Editing Geography of Turkey (section)

=== Marmara region ===
{{Main|Marmara region, Turkey}}
[[File:Istanbul_Levent_skyline.jpg|thumb|A view of [[Levent]] from [[Kanlıca]] across the [[Bosporus]].]]

The European portion of Turkey consists mainly of rolling plateau country well suited to agriculture.

Densely populated, this area includes the cities of [[Istanbul]] and [[Edirne]]. The [[Bosphorus]], which links the [[Sea of Marmara]] and the Black Sea, is about twenty-five kilometers long and averages 1.5 kilometers in width but narrows in places to less than 1,000 meters. There are two suspension bridges over the Bosphorus, both its Asian and European banks rise steeply from the water and form a succession of cliffs, coves, and nearly landlocked bays. Most of the shores are densely wooded and are marked by numerous small towns and villages. The [[Dardanelles]] (ancient [[Hellespont]]) [[strait]], which links the [[Sea of Marmara]] (ancient [[Propontis]]) and the [[Aegean Sea]], is approximately forty kilometers long and increases in width toward the south. Unlike the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles has fewer settlements along its shores. The [[Saros Bay]] is located near the [[Gallipoli]] peninsula and is disliked because of dirty beaches. It is a favourite spot among scuba divers for the richness of its underwater [[fauna]] and is becoming increasingly popular due to its vicinity to Istanbul.

The most important valleys are the [[İzmit|Kocaeli]] Valley, the [[Bursa Province|Bursa]] Ovası (Bursa Basin), and the Plains of [[Troy]] (historically known as the [[Troad]]). The valley lowlands around Bursa is densely populated.

{{wide image|File:Istanbul_panorama_and_skyline.jpg|1000px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of the [[Bosphorus]] strait, where [[Anatolia|Asia]] and [[Thrace|Europe]] meet, with the [[Hagia Sophia]] and [[Blue Mosque, Istanbul|Blue Mosque]] view.}}