Is turkey in Europe or Asia?

The country of Turkey lies in both Asia and Europe. Western Turkey is geographically considered part of Europe. The 37th largest country in the world in land mass, Turkey is also considered part of the Middle East region of Asia.

The country is bordered by Bulgaria, Georgia and the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea and Greece to the west, Syria and Iraq to the south, and Iran and Armenia to the east. Originally part of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey gained its independence in 1923 following the empire's collapse in World War I. As of July 2014, the country's population is over 81 million.