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Week 26 • 2019/20www.classroomready.com LeVeL 1

Weekly NewsDiscovering Turkey

Turkey is a country that is located in both Southeast Europe and Asia. The five percent on the European continent is called Thrace and the rest of the country

on the Asian continent is commonly known as Anatolia. Currently, over 82 million people call Turkey home and over 30 ethnic languages are spoken here. The most common languages are Turkish, Kurmanji, Arabic, and Zazaki. Turkish is the country’s official language.

Ankara is Turkey’s capital city, but the most famous city is Istanbul. In the past, Istanbul was known as Byzantium and later Constantinople, the capital city of the Roman Empire. This city has been the core of many amazing historic events and is now one of the most populous cities in the world.

Turkey has a long history, being one of the oldest permanently settled regions in the world. Many of the early settlers were nomads whose descendants became sheep and goat herders who lived in villages. Later, the region was occupied by ethnic peoples called the Assyrians who lived under the Ottoman Empire, which was founded in the 13th century.

Modern Turkey is a secular state. The state and church are separate because of an amendment to their constitution in 1928, but most of the Turkish population still identify as Muslim. In the seventh and eighth centuries, the Islamic Empire was established by Arab armies. Islam still plays an important role in influencing people’s daily life and social roles.

Turkey has elements of both European and Islamic influence as part of its culture, thanks to its location. Some cities have benefited from European technology and built modern offices,

Long form of name:

Continent:

Total Area:

Population:

Official Language(s):

Capital City:

Chief of State:

National Anthem:

Currency:

Republic of Turkey

Europe and Asia

783,562 square kilometres

82,017,514

Turkish

Ankara

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

“Istiklal Marsi” (Independence March)

Turkish lira

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Weekly News Q & Afactories, and shops, while others have kept traditional markets and building architecture. Many artists that used to follow traditional Islamic expression have changed to adopt Western forms of music, literature, and art.

Turkey’s economy is largely strengthened by manufacturing, trade, agriculture, and transportation. It is a country well known for its textile exports, because many manufacturing plants are based in cotton-growing districts. Some other major exports include electronics, cars, and jewelry.

1. What languages are spoken in Turkey?

2. What is Turkey’s most famous city? Why is it so well known?

3. How is Turkey influenced by both Europe and Islam?

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Map Activity: Turkey1. Locate and label the following countries:

TURKEYARMENIAAZERBAIJANBULGARIACYPRUSGEORGIA

GREECEIRANIRAQJORDANLEBANONMOLDOVA

ROMANIARUSSIASERBIASYRIAUKRAINE

2. Locate and label the following cities:AnkaraAthensBaghdadBeirut

BelgradeBucharestChisinauDamascus

KievNicosiaSofia

3. Locate and label the following bodies of salt water:Black Sea Mediterranean Sea

4. Create a colour legend for your map with the following:Turkey Other Countries Salt Water

5. Draw and label the compass bearing.

6. Label your map:Turkey and Neighbouring Countries

LEVEL 1 CLASSROOM READY WEEKLY NEWS • WEEK 26 • 2019/20

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LEVEL 1 CLASSROOM READY WEEKLY NEWS • WEEK 26 • 2019/20

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Weekly News Answer KeyDiscovering Turkey1. What languages are spoken in Turkey?

Over 30 ethnic languages are spoken here. The most common languages are Turkish, Kurmanji, Arabic, and Zazaki. Turkish is the country’s official language.

2. What is Turkey’s most famous city? Why is it so well known?The most famous city is Istanbul. In the past, Istanbul was known as Byzantium and later Constantinople, the capital city of the Roman Empire. This city has been the core of many amazing historic events and is now one of the most populous cities in the world.

3. How is Turkey influenced by both Europe and Islam?Turkey has elements of both European and Islamic influence as part of its culture, thanks to its location. Some cities have benefited from European technology and built modern offices, factories, and shops, while others have kept traditional markets and building architecture. Many artists that used to follow traditional Islamic expression have changed to adopt Western forms of music, literature, and art.

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