The Marmara Region (Turkish: Marmara Bölgesi) is a geographical region of Turkey.

Marmara
Marmara Bölgesi
Bosphorus Bridge
Hagia Sophia
Maiden Tower in Istanul
Ortaköy Mosque in Istanbul
Levent financial district from Istanbul Sapphire
Galata towwer in Istanbul
Coordinates: 41°00′N 29°00′E / 41.000°N 29.000°E / 41.000; 29.000
CountryTurkey
CapitalIstanbul
Provinces
Area
 • Total67,000 km2 (26,000 sq mi)
 • Rank6th
Population
 (Jan. 2022)(INSEE)
 • Total27,050,405
 • Rank1st
 • Density400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
DemonymTurkish: Marmaralı
Time zoneUTC+03:00 (TRT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (TRT)
ISO 3166 codeTR-IDF
NUTS RegionTR1
Websitemarmara.gov.tr

Located in northwestern Turkey, it is bordered by Greece and the Aegean Sea to the west, Bulgaria and the Black Sea to the north, the Black Sea Region to the east, and the Aegean Region to the south. At the center of the region is the Sea of Marmara, which gives the region its name. The largest city in the region is Istanbul. Other big cities are Bursa, İzmit, Balıkesir, Tekirdağ, Çanakkale and Edirne.

Among the seven geographical regions, the Marmara Region has the second-smallest area, yet the largest population; it is the most densely populated region in the country.

Etymology edit

The name of the region comes from the Marmara Sea which is named after the Marmaros island, now connected to Balıkesir. "Marmaros" means "marble" in Greek. This name was given to the island because of the significant amount of marble found there. Over time, this name also came to be used for the sea itself

The Greeks named the Marmara Sea "Propontis" by combining two words: "pro" and "pontis". In Greek, "pro" means "before" and "pontis" means "sea." They chose this name because they used to sail on the Sea of Marmara to reach the Black Sea.[1]

 
Panorama of Istanbul taken from Galata Tower. From left to right you can see the asian side of the city, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Galata Bridge and the New Mosque.
 
View of Bursa from the hills near Mount Uludağ, the ancient Mysian Olympus
 
Izmit General View
 
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
 
Çanakkale

Subdivision edit

  • Çatalca - Kocaeli Section (Turkish: Çatalca - Kocaeli Bölümü)
    • Adapazarı Area (Turkish: Adapazarı Yöresi)
    • Istanbul Area (Turkish: Istanbul Yöresi)
  • Ergene Section (Turkish: Ergene Yöresi)
  • Southern Marmara Section (Turkish: Güney Marmara Bölümü)
    • Biga - Gallipoli Area (Turkish: Biga - Gelibolu Yöresi)
    • Bursa Area (Turkish: Bursa Yöresi)
    • Karesi Area (Turkish: Karesi Yöresi)
    • Samanlı Area (Turkish: Samanlı Yöresi)
  • Yıldız Section (Turkish: Yıldız Bölümü)

Ecoregions edit

Terrestrial edit

Palearctic edit

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests edit
Temperate coniferous forests edit
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub edit

Provinces edit

Panoramic view of Istanbul

Provinces that are entirely in the Marmara Region:

Provinces that are mostly in the Marmara Region:

Panoramic view of Edirne from Selimiye Mosque.

Geography edit

The Yıldız Mountains and Uludağ are in the Marmara Region. Islands in the Aegean Sea are Gökçeada and Bozcaada, and in the Sea of Marmara are Marmara Island, Avşa, Paşalimanı, İmralı and the Princes' Islands of Istanbul.

Climate edit

The Marmara region has a hybrid mediterranean climate/humid subtropical climate on the Aegean Sea coast and the south Marmara Sea coast, an oceanic climate on the Black Sea coast and a humid continental climate in the interior. Summers are warm to hot and moderately dry whereas winters are cool, wet and sometimes snowy. The coastal climate keeps the temperatures relatively mild.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The Importance of the Marmara Sea and Region for Turkey - Istanbul Property". istanbulproperty.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.

External links edit