Turkey, a republic, is a Eurasian country that links the Anatolian peninsula in the west of Asia to Thrace in the Balkans in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Bulgaria to the northwest, Greece to the west, Georgia to the northeast, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. Turkey has a strategic place straddling two continents and it is not surprising that it has a blend of Eastern and western traditions.
Turkey is around the size of France and the UK combined. It consists of different regions including Marmara, the Aegean, the Black Sea, Anatolia and the Mediterranean. The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Mediterranean have hot dry summers and mild, wet and cold winters. Conditions can be much harsher in the more arid interior.
Mountains on the coast of Turkey prevent Mediterranean influences from extending inland, giving the central Anatolian plateau of the interior of Turkey sharply contrasting seasons. Winters on the plateau are especially severe and the summers are hot and humid.