The Marmara region (Turkish language: Marmara Bölgesi) is a geographical region of Turkey.
Located in East Thrace, 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
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 language, "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.
Subdivision
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Çatalca - Kocaeli Section ()
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Adapazarı Area ()
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Istanbul Area ()
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Ergene Section ()
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Southern Marmara Section ()
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Biga - Gallipoli Area ()
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Bursa Area ()
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Karesi Area ()
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Samanlı Area ()
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Yıldız Section ()
Ecoregions
Terrestrial
palearctic">
Palearctic
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
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Balkan mixed forests
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Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests
Temperate coniferous forests
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Northern Anatolian conifer and deciduous forests (Turkey)
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
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Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests
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Anatolian conifer and deciduous mixed forests
Provinces
Provinces that are entirely in the Marmara Region:
Provinces that are mostly in the Marmara Region:
Geography
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
The Marmara region has a borderline Mediterranean and humid subtropical climate on the Aegean Sea and south Marmara Sea coasts, and an
oceanic climate on the Black Sea coast. 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
External links
