Turkey is a Middle Eastern nation that is both in Europe and Asia. Turkey borders Bulgaria on the northwest, Greece on the west, the Soviet Union and Iran on the East, and Iraq and Syria on the south. The Black Sea is north, the Aegean Sea to the west, and the

Mediterranean Sea to the south. Turkey is only slightly larger than Texas. Around 3 per cent of the country occupies the easternmost tip of southern Europe. Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, lies in this region of green, fertile hills and valleys. To the east, the rest of Turkey covers a large, mountainous peninsula called Anatolia or Asia Manor. Anatolia has many large cities, including the capital which is Ankara and areas of rich farmland. But much of Anatolia is rocky, barren land.

About 50 per cent of Turkey's population live in cities or towns. The rest live on farms

or in small villages. Nearly all people are Muslims which are followers of Islami. Turkey is

a developing country, and over half of all workers are farmers. The economy has be

Turks are very proud of their money and their flag, the symbol of their country. If you wear their flag for decorations, or destroy the flag the punishment is imprisonment. They are also extremely proud of there reputation on the battlefield. Degrading their armed forces will not only lose friends for America but you could also be put in prison for this also.

Turkey is a republic. Its Constitution was adopted in 1982, following two years of military rule. Its parliamentary form of government includes a president, a prime minister and cabinet, and a legislature called the Grand National Assembly. The president, prime minister and cabinet took office in 1982. The Grand National Assembly was first elected by the Turkish people in 1983. A second general election was held in 1987.

Cracked-wheat bread and yogurt are the chief foods of most Turks. Turks also eat much lamb, rice, and eggplant. For snacks, Turks enjoy borek, a flaky pastry stuffed with meat or cheese. A popular dessert is baklava, made of thin layers of pastry, honey, and chopped nuts. Another pastry, kadayif, is made with shredded wheat. Favorite beverages in Turkey include tea, thick coffee flavored with sugar, and a liquor called raki. Turkish cay, of tea, is the national drink of hospitality. Most men like their glass filled to the half way point, Turkish women like it to the one-third point. Some Turks like to have sugar cube in theirs. The polite way to refuse cay is to turn the cay spoon upside down and place it on top of the empty cay glass.

Islamic law had strong influence in Turkish life for nearly 1,000 years. Turkey's new republican government introduced sweeping cultural and political reforms that discouraged or outlawed many traditional Islamic practices. Most Turkish people accepted the reforms, however

The Turkish men dress quite conservatively. They do not wear shorts (except when they are jogging or doing something athletic)or go around with no shirt on in public, because they find that inappropriate. The government discourages or forbids the wearing of certain garments required by Islamic custom. City dwellers and many rural people then adopted Western clothing styles. However, some Turks in rural areas still dress to Islamic tradition. Only a few men wear the traditional loose-fitting cloak and baggy trousers. But rural women still continue some of the old clothing customs. These women wear a simple blouse and pantaloons. They cover their head and often the lower p

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Approximate Word count = 1684
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)