Turkey

Check your Midnight Express stereotypes at the door - this is a rapidly modernising country with one foot in Europe and one in the Middle East. It's not all oriental splendour, mystery, intrigue and whirling dervishes but it is a spicy maelstrom of history knocking up against a pacy present.

The Turkish people have an unrivalled reputation for hospitality, the cuisine is to die for, the coastline is a dream, and many Turkish cities are dotted with spectacular mosques and castles. And while costs are rising, Turkey remains the Mediterranean's bargain-basement destination.

There's an enormous variety of things to see and do ranging from water sports to mountain trekking, archaeology to night-clubbing and river rafting to raki drinking. Whether you leave Turkey with magnificent carpets, amulets to ward off evil, belly-dancing tips, an appreciation of its history, or just a tan, you're likely to want to go back for more.

Warning

Turkey is generally safe, but domestic and regional tensions equate to occasional waves of low-level violence, especially bombings, as witnessed in late 2003, when Istanbul was rocked by a series of bombings in which a synagogue, a bank and the British consulate were targetted.

So far, travellers have not been specifically targetted by the terrorists and suicide bombers. However, there is always the danger that travellers will find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Keeping abreast of current event and a modest profile is the best defence.

Full country name: Repubic of Turkey
Area: 779,452 sq km
Population: 68.1 million
Capital City: Ankara (pop 3.7 million)
People: Turks (85%), Kurds (12%), other Islamic peoples, Armenians, Jews
Language: Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek
Religion: Muslim (Sunni)
Government: republican parliamentary democracy
Head of State: President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
Head of Government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
 

GDP: US$471 billion
GDP per capita: US$3,500
Annual Growth: -5%
Inflation: 26%
Major Industries: Textiles, food processing, tourism, motor vehicles, mining, lumber, petroleum, construction.
Major Trading Partners: Germany, USA, Italy, UK, France, Russia
Member of EU: no