The average temperature over the year is 11.2°C. August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 22.2°C; January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of -0.4°C. The average monthly rainfall in the country is around 47.2mm.

The official currency of Turkey is Turkish lira (TRY).

The official language of Turkey is Turkish.

Muslims dominate the population of Turkey. Turkey is more secularised compared to other Muslim countries. Yet, visitors still have to mind their words and deeds. Remember to take off your shoes, dress appropriately and keep quiet when entering mosques. Turkish people respect their founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk very much. It is advisable not to make jokes about him and criticise Turkey when talking with locals.

Turkish people are very friendly. When greeting others, They usually shake hands. Close friends may greet with a hug and cheek-kiss. It is better not to hug or kiss the opposite sex. Turkish respect the elderly. People would slightly bow to the elderly, or sometimes kiss the back of their hands.

Turkish are hospitable and punctual in general. It is better to make an appointment with the host before visiting and be punctual. Do bring along some flowers or sweets as gifts, and take off your shoes when entering the house. Hosts would serve their guests with black tea. When dining out, Turkish usually insist on paying the bill for their guests. You are advised to accept the generous offer and express your gratitude.

Turkish cuisine is claimed to be one of the world’s three streams of cuisine. Turkish dishes mainly consist of meat, vegetables and beans, with traditional Arabic natural spices as seasoning. People enjoy having them with bread and pita (flatbread). Turkish kebab is a world-famous dish. As Muslims are not allowed to consume pork, they use lamb, beef and chicken to make kebabs, and wrap the meat with tomato and green chili in bread or pita.

Besides kebab, kufteh (barbecued meatball) is also commonly served. Turkish love to have beef or lamb minced and made into meatballs. They can be cooked with spices or barbecued. Beans are also popular. Lentils are usually braised with tomato sauce and meat, or made into mercimekçorbası (lentil soup). The mashed broad beans or chickpeas are usually mixed with lemon, garlic and tahini to be made into hummus, a common side dish.

Turkish love to drink hot black tea, mint tea and herbal tea. During meals, they usually have ayran, which is a salty yogurt. Camel milk is also commonly seen and people often drink it with Indian jujube and chocolate.