Alanya is a pretty town inside the borders of Antalya, on the eastern side of the bay carrying the same name. A diversity prevails over the land, with natural figures of high mountains, wide green meadows, plateaus and innumerable rivers. The peninsula of Alanya, surrounded by its city walls, extends to the south of the western Taurus Mountains and is separated from these mountains by broad meadows. Related to its geographical structure, this little town of the Mediterranean Coast possesses the typical climate of this region: summers are hot and dry, while winters are temperate and rainy. Suitably, agricultural activities are active on the fertile plain of Alanya, with greenhouses and banana plantations spread over the area.Along with these natural beauties, historical and archeological values of this land, named Korakesion during the Hellenistic period, amaze the sightseers visiting the region. Going under the hegemony of Romans and Byzantines, the city changed its name then to ‘Kalanoros’, until the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubat renamed it “Alaiye” in 1220.

Filled with the traces of history interspersed with wonderful views of nature, Alanya today, has become one of the most important holiday resorts of Turkey. Its modern and high capacity touristic establishments with various facilities, complement the requisites of a good vacation.
With respect to transportation, Alanya is usually reached via Antalya. Flights from all the major cities of Turkey and Europe arrive at the international airport in Antalya, from where intercity buses are available for traveling to Alanya.. Another alterative is to reach Alanya by sea, taking one of the cruises departing from İstanbul.


Economy
Many tourists from all around the world vacation in Alanya all year around. Tourists are drawn to the area because of reasonable prices, pleasantly warm weather, sandy beaches, access to historic sites, and fine cuisine. Beach activities frequently include wind surfing, parasailing, and banana boating. During winter tourists enjoy various winter sports (skiing, snowboarding, tracking etc). Golf courses which serve all year around are easily accessible. Nightclubs and bars aimed at tourists are numerous. A height restriction in the city keeps high rise hotels to the east and west of the city, preserving its skyline at the expense of greater tourist potential.
The tourist industry here is worth over 1.2 billion euros, and is therefore the principal industry, though the area is known for its many fruit farms, particularly lemons and oranges, and large harvests of tomatoes and cucumbers.
Alanya is generating 10% of the tourism revenue in Turkey.

Population
The city has a population of 120.000.
 
 

Location
South-Eastern Europe.

Time
GMT + 2

Area
779,452 sq km (300,948 sq miles).

Population
73.3 million (UN estimate 2005).

Capital
Ankara

Geography
TURKEY borders the Black Sea with Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq to the southeast, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Turkey has a wide peninsula 1650km (1025 miles) from east to west and 650km (400 miles) from north to south. Two east-west mountain ranges namely the Black Sea Mountains in the north and the Taurus in the south, enclose the central Anatolian plateau, but converge in a vast mountainous region in the far east of the country. It is here that the ancient Tigris and Euphrates rivers rise.

Government
Republic since 1923. Under the constitution of 1987, legislative power is vested in a single chamber, the 550-member National Assembly, which is directly elected by proportional representation for a five-year term. The National Assembly elects both a prime minister (normally head of the largest party in the assembly) and a president, who is head of state and serves a seven-year term, between whom executive powers are shared.

Language
Turkish. English and French are widely spoken in cities and tourist areas.

Social Conventions
Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Hospitality is very important.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.


Climate of Turkey
Turkey is a year-round destination depending on your itinerary.
Although Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the landscape, and the existence in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, result in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to the other. While the coastal regions enjoy milder climates, the inland Anatolia plateau experiences hot summers and cold winters with limited rainfall.
Because of Turkey's geographical conditions, one can not speak about a general overall climate. In Istanbul and around the sea of Marmara (Marmara region) the climate is moderate (winter 4 deg.C and summer 27 deg.C); in winter the temperature can drop below zero. In Western Turkey (Aegean region) there is a mild Mediterranean climate with average temperatures of 9 deg.C in winter and 29 deg.C in summer. On the southern coast (Mediterranean region) average temperatures are 15 deg.C in winter and 33 deg.C in summer. The climate of the Anatolian Plateau (Central Anatolian region) is a steppe climate (there is a great temperature difference between day and night). Rainfall is low and there is more snow. The average temperature is 23 deg.C in summer and -2 deg.C in winter. The climate in the Black Sea area (Black Sea region) is wet, warm and humid (summer 23 deg.C, winter 7 deg.C). In Eastern Anatolia and South-Eastern Anatolia there is a long hard winter, where year after year snow lies on the ground from November until the end of April (the average temperature in winter is -13 deg.C and in summer 17 deg.C).