Location:
Turkey is situated in an area where Europe meets Asia , creating a link between the two continents. The total area is 780,580 sq.km, with the majority of the land mass in Southwest Asia . The country is bordered in the east by Georgia , Armenia and Iran with Iraq , Syria and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Aegean Sea, Greece and Bulgaria lie west and the Black Sea forms the northern border.

Turkey 's Geography:
the country is divided into seven geographical regions and 80 administrative provinces. The seven regions are The Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean, Central, East and Southeast Anatolia .

Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides, by the Black Sea in the north, the Mediterranean in the south and the Aegean in the west. In the northwest, the Sea of Marmara lies between the straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus; important waterways connecting the Black Sea with the rest of the world. The coastline of mainland Turkey is 8333 km.

The Climate:
Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate. However, the diverse nature of the landscape and the mountains that run parallel to the coasts result in significant differences in conditions from one region to the other. Whilst the coastal regions enjoy milder climates, the inland Anatolian plateau experiences hot summers and cold winters with limited rainfall.

Language:
The Turkish language is spread over a large geographical area in Europe and Asia and spoken in many different dialects. The majority dialect comes from the southwest branch of the Uralic-Altayic language family. The oldest written records of Turkish, originating from the first half of the 8th century A.D. can be found on stone monuments in Central Asia, in the Orhun, Yenisey and Talas regions of Mongolia . After the formation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, establishing national unity, the Latin alphabet with Turkish phonetics was adopted in 1928.

Population:
The population in Turkey is characterised by youth and dynamism. According to a 1997 population census, Turkey has 62.6 million inhabitants. Although there has been a marked migration into town, approximately 47 percent of the population still lives in the rural areas. The official language is Turkish, but English is widely spoken with German and French following closely behind. There are many high schools and universities where the curriculum is based on English. Istanbul, which was the capital of three empires, is Turkey's largest city, with approximately 9.1 million inhabitants. The capital city, Ankara , has 3.69 million in habitants. The next largest cities are Izmir , Konya and Adana .

Religion and Secularity:
Ninety nine percent of the Turkish population is Moslem. However, everyone in Turkey has freedom of religion and beliefs. The first phase in the introduction of secularism were the abolition of the Caliphate and the Ministry of Sheria and Pious Foundations on March 4th, 1924. This was followed by the introduction of separate educational and judicial systems, 'The Hat Reform'; the closure of dervish retreats and religious sects, the acceptance of a Sunday weekend holiday rather than the Moslem Friday and finally the adoption of the principle of secularism in the constitution on 1937. The Department of Religious Affairs, as part of central government, oversees all religious matters.

FETHIYE

Fethiye; ancient name Telmessos, with its cultural wealth, natural beauties and geography, is one of the most popular resorts in Turkey . It is famous for its works of art belonging to Persians, Lycians, Carians and Romans. This charming county spans the Fethiye Gulf populated by the ' Twelve Islands '. Outside the town boundaries the pine forests sweep down to hillside to the edge of the sea.

Fethiye is a very Turkish port and trading town in the south west where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean Sea . Fethiye balances the attractions of a bustling resort with the amenities of a working regional centre. Arrival at the bus station may give little impression of sea, hotels, restaurants or any trappings of the tourist industry but a five minute taxi or dolmus ride into town reveals its true colours. The range of shops, eating places and accommodation and excellent transport services to other towns and villages with their own attractions emphasises Fethiye's strength in it's role as a base for exploring the surrounding coastline and countryside..

Fethiye is within easy reach of the popular Calis beach and Sovaliye Island . Even in May, under an increasingly warm sun, it is not unusual to see the snow capped mountains in the distance to the east and south. The Mediterranean climate reaches 30 degrees plus during the dry summer months and is usually at least a warm 10 degrees during the sometimes rainy winter. Sea temperature never dip below 16 degrees.

CALIS

Situated five kilometres from Fethiye, Calis is a small but growing resort which appeals to people who like to combine sun, sand and sea with a bit of local colour. It is set on an inlet protected by the ' Twelve Islands ', forming a natural harbour shared by fishing boats, yachts and water taxis. Its long, uncrowded sand and shingle beach is great for children.

A five-minute walk gets you to the shops, where you can buy a range of goods at bargain prices. Calis has its own Sunday market selling lots of fruit and vegetables, local cheese and eggs, clothes and jewellery. Fethiye also has a lively, bigger Tuesday market . A dolmus leaves Calis for Fethiye every 10 minutes from the main roads. Alternatively, the water dolmus from the bridge to Fethiye harbour takes a leisurely half an hour.

It's the perfect place to unwind and relax, but on feeling the urge to be active, there are plenty of things to do; numerous watersports; jeep safari to explore the Xanthos valley, or a visit to the Roman ruins of Cadianda and the unspoiled village of Uzumlu. A regular boat trip crosses the bay from Fethiye on Sundays to the colourful market at Gocek - watch out for dolphins on the way.

UZUMLU

Uzumlu is situated fifteen kilometres (20 minutes drive) inland from the bustling harbour town of Fethiye . It is situated in a lush green valley, surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful mountains. Some describe it as being reminiscent of Switzerland , only with sun!. Uzumlu will appeal to people who want a scenic and tranquil setting, whilst having easy access to all the facilities that nearby Fethiye and Calis Beach have to offer.

HISARONU - OVACIK

Situated on a high plateau four kilometres from the coast and surrounded by stunning mountains, the once sleepy villages of Hisaronu and Ovacik have combined to create a lively resort which has a distinctly British atmosphere. The nearest beaches are the famous lagoon of Oludeniz and the pebble and sand beach of Belcekiz . A dolmus leaves every five or ten minutes from Fethiye. The village is full of bars, restaurants and shops. This is certainly the place to haggle for any imitation designer gear. The cool mountain air can be quite a relief after a day in the sun and there is plenty to do in the evening.

KEMER/TLOS

Kemer is a beautiful traditional Turkish village surrounded by forests and Taurus Mountains . The village is approximately twenty minutes from the Fethiye town centre and can be reached by taxi, scheduled bus or dolmus. This stunning location is well known for its fruits, cotton, beet, sesame, anise and trout fish farms. Kemer is close to the ruins of Tlos and Saklikent Gorge.

KAYAKOY

The Kaya valley is just a ten-minute drive from Ölüdeniz yet a million miles away in terms of ambience and the typical visitor of this area. The valley floor is bordered by the peaks of the surrounding pine clad mountains which extend to the very ends of the Fethiye Peninsula. Quirky single track roads wind along the valley floor through tiny hamlets, past fields growing wheat and tobacco, traditional tea houses, family run cafe's and a couple of excellent Kebap restaurants where outdoor dining is a must. This road finally leads onto the region’s secluded beach Gemiler.
Kayaköy which translates to ‘Rock Village’  is, of course, now famous for being the inspiration for Louis de Bernières novel Birds without Wings. The Greek village of Kaya was abandoned following the compulsory exchange of populations agreed between Turkey and Greece in 1926. Until then it had been a thriving community for centuries and at the time of the exchange had a Greek population of 20,000. In the intervening years the town has been left to crumble into disrepair leaving in its wake an eerie and fascinating ‘Ghost Village’set in the most beautiful of rural valleys.

OLUDENIZ

Continuing down the mountain from Ovacik you reach the beautiful beach resort of Oludeniz (Dead Sea) the most famous beach in Turkey. The peak of the region’s highest mountain, Babadag, plunges down to the stunning lagoon which has been photographed million’s of times and is a signature image of coastal Turkey.
Oludeniz is also blessed with being the location of the very famous and incredible ‘Blue Lagoon’.
The region around Oludeniz now has a distinctly commercial feel. However, this cannot detract from the stunning impact of the beautiful lagoon. A ‘must-have’ experience for the more adventurous is to enjoy the adrenaline rush of leaping from the top of Babadag to paraglide over the lagoon before eventually landing on the water’s edge.
Oludeniz is the venue for the world famous Airgames held in October for the duration of 3 days. This is attended by people from all around the world to compete in this aviation competition. It also brings nationwide media coverage. It is a very entertaining event for the many tourists that visit oludeniz during this time.