The “Heart of Turkey” is the most popular nickname for Ankara.
Research website numbeo ranks Ankara in the bottom 40% compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Ankara scored relatively poorly on health care (last place), pollution (bottom 25%), purchasing power (lowest 26%) and property price to income ratio (highest 34%). In contrast, Ankara rated relatively well on cost of living (least expensive 15%), climate (best 21%) and safety (top 45%).
Ankara’s Wonderland Eurasia is the world’s second-ranked amusement park thanks in part to its 17 roller coasters, tied with America’s Cedar Point and Canada’s Wonderland for the most roller coasters.
Ankara was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the site where the largest baked baklava ever. The gargantuan sweet dessert pastry weighed 1,130 pounds 15 ounces (513 kilograms), prepared during the Ankara Gastronomy Summit on March 22, 2018.
Turkey placed 31st among the world’s top exporters, shipping US$171.1 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include cars (7% of Turkey’s global total), refined petroleum oils (3.5%), jewelry (3%), trucks (2.8%), automotive parts or accessories (2.6%), women’s jackets, dresses and skirts (1.7%), iron or non-alloy bars and rods (1.6%), knitted or crocheted t-shirts and singlets (also 1.6%), then textile floor coverings including carpets (1.2%) according to the International Trade Centre.
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: 5,117,603 (Ankara) at July 25, 2020
Density: 5,270 people per square mile (2,034 per square kilometer)
Population: 84,402,744 (Turkey) at July 25, 2020
Density: 284 people per square mile (110 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Turkey: 31.5 years old
Financial
GDP: US$2.347 trillion in 2019 (Turkey)
GDP per person: $28,264
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).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Africa: Turkey.
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
Guinness World Records, Largest baklava.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, T.C. Ankara Valiligi.
Turkish Statistical Institute, The Results of Address Based Population Registration System, 2015.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Ankara.
Wikipedia, Ankara Province.
Wikipedia, Turkey.
WorldOMeter, Turkey Population.
Most Turks celebrate Republic Day each October 29 as Turkey’s most important public holiday.
Ankara city’s built-up urban area measures 971 square miles (2,516 square kilometers) and had a population count of 5.1 million Ankarans as of July 2020.
At the country level, Turkey’s land area covers 297,156 square miles (769,630 square kilometers). The nation’s population count was 84.4 million inhabitants as of July 25, 2020.
Population density is more concentrated within the Turkey’s capital city averaging 5,270 dwellers per square mile (2,034 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Turkey’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes to an average 284 residents per square mile (110 per square kilometer).
