Geography of Turkey

Evros River

This is a River in western Turkey that forms its entire border with Greece before flowing into the Aegean Sea. It is the longest river that flows entirely within the Balkans.

Tigris River

This is a River with its source in Turkey that flows through Iraq as well. It is the northern and shorter of the two main rivers of Mesopotamia, the other which it joins to create the Shatt-al-Arab in southeastern Iraq.

Atatürk Dam

This is a dam on the Euphrates River in southern Turkey. It was built for irrigation and to generate electricity, and created the third largest lake in Turkey, which is named after the dam.

Gulf of Antalya

This is a gulf on the south coast of Turkey that feeds into the Mediterranean Sea. Along its coast are some of the main seaside resorts of Turkey, also known as the Turkish riviera.

Lesser Caucasus

This is a mountain range in northeastern Turkey that extends into Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. It is the smaller and more southern of the two major mountain ranges in the region, and the Kura River has its source in the Turkish portion of these mountains.

Zagros Mountains

This is a mountain range in southeastern Turkey that extends into Iraq and Iran. These mountains are considered sacred to the Kurds, whose land they pass through in northern Iraq and the neighboring portions of Turkey and Iran.

Taurus Mountains

This is a mountain range in southern Turkey that divides the Mediterranean coast from the central Anatolian plateau. They stretch from near the Gulf of Antalya all the way the the southeastern part of the country, and the easternmost part of the range is home to the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Anatolia

This is a peninsular region that makes up most of Asian Turkey. It is a mostly mountainous region with plateau in the center and mountain ranges around the coasts. There are only a few true lowland areas, and these are situated on the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Aegean Sea.

Cappadocia

This is a region in Central Anatolia that is in a high plateau characterized by "fairy chimneys", which are another name for hoodoos. It is a very popular tourist destination, as it has many areas with unique geological, historic, and cultural features. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kurdistan

This is a region in southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and northwestern Iran that is home to a majority of people with the same name of this region who have established their own culture. This region is partially autonomous in several countries, and its people are a major part of the fight against ISIS. Turkey considers the people of this region to be a terrorist group.

Orontes River

This is a river with its source in Lebanon that flows through Syria and southern Turkey into the Mediterranean Sea. Unlike other rivers in the region, it flows from south to north, not north to south.

Aras River

This is a river with its source in eastern Turkey that flows along its borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan before flowing through Azerbaijan into the Caspian Sea. It drains the southern part of the Lesser Caucasus.

Euphrates River

This is a river with its source in eastern Turkey that flows through Syria and Iraq as well. It is the southern and longer of the two main rivers of Mesopotamia, the other which it joins to create the Shatt-al-Arab in southeastern Iraq.

Mediterranean Sea

This is a sea that makes up the southern coast of Turkey. The Orontes River and the Gulf of Antalya are some of the bodies of water that feed into this sea. It is surrounded on almost all sides by land with its only outlet to the ocean being the Strait of Gibraltar, and it has been a crucial route for merchants of ancient times.

Black Sea

This is a sea to the north of Turkey. It is connected to the Mediterranean Sea, and more specifically the Aegean Sea, by the Turkish Straits and the Sea of Marmara. The city of Istanbul, the largest in Turkey and in Europe as well, is located on this sea.

Aegean Sea

This is a sea to the west of Turkey and to the east of Greece. There are many islands in this sea, most of them Greek, and the major Turkish city of Izmir is located on an inlet of it. This sea is connected to the Black Sea by the Turkish Straits and the Sea of Marmara.

Dardanelles

This is a strait connecting the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea. It separates European Turkey and Asian Turkey.

Bosporus Strait

This is a strait linking the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. It separates the European and Asian parts of Turkey, and also the European and Asian parts of Istanbul, Turkey's largest city.

Sea of Marmara

This is an inland sea entirely within Turkey's borders, connected to the Aegean and Black Seas by the Dardanelles and the Bosporus Strait respectively. The city of Istanbul, the largest in Turkey and in Europe as well, is located on this sea.

Ankara

This is the capital and second largest city in Turkey, located in the west central part of the country. It was the headquarters of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the republic of Turkey, and replaced Istanbul as the capital following the fall of the Ottoman Empire. It lends its name to Angora wool from Angora rabbits.

Turkish lira

This is the currency of Turkey.

Adana

This is the fifth largest city in Turkey, located just north of the Mediterranean Sea on the Seyhan River. Majorly defined by its agriculture-based living and culture, this city is situated on a fertile plain southeast of the Taurus Mountains.

Bursa

This is the fourth largest city in Turkey, located just south of the Sea of Marmara in the western part of the country. Many parks and gardens dot this city which is very near to the ski resort of Mount Uludag. This city is the center of the Turkish automotive industry.

Mount Ararat

This is the highest mountain in Turkey, at 16,854 feet. It is a volcano located in the far eastern part of the country, near to the borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. It is said to be the resting place of the biblical Noah's Ark.

Istanbul

This is the largest city in Turkey and also the largest in Europe. It is located on both sides of the Bosporus Strait in European and Asian Turkey. This city, formerly known as Constantinople, has been a major city for centuries, and contains sights such as the Hagia Sofia and other Byzantine and Ottoman architecture.

Lake Van

This is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the eastern part of the country. It is a saline soda lake, and is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes. Even though it is located in a place with harsh winters, this lake does not freeze over in the winter due to its high salinity.

Lake Tuz

This is the second largest lake in Turkey, located in the center of the country southeast of Ankara. It is one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world, and periodically dries up in the summer to reveal a thick layer of salt. During this period, much salt mining occurs on the lake.

Izmir

This is the third largest city in Turkey, located on the coast of the Aegean Sea in the western part of the country. It has historically been one of the principal mercantile cities in Turkey due to its advantageous location at the head of a gulf midway down the coast.