Turkey is a transcontinental
country in Eurasia, straddling Eastern Europe and western Asia with cultural
connections to ancient Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
While it may sound like a tourism brochure cliché, Turkey really is a curious
mix of the west and the east. At the crossroads of civilizations, all parts of
Turkey are full of a mind-blowing number of ancient ruins. While Turkey is
rightly renowned for its warm Mediterranean beaches, winter sports, especially
skiing, is very much a possibility—and indeed a popular activity—in the
mountainous interior of the country between October and April, with a
guaranteed stable snow cover and constant below freezing temperatures between
December and March.
The sole official language
of Turkey is Turkish, though English is increasingly popular as a foreign
language among the younger generation. The accepted currency is the Turkish
Lira, Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted as well. The climate in Turkey
has a vast diversity depending on the topography and latitude.