The strategic geographical location of Turkey has long shaped its political and cultural history. Located on Asia Minor (the Anatolian peninsula) the region borders the Black Sea to the North, the Aegean to the West and the Mediterranean to the south. Crossing the borders of the Asian and European continents, Turkey is also associated with the Middle East. The geographic features of Turkey are vast, with an outer range of mountains surrounding a central plateaux. Numerous salt water and fresh water lakes scatter the country, and lava deposits have left large expanses of uninhabited land on the eastern edges of the region.
Natural resources of the region include: coal, iron, chromium, gold, mercury, copper, limestone, magnesite, marble and clay among others. 29.81% of the region is composed of arable land, while permanent crops cover 3.39%. Environmental hazards are primarily limited to sever earthquakes, especially along the northern edge of the country. Environmental issues include water pollution, urban air pollution and deforestation.
Although the overall climate of Turkey is temperate, the wide variety of geographical features creates large variances in climate between regions. Summer temperatures can surpass 50 C while the temperatures in the winter can drop below -30 C in the east. This temperature difference between seasons is one of the largest variances in the world. However, regions near the Aegean coastlands enjoy far milder climates and conditions.
