Here’s some interesting trivia involving Ankara: The world’s tallest man alive is part-time Turkish farmer Sultan Kösen who was measured at 8 feet 2.8 inches (251 centimeters) in February 2011 at the Medicana International Hospital in Ankara, Turkey.
Kösen holds two other Guinness World Records. One is the longest hands for any living person at 11.22 inches (28.5 centimeters) from wrist to middle fingertip; the other is the widest hand span at a massive 12 inches (30.48 centimeters).
According to the International Trade Centre, Turkey placed among the world’s top 40 exporters in 2017, shipping US$157.1 billion worth of goods around the globe. Turkey’s highest-value exports include automobiles, gold, automotive parts and accessories, jewelry, iron or steel bars, refined petroleum oils and T-shirts.
Capital Facts for Ankara, Turkey: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Atakule Tower, Ankara Castle and Kocatepe Mosque
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Ankara, Turkey:
- Serenay Sarikayai, Miss Turkey Universe 2010 (born Jul. 1, 1991)
- Mustafa Ceceli, pop singer (born Nov. 2, 1980)
- Melih Gökçek, mayor (born Oct. 20, 1948)
- Beren Saat, actress (born Feb. 26, 1984)
- Joe Strummer, singer-songwriter (born Aug. 21, 1952)
- Kenan Imirzalioglu, actor (born Jun. 18, 1974)
- Ali Babacan, former deputy prime minister (born Apr. 4, 1967)
- Can Dündar, journalist & documentarian (born Jun. 16, 1961)
- Ebru Özkan, soap opera actor (born Nov. 18, 1978)
- Mert Firat, actor & writer (born Jan. 10, 1981)
- Engin Akyurek, actor (born Oct. 12, 1981)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for an Ankara resident: Ankaran
Population: 4,640,000 (Ankara city built-up urban area)
Density: 18,196 people per square mile (7,026 per square kilometer)
Population: 5,270,575 (Ankara Province)
Density: 531 people per square mile (205 per square kilometer)
Population: 80,274,604 (Turkey)
Density: 270 people per square mile (104 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: US$1.67 trillion as of October 2016 (for Turkey, per WorldsRichestCountries.com)
GDP per person: $21,147
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Ankara were unavailable.
Official currency used in Ankara: Turkish lira
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on November 26, 2016
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Africa: Turkey. Accessed on February 2, 2017
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas. Accessed on November 26, 2016
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition. Accessed on November 26, 2016
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition. Accessed on November 26, 2016
Guinness World Records, Largest hands – living person. Accessed on February 2, 2017
Guinness World Records, Tallest man living. Accessed on February 2, 2017
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 2, 2017
Official Government Website, T.C. Ankara Valiligi. Accessed on November 26, 2016
Turkish Statistical Institute, The Results of Address Based Population Registration System, 2015. Accessed on November 26, 2016
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on November 26, 2016
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Ankara. Accessed on November 26, 2016
Wikipedia, Ankara Province. Accessed on November 26, 2016
Wikipedia, Turkey. Accessed on February 2, 2017
Ankara city’s built-up urban area measures 255 square miles (660 square kilometers) and had a population count of 4.6 million Ankarans in 2015.
Ankara Province extends over a much larger land perimeter containing 9,925 square miles (25,706 square kilometers). About half of Ankara Province is used for agricultural purposes, while just over a quarter of its surface area is forested. Another 10% is meadowland appropriate for cattle that graze for their food.
At the country level, Turkey’s land area covers 297,156 square miles (769,632 square kilometers). The national population count was 80.3 million inhabitants as of July 2016.
Population density is much higher within the urbanized areas for Turkey’s capital city with an average 18,200 Ankarans per square mile (7,000 per square kilometer).
Over the vast land area of Ankara Province, density dilutes to an average 531 people per square mile (205 per square kilometer).
For Turkey overall, population density drops to an average 270 inhabitants per square mile (104 per square kilometer).