The Marmara Region forms a passage between the Balkan Peninsula and Anatolia. Europe and Asia are connected to each other in this region. It covers 8.5 percent of the country with a surface area of 67,000 km2.
It gets its name from the internal sea with the same name, which is entirely surrounded by land and connected to the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea through the straits. The islands of Bozcaada and Gokceada (Imroz), situated in the open sea off the Aegean coast, are also located in the Marmara Region.
The Marmara Region is surrounded by the Black Sea and Central Anatolia Regions to the east, the Aegean Region to the south and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. The borders of the Marmara Region are not in conformity with the provincial borders in many places just as in the other regions. Edirne, Kirklareli, Tekirdag, Istanbul, Kocaeli and Yalova Provinces are completely within the borders of the region. Some lands in Sakarya, Bilecik, Bursa, Balikesir and Canakkale Provinces are located within the borders of the Aegean and the Black Sea Regions.
The people in the Marmara Region make their living in industry, trade, tourism and agriculture. It is Turkey's main industrial region. The most developed industrial zone in the region is the Istanbul-Bursa-Izmit triangle. Istanbul, which has been an important trade center since ancient times and is located on the intercontinental transport routes, makes the region superior throughout the country.
Widespread industrial activities can be encountered in other areas in the region. Among the main industrial goods produced in the region are processed food items, textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, cement, paper, petrochemical products, durable household items, ships and yachts.
At the same time, the agriculture in the region has also diversified. Approximately half of the sown areas consists of wheat fields. It is followed by sugar beet, corn and sunflower production. In the region which realizes almost 73 percent of Turkey's sunflower production and almost 30 percent of her corn production, there is also a considerable amount of vegetable and fruit production.
This region which is in second place after the Black Sea Region in corn production, follows the Aegean Region in olive production. Gemlik Olives are preferred throughout the whole country. In this region, which also has a developed viniculture, Tekirdag, Sarkoy, Murefte, Avsa and Bozcaada are famous for their grapes and wines.
The region which is located in southeastern Europe has the most beautiful scenery and the greatest architectural and artistic works in the world. History and nature are side by side on the islands, peninsulas, bays, mountains, forests and cities in the Marmara Region. This region, where many great civilizations were born and developed and became established, constituted the migration routes of the tribes passing between the two continents.
Today it is possible to encounter at every step the traces left by these tribes and the nations which settled in the region. Tourism is also very developed in the region which has unique natural and historical assets. A significant number of tourists visit the region every year. The region is the financial, investment, education and operations center of Turkish tourism.