Large ships rest in Istanbul’s harbor, holding huge containers that are filled with goods either entering or leaving Turkey. All day long, gigantic cranes lift the containers and place them on ship decks or truck beds. For many centuries, Istanbul has been characterized by the domes of its many mosques. Today, the cranes also symbolize this bustling city.
A Hub of Business, Trade, and Travel Istanbul is the economic center of Turkey, comprising almost half of the country’s industrial production and jobs. Nearly half of all goods bought and sold in Turkey pass through the city, and it is also Turkey’s banking center.
Istanbul’s busy port welcomes ships from all over the world. Ships arrive carrying machinery, oil, metals, medicines, plastics, and chemicals, and leave with textiles, clothing, steel products, foods, and minerals.
The city connects Turkey to the rest of the world, and has been a railroad center since the early days of train travel. Rail passengers took the famous Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul, and from there they boarded the Baghdad Railway to travel into Southwest Asia. Modern visitors arrive by air and ship as well. Most people who travel to Turkey start or end their visit in Istanbul.
No Longer the Capital City Many primate cities are also capital cities.
Government buildings and offices are housed there, and legislatures assemble in these cities to make laws.
As you have read, Istanbul was once both a primate city and a capital city. However, it lost its place as a capital city in 1923, when the Republic of Turkey was formed. The president of the new country, Kemal Ataturk, wanted Turkey to have a capital that had not been the center of ancient empires. By choosing Ankara as the capital city, he hoped to show the world that Turkey was very modern. Still, Istanbul remains Turkey’s primate city.
Ships on the Bosporus Strait Every year, tens of thousands of ships move through Turkey’s Bosporus Strait. All of this shipping makes the Bosporus the world’s most crowded waterway. Its narrow passages and tricky turns also make it one of the most dangerous.
12.What do ships coming into Turkey typically carry?
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13.What do ships leaving Turkey typically carry?
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14.Is Istanbul Turkey’s capital city? YES or NO (Circle One)
● Explain why.
12. Ships coming into Turkey typically carry machinery, oil, metals, medicines, plastics, and chemicals.
13. Ships leaving Turkey typically carry textiles, clothing, steel products, foods, and minerals.
14. NO. Istanbul is not Turkey's capital city. It lost its place as a capital city in 1923 when Ankara became the capital of the Republic of Turkey. Istanbul remains Turkey's primate city, but it is not the capital city.