| |
The Marmara Region |
|
| |
| The region, named after the Marmara Sea, is located in the northwestern corner of Turkey and its surface area is 67,000 km². It is next to the Black, Marmara and Aegean seas. The İstanbul and Dardanelles straits are in this region and it has lands both on the Asian and European Continents. The Bozcaada and Gökçeada (İmroz) islands in the Aegean are also parts of this region. The population of the region has risen to 17.4 million according to the 2000 census. 13.7 million of this population reside in urban areas while 3.63 million in rural areas. This region, with the highest population growth rate of 26.69‰, is subject to constant migration from other areas. |
| |
| In the Marmara Region, which is regarded the industrial center of the country especially on the İstanbul-Bursa-İzmit axis, tourism and agriculture are important means of livelihood along with industry and trade. |
| |
| Processed food, textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, cement, paper, petrochemical products, automobiles and spare parts, durable household items, railway cars and ships are the leading industrial goods produced in the region. |
| |
 |
The Bosphorus - İSTANBUL |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
The region has a distinct privilege by the fact that the shortest land and maritime routes connecting Europe to Asia and the Black Sea countries to the Mediterranean pass through there, and this has led to development, increasing of the population and enrichment of the area. As a region which has hosted many civilizations throughout the centuries, it has become one of the most important culture, arts and tourism centers of the world with its antiquities and scenic wonders. |
|
| |
 İstanbul: A Universal Metropolis: İstanbul, with its historical monuments, museums, palaces, city walls, waterside mansions, scenic wonders and houses of worship which are the heritage of an 8,000-year past, is an elegant center of tolerance and a synthesis of the heritage of the world’s culture and civilization. |
| |
İstanbul is the biggest city in Turkey in terms of its population, not to mention the economic life, trade, capital and cultural activities. Nearly half of the overall taxes are collected in this city and its vicinity. İstanbul, with the biggest import/export harbor in the country, is the busiest center and also the starting point of the national and international waterways and airways, connecting Turkey to foreign countries. The European and Asian sides of the city are connected by two bridges. |
| |
 |
Topkapı Palace - İSTANBUL |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
