Throughout history, Kocaeli has been a gateway connecting Europe with the Middle East and Asia.It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Bithynia and a crucial trade centre for the Eastern Roman Empire. Today, along the commercially active Black Sea and the Marmara Sea shorelines, Kocaeli boasts 34 ports and industrial facility docks, making it a logistics heaven and a gateway to global markets. The province is a hub for both national and intercontinental routes. It is adjacent to Istanbul, one of the world’s largest metropolitan centres and close to two international airports; Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen(SAW) and Istanbul Ataturk(IST), 45 and 80 km. from the city centre respectively. Only 14 km. away is the Cengiz Topel airport serving purely domestic routes. Kocaeli is home to more than 1,600,000 people and is one of Türkiye’s most densely populated cities. This is also the home port for the Turkish Navy, demonstrating the continuing historic and strategic importance of the province in military terms. HISTORY OF KOCAELI Being on the way on one of the most important crossroads of the world combining Asia to Europe, Kocaeli and its surroundings has been an important populated place starting from the pre-historic ages. It has been confirmed that population has been existing in this area since 3000 B.C. Despite of that only a few populated places have been discovered dating back to pre-historic ages. The major reasons of the discovery of only a few inhabited areas in such a convenient area for settlement are the lack of archelogical studies and the destruction of the signs of history by the inhabiters. Kocaeli and its surroundings that have been inhabited up to date and the limited amount of invesitgations have revealed the earliest human signs at the east of Kefken Kovanagzi and Sarisu on the west and on the Pink Rocks and Cebeci shoulders. Remains discovered at Kovanagzi and Cebeci belong to thesubpaleolitic age, remains from Sarisu belong to mid-Paleolitic Age. Additional again at the kefken headland firing stones have been found spred widely. The first ruins of a populated place dating back to the analictic age is at Valide kopru tumulus found at yalakdere village of Karamursel. Other signs possibly belonging to a populated place are found at the Cene mountain at the county of Derince. However no detailed investigations have been held at both places. Except these two no other inhabited until the 1800's BC place has been discovered. First evidences belonging to Kocaeli date back to the 12th Century BC. At these times the Frigs have dominated the area, afterwards a group from the city of megara of greece seeking a new place for themselves have built the city of Astacos at todays area called Basiskele. After the demoliton of Astacos caused by the king of Tracia Lysimakhos on the side reefs of todays Kocaeli a new city called Nicomedia has been built. At 262 B.C Alexander the Great who has had the city built, his king Nicomedes who was charged with the conquest of Anatolia had named the city with his wifes name. The constantly rising Bythinian Kingdom center Nicomedia, became a big Helenistic city. 91-94 BC it was donated to the Romans. 284 BC emperor Diocletionus has again turned Nicomedia into the capital city. By his time Nicomedia has become the fourth biggest city after Rome, Antakya, Alexandria. At the last quarter of the 11th century Nicomedia has been conquered by the Selchuksr. Then it has been taken back with the 1st crusade and stayed under siege of the Latins, then was recaptured by the Selchuks. The city has come under control of the Ottomans at Orhan Gazi period with its conquest by Adapazari and Hendek regions governor Akcakoca. At early stages its name Iznikmid which means neighbour of Iznik has changed to Kocaeli in time. Being tied to Istanbul until 1888 Kocaeli became a seperate city after this date. Remaining under siege of British and Greek forces during the independence war period the city was liberated at 28th of June 1921, after the announcement of the republic became the center of the Kocaeli province. During the republican times industrial investments to the area have shaped the infastructure of the area and governmental and private investments have multiplied. Today a developed Industrial city; surrounded by roads and railroads. Beside of that with the Derince and kocaeli ports it has established contact with world maritime lines. Covering somewhat a small surface area, with its production in industrial and value addition it is an interesting example not only for Türkiye but also for the world. GEOGRAPHY OF KOCAELILocation: Kocaeli, lies on the Catalca-Kocaeli region of the Marmara Area, between 29°22'-30°21' eastern longtitude, 40 D 31 '- 41*13' Northern Latitude. Surrounded by Sakarya from its East and SouthEast, Bursa on the South, The İzmit gulf, Yalova and The Marmara sea and Istanbul on the west, and the Black Sea on the North. The Provincial Center is located on the 30° Eastern longtitude which is accepted as a base for Türkiye's time zone. The surface of the province of Kocaeli is 3.505 km2. It is located on an important crossroad binding Asia to Europe. The Izmit Gulf which is a natural harbour is a busy maritime line. The Istanbul boarder to the NorthWest of the province passes to the East of Kemiklidere. On the SouthEast the Istanbul-Kocaeli boarder ends at the opposite shores of the İzmit Gulf with the soils of Yalova. The Bursa frontier is formed by the line passing through the Samanli Height. On the SouthEast this boarder leans on to Sakarya which is on the shores of the Sapanca Lake close to Masukiye. Mountains: The Samanli heights starting from the west side of the Sakarya river and reaching to Pamukova and North of The Iznik Lake until Bozburun are the dominant landmark to Izmit, Sapanca and Adapazari subsdied field. The peak of the Samanli Mountains is Keltepe(Kartepe) with 1.601 metres. The other prominent mountains are the dikmen mountain(1387 metres), Naldoken mountain (1.125 m), Naz mountain (917 m) and Cene mountain(646 m). Plains and Plateaus: Main plains are the lowlands spread between Izmit and the Sapanca lake and Dilovasi. The area which is a Peplen within the boarders of the Kocaeli half-island consist of wavy plains. Flowing Waters: Some part of the waters stemming from the provincial boarders flow into the BlackSea and the rest to the Marmara Sea.Since the surface of the mountains facing the marmara are shorter than the ones to the BlackSea the rivers flowing into the BlackSea are longer.The 71 km long Riva Stream stemming from the Tepecik Village of Gebze flows in to the BlackSea at the Eastern entrance of the Bosphorus in Istanbul.The Ağva Stream or the Göksu Stream in other words Göksu Deresi stems from the Karayakuplu Village and reaches the BlackSea at Ağva.The Yulaflı stream flowing into the BlackSea is 43 kms long. The Darlık Stram which hosts the Darlik Dam that provides water to Istanbul also stems from our soils.The Kocadere Stream stemming from the Denizli Village and flowing into the black Sea is 50 kms long.The Major Stream forming in the provincial soils and flows into the BlackSea withn is the Sansu in Kandıra County.The Kaynarca River joining the Sakarya river bfore it meets the Sea also is stemmes from Kandıra.Kirazdere from the Samanli heights flows into the Izmit Gulf. The dam on this stream the Kirazdere Dam has benn finished in 1997.The length of the Dilovası Stream in the Gebze county is 12 kms.It passes through the North of the Tavşanlı Village and South of pelitli village and flows into the Izmit Gulf.Lakes: The Sapanca Lake on with its 7 km coast on its West remaining in Kocaeli has a surface of 47 squarekilometers. The artificial lake that provides water for the city of Izmit covers an area of 1,74 km². Another artificial lake is the one made by the Great Izmit Municipality in order to provide water for Izmit and is formed by the waters collected behind the dam is the Yuvacik Dam Lake. Climate: The Gulf coasts and the Black Sea coasts are mild and the higher regions have a harsher climate. It can be said that the climate of Izmit is a transition between Mediterranean and Black Sea climate. Summers are hot and with scarce rainfalls and winters are rainy and occasionally cold and snowy. Differences are obvious between the Marmara and Black Sea coasts of Kocaeli. While tha gulf coasts can be too hot sometimes the Black Sea coast is cooler. Highest ever temperature recorded in city center is 41,6 D C (11 August 1970), Coldest ever temperature is -8,7°C (4 February 1960), average annual temperature is 14,8°C. Average rainfall on the Black Sea coast exceeds 1.000 mm. average. This amount decreases as we go Southward, falls under 800mm s at Izmit.(784,6mm). On the shoulders of the Samanli Heights facing the gulf climate resembles the Black Sea climate.Rainfall is different in this area as well. Winds blow from North on Winter and NorthEast on Summers.Vegetation: Having usually a typical Marmara region vegetation Kocaeli differs from coastal areas to higher points. And when gone Southward Mediterranean vegetation start replacing the Black Sea types.The areas beyond the Samanli Heights and the BlackSea coastal areas are covered with moisty forests. These forests consist of varipus types of trees including chestnut, reech and others. Higher regions of the Samanli Mountains are covered with pines to the North and East of the Izmit Gulf Meditteranean specific vegetation can be seen. Olive tree fields have been demolished at the north of the gulf in order to gain Industrial sites. The demolished forests are covered with step vegetation and fake scrubs.