parts. The eastern part became

known as the Byzantine Empire. Its

capital was the city of Constantinople

(now called Istanbul). Christianity was

the main religion of the Byzantine

Empire.

The Seljuk Turks invaded Anatolia

beginning in the 1040s. The Seljuk

Turks were Muslims from central Asia.

In 1071 they defeated the Byzantine

army. During the next 200 years the

Christians of Europe fought the Turks in

a series of wars known as the Crusades.

Ottoman Empire

In the late 1200s a new group of Turks

gained power in Anatolia. They founded

the great Ottoman Empire. In 1453 the

Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople.

They renamed the city Istanbul and

made it their capital.

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, has

been a Christian church and a Muslim

mosque. Now it is a museum.

112 Turkey BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

By the mid-1500s the Ottoman Empire

stretched across North Africa, the

Middle East, and southeastern Europe.

The empire then grew weaker. It collapsed

at the end ofWorldWar I in

1918.

Turkey Under Ataturk

After the war many Turks were angry at

the Ottoman government, which had

lost much of the empire’s land. A military

leader named Mustafa Kemal

formed a separate government. In 1923

he founded the new country of Turkey.

The city of Ankara became the new

capital. Kemal became Turkey’s first

president.

Kemal ruled with strong powers. He

soon took the name Ataturk, which is

Turkish for “father of the Turks.”

Ataturk wanted to make Turkey a more

modern country. He closed Islamic

schools and courts. He banned traditional

clothes such as the fez, a type of

Turkish hat. He also gave women the

right to vote. Ataturk died in 1938.

Turkey After Ataturk

In 1960 and 1980 the military took over

Turkey’s government. In 1997 the military

forced the prime minister to step

down. Each time Turkey returned to

democracy.

Beginning in the 1950s Turkey disagreed

with Greece over control of the island of

Cyprus. Turkish forces invaded northern

Cyprus in 1974. Turkey supported the

Turks of Cyprus when they formed a

separate country in 1983.

Modern Turkey has also faced a long

rebellion by Kurds in the east. The

Kurds fought the Turkish government

from the 1980s into the 21st century.

..More to explore

Ankara • Byzantine Empire • Cyprus

• Islam • Istanbul • Kurd • Ottoman

Empire

about

2000 BC about 30 BC AD 395 1071 1300 1923 1983

Hittites invade

Anatolia.

Romans take

control of

Anatolia.

Anatolia

becomes part

of the

Byzantine

Empire.

The Seljuk Turks

defeat the

Byzantines.

The Ottoman

Turks gain

power.

The Republic of

Turkey is

formed.

Kurds begin

fighting the

Turkish

government.

T I M E L I N E

Facts About

TURKEY

Population

(2008 estimate)

71,002,000

Area

299,158 sq mi

(744,815 sq km)

Capital

Ankara

Form of

government

Republic

Major cities

Istanbul, Ankara,

Izmir, Bursa,

Adana

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Turkey 113

 

Turkey

Turkeys are large birds. They are found

in the wild and they are also raised for

food. The two species, or types, of turkey

are the common turkey and the

ocellated turkey.