Izmir, Turkey
City
Izmir, located in Aegean Region, is one of the oldest port cities of the world and the third largest city of Turkey with a population of 4 million (1). It is a cosmopolitan city and one of the main hubs for exporting various agricultural and industrial products from its port (1). Izmir is also a touristic, commercial, and historical city.
Education
Several universities are established in İzmir (2). The city hosts tens of thousands of students (3).
Culture & Tourism
Izmir is a prominent tourism center with its environment, historical assets, cultural heritage, and natural beauties (3).
Izmir’s main sights include İzmir Clock Tower, Alsancak, Temple, Agora Open Air Museum of İzmir, theatre of Smyrna, the İzmir Bird Paradise, synagogues, Mosque, Clock Tower, beaches, cultural centers, Archeology Museum, St John's Basilica, Izmir's elevator, and others museums (2).
Transportation
Izmir is served by national and international flights through the Adnan Menderes International Airport (2). The latter has a passenger and a cargo terminal (2). It serves 6,201,794 passengers in the year 2009 (2).
Izmir Alsancak Port is the second most important seaport of Turkey (3). There are terminals for passengers and for containers as well as warehouses (6). Izmir is an important cruise destination hosting approximately 400,000 tourists annually (3).
Economy
Izmir is an important foreign trade city of Turkey with its free zones, industrial zones, and maritime transportation opportunities (3). It is the second largest commercial center in Turkey (3).
Izmir’s economy is divided by activities as follow: 30.5% for industry, 22.9% for trade and related services, 13.5% for transportation and communication, and 7.8% for agriculture (2).
More than 4,000 export companies are located in Izmir (3). Izmir is responsible for 4.2% of the total imports and 5.8 % of the total exports of Turkey (3). Izmir’s local products include cotton, figs, grapes, tobacco, olives, and superior quality olive oil (3).
The city has high potential in motor vehicles, chemicals, industrial machinery & equipment, food & beverage production, renewable energy, tourism, automotive OEM, information & communications technology (3).
Main products produced in the region of Izmir are cotton, grape, fig, dried fruits, vegetables, spices, alcohol drinks, animal feed and tobacco (3).
Izmir’s traditional export items include agro-industry products, machinery and mechanical appliances, automotive components, iron and steel, tobacco, foodstuffs, plastics products, chemicals manufacture, rubber, and textile (3).
Aegean
The province as a whole is Turkey's third largest exporter, after Istanbul and Bursa, and the fifth largest importer (2).
Turkey
Turkey’s natural resources include coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, and hydropower (4).
Turkey’s agriculture products include tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulses, citrus and livestock (4).
Turkey’s industries include textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, and paper (4).
Turkey’s export commodities include apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, and transport equipment (4).
Turkey’s imports commodities include machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, and transport equipment (4).
References