1 , 0 0 0 ▁species ▁of ▁flow ering ▁plants ; ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁st ap le ▁cro ps ▁were ▁first ▁cultiv ated ▁in ▁this ▁area , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁wild ▁relatives ▁are ▁still ▁found ▁here . ▁The ▁country ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁cross ▁roads ▁with ▁links ▁to ▁Europe , ▁Asia ▁and ▁the ▁Near ▁East , ▁and ▁many ▁birds ▁use ▁the ▁country ▁as ▁a ▁st aging ▁post ▁during ▁migration . ▁ ▁E cor eg ions ▁ ▁The ▁ge ography ▁of ▁Turkey ▁is ▁roughly ▁rect angular , ▁being ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁east - west ▁and ▁ ▁north - s outh . ▁Turkey ' s ▁ ▁of ▁land ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁parts ▁by ▁the ▁Bos ph orus , ▁the ▁Sea ▁of ▁Mar m ara ▁and ▁the ▁D ard an elles ; ▁ ▁European ▁Turkey ▁makes ▁up ▁only ▁ 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁being ▁in ▁Asia ▁and ▁often ▁known ▁as ▁An atol ia . ▁ ▁The ▁country ▁has ▁varied ▁top ography ▁with ▁fert ile ▁coast al ▁pla ins ▁contrast ing ▁with ▁mountain ous ▁regions ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁and ▁eastern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁climate ▁of ▁Turkey ▁also ▁var ies , ▁with ▁the ▁weather ▁systems ▁found ▁near ▁the ▁coast s ▁contrast ing ▁with ▁those ▁prev ail ing ▁in ▁the ▁interior . ▁The ▁A ege an ▁and ▁Mediter rane an ▁coast s ▁have ▁hot , ▁fairly ▁dry ▁sum mers ▁and ▁cool , ▁ra iny ▁winter s . ▁The ▁interior ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁has ▁a ▁contin ental ▁climate