Trakya is a region lying in the northwest of Turkey, neighbouring the huge metropolitan city of Istanbul in the east, the Black Sea in the north, the Marmara Sea in the south and the Aegean Sea in the west. The region also shares borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Trakya is the only region situated on the shore of three seas.The most important neighbour, the metropolitan city of Istanbul, is a great advantage for Trakya region.
The word “Trakya” originates from an ancient Greek word meaning “throat, trachea”. In other words, Trakya is a “Country of Straits”. Since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, Trakya region has had the greatest share of all regions as for having plenty of immigrants from other countries. The fact that Trakya region has the lowest crime rate in Turkey is a significant indicator that the residents of Trakya region have a culture of living together peacefully.
It is a common view that the new residents of the region have a much better integration phase to the culture and values of the region compared to the other places in the world.
Two thirds of the population reside within the city centres and county centres, and the other one third of the population live in the rural areas. This ratio was half and half in the 1990s; nowadays, a population flow towards the city centres and the county centres is getting quite obvious.
The fact that people who are under 25 constitute some 52% of the total population is an indicator that the population of the region is in harmony with the Turkish population dynamics of Turkey, and that Trakya region has a predominantly young population. Only some 11.5% of the value added produced by Trakya region is obtained via agriculture. In terms of industrial production, Trakya is the fourth of the most intense regions in Turkey. The share of the region for the value added increased to 35% in 2008 as compared to 32.8% in 2004. The share of the service industry, including tourism industry, within the total value added has increased rapidly to 50% as of the world and of Turkey.
The most important natural resource of Trakya region represents the agricultural fields, which cover almost the entire region and provide crops at least once a year. Moreover, the rich thermal waters, the forests of Longoz and other natural beauties within the borders of Kırklareli, the shores of the Black Sea, Marmara Sea and Aegean Sea, the Ergene River, which rises from the Yıldız Mountains and follows a long route through the region and joins Meriç Riverand then flows into the Aegean, as well as various mine resources, especially lignite and coal mines, are among the other important natural resources of the region.
Tekirdağ Province, which has a strategical importance due to its geo-graphical position, is a gateway between Anatolia and the Balkans. The province, located in the south of Trakya and having some 133 km coastlines of the Marmara Sea, deserves greatly the label of ‘’Pearl of Marmara’’ and is one of the most important provinces in Turkey with its natural beauties, history, cultural inheritance, and strong socio-economic structure.
The province of Tekirdağ covers the Northern shores of the Marmara Sea surrounding with its sandy beaches and the joyful mixture of sunflowers and vineyards the capital city of the province - Suleymanpasa - an important economic and cultural centre, a major port of commerce as well as the place where our University is located.
The Rüstem Paşa Mosque, a creation of Architect Sinan in 1554, along with the Archeology and Ethnography Museum, the Rakoczy Museum, the strand, and the monument of Namık Kemal are some major attractions of the city.
Among other cities and towns of the Tekirdağ province, Çorlu is an important industrial centre and Şarköy is a holiday centre famous for its beaches and an annual wine festival.
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