Turkey’s climate and topography, like its history, are amazingly diverse. Uniquely, the country straddles two continents, with the narrow straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles dividing Europe from Asia. Mountains cover much of the country with the highest peak, Mt Ararat rising to 5.166metres in the east. Mountain ranges flank the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea coasts. Winters are cold across the central region as well as in the east. With mountains and lots of snow, there are many ski resorts open during the winter months.

Along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, where the tourist industry and foreign property market are concentrated, the climate is far more pleasant, with mild winters and hot, sunny weather during the summer. Temperatures climb into the high 30Cs in July, but there are often cooling sea breezes near the coast.

Large areas of the Turkish countryside are very unspoiled. Pine-forested mountains cover much of the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, with olive groves, citrus orchards and fields of vegetables, tobacco and cotton where the land is flatter.

The country’s best beaches are dotted along the Mediterranean coast, roughly from Dalyan to Alanya. Further north, the coastline between Marmaris and Bodrum has a series of deep bays and peninsulars. The area is extremely beautiful and well-suited for sailing. The Aegean coast has some good stretches of beach, notably at Altınkum and Çeşme, although being further north the season is slightly shorter.

Turkey is self- sufficient in most agricultural produce, exporting fruit, vegetables, dairy products and meat to the EU and the Middle East. A visit to any local Turkish market will give you an idea of the amazing wealth and quality of what is grown in the country. Perhaps best known for its Mediterranean crops, such as olives, tomatoes, peaches, apricots, melons and citrus, temperate fruit like apples, pears, plums and cherries are also available on a seasonal basis. Bananas are even grown along the sub-tropical southern coast near Antalya.

Fishing is an important industry along the 8.000km coast, although it has been eclipsed by tourism particularly along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.