Zonguldak

Zonguldak (Turkish pronunciation: [zoŋˈguɫdak]) is a city and the capital of Zonguldak Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It was established in 1849 as a port town for the nearby coal mines in Ereğli and the coal trade remains its main economic activity. According to the 2009 census, Zonguldak has a population of 108,792. The current mayor is Ömer Selim Alan, representing the AKP. Zonguldak is one of the highest income economies among Turkish cities.

Zonguldak
Zonguldak
Zonguldak
Zonguldak
Zonguldak
Coordinates: 41°27′23″N 31°47′55″E
CountryTurkey
ProvinceZonguldak
Government
  MayorÖmer Selim Alan (AKP)
Area
  District632.98 km2 (244.39 sq mi)
Elevation
60 m (200 ft)
Population
 (2012)[2]
  Urban
109,080
  District
213,544
  District density340/km2 (870/sq mi)
Postal code
67 000
Area code(s)(+90) 372
Vehicle registration67
ClimateCfb
Websitewww.zonguldak.bel.tr

Etymology

There are several different theories concerning the origin of the city's name.

One is that it comes from Zone Geul-Dagh, the name given to the area by French and Belgian mining companies[3][4] to refer to the zone near "Geul-Dagh" or Göldağı ('Lake Mountain'), the highest mountain in the vicinity of the Devrek district.

Another theory is that the name originates from the Turkish zongalık which means swamp, or zongura.

Another is that the name may derive from the name of the nearby ancient settlement of Sandaraca or Sandarake (in Ancient greek Σανδαράκη).

According to another theory the name may have come from the compound word Jangal-Dagh, composed of Persian jangal, which the French entrepreneurs called the area due to its uneven and wooded geography, plus Turkish dağ 'mountain'.

In a 1920 report, the British Foreign Office spelled Zonguldak Zunguldak.[5]

History

The port city of Zonguldak suffered a heavy bombardment by the Russians during World War I, according to the caption of a Lubok popular print.[6]

As of 1920, the port was under the control of the Heraclea Coal Company. The northern part of the bay featured a man-made harbor, for steamship use. At that time, they had two cranes which distributed coal to exporting vessels.[5]

Climate

Zonguldak has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), closely bordering a humid subtropical climate (Cfa); with high and evenly distributed rainfall the year round. Summers are warm and humid, and the average temperature is around 21 °C in July and August. Winters are cool and damp, and the average temperature is around 6 °C in January and February.

Precipitation is heaviest in autumn and early winter and lightest in spring.

The water temperature like in the whole Turkish Black Sea coast is always cool and fluctuates between 8° and 20 °C throughout the year.

Climate data for Zonguldak
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 24.1
(75.4)
26.7
(80.1)
31.7
(89.1)
33.6
(92.5)
36.7
(98.1)
40.5
(104.9)
39.5
(103.1)
39.8
(103.6)
36.2
(97.2)
35.9
(96.6)
29.9
(85.8)
28.1
(82.6)
40.5
(104.9)
Average high °C (°F) 9.2
(48.6)
9.5
(49.1)
10.8
(51.4)
15.0
(59.0)
18.9
(66.0)
23.0
(73.4)
25.1
(77.2)
25.3
(77.5)
22.4
(72.3)
18.6
(65.5)
15.1
(59.2)
11.6
(52.9)
17.0
(62.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.2
(43.2)
6.2
(43.2)
7.5
(45.5)
11.4
(52.5)
15.5
(59.9)
19.7
(67.5)
21.9
(71.4)
21.9
(71.4)
18.7
(65.7)
15.1
(59.2)
11.6
(52.9)
8.5
(47.3)
13.7
(56.6)
Average low °C (°F) 3.6
(38.5)
3.4
(38.1)
4.6
(40.3)
8.2
(46.8)
12.2
(54.0)
16.0
(60.8)
18.2
(64.8)
18.3
(64.9)
15.5
(59.9)
12.3
(54.1)
8.9
(48.0)
5.8
(42.4)
10.6
(51.1)
Record low °C (°F) −7.7
(18.1)
−8.0
(17.6)
−6.4
(20.5)
−2.1
(28.2)
3.0
(37.4)
8.8
(47.8)
11.2
(52.2)
10.0
(50.0)
5.9
(42.6)
1.8
(35.2)
−3.2
(26.2)
−7.4
(18.7)
−8.0
(17.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 136.9
(5.39)
93.1
(3.67)
95.6
(3.76)
61.7
(2.43)
53.4
(2.10)
72.9
(2.87)
71.8
(2.83)
87.4
(3.44)
107.7
(4.24)
145.6
(5.73)
140.1
(5.52)
150.6
(5.93)
1,216.8
(47.91)
Average rainy days 17.9 15.7 14.9 12.5 10.7 8.7 6.8 7.0 8.5 12.2 13.7 17.2 145.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 65.1 78.4 127.1 162 232.5 288 316.2 291.4 225 155 99 68.2 2,107.9
Mean daily sunshine hours 2.1 2.4 3.5 5.2 7.6 9.2 10.1 9.2 7.3 5.6 3.3 2.2 5.6
Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service [7]

Economy

Jobs in coal in Turkey are being lost[8] and in 2020 the EBRD proposed a just transition.[9]

Transportation

Zonguldak old coal Port constructed in 1848
Construction work in the city
Zonguldak port and breakwater, Turkey Ottoman era postcard

The city is the terminus of a railway line to Irmak, with the terminating station Zonguldak Railway Station built in 1937.


International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Zonguldak is twinned with:[10]

Notable people

Ergün Penbe - Turkish former footballer

Murat Boz - Turkish singer-songwriter and actor

See also

References

  1. "Area of regions (including lakes), km²". Regional Statistics Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. 2002. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  2. "Population of province/district centers and towns/villages by districts - 2012". Address Based Population Registration System (ABPRS) Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  3. Governorship of Zonguldak - A Brief History Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (in Turkish)
  4. Financial Manager's Office of Zonguldak - A General Description Archived October 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (in Turkish)
  5. Prothero, G.W. (1920). Anatolia. London: H.M. Stationery Office.
  6. The Russian-Turkish War. Sinking Four Turkish Cargo Ships.” World Digital Library. Accessed May 11, 2015.
  7. "Zonguldak". Turkish State Meteorological Service. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  8. "Ürettiği kömür kırıcılar 'kara elmas'ı sanayiye hazır hale getiriyor".
  9. "The EBRD just transition initiative".
  10. "Kardeş Kent İlişkileri". zonguldak.bel.tr (in Turkish). Zonguldak. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
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