Turkey holds a special place in many travelers' hearts. For one thing, "to call a Turk gracious is needlessly repetitive," as the saying goes. For another thing, it boasts a terrific variety of scenery with a bracingly complex and interesting 10,000-year history. Cruising by gulet in its Sapphire Seas is a joy, and so is Istanbul, "a sensational revelation--no water city can compare to it, " Sacheverell Sitwell wrote.

• TOTAL AREA: 780,580 sq km

• LAND AREA: 770,760 sq km

• WATER AREA: 9,820 sq km

• POPULATION: 70,413,958

• RELIGIONS: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

• LANGUAGES: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: Republican Parliamentary Democracy

• CAPITAL CITY: Ankara

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: Turkish lira (YTL)

• TIME ZONE: GMT/UTC +5