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Zonguldak

Zonguldak
Municipality
Zonguldak is located in Turkey
Zonguldak
Zonguldak
Coordinates: 41°27′23″N 31°47′55″E / 41.45639°N 31.79861°E / 41.45639; 31.79861Coordinates: 41°27′23″N 31°47′55″E / 41.45639°N 31.79861°E / 41.45639; 31.79861
Country Turkey
Province Zonguldak
Government
 • Mayor Muharrem Akdemir (CHP)
Area
 • District 632.98 km2 (244.39 sq mi)
Elevation 60 m (200 ft)
Population (2012)
 • Urban 109,080
 • District 213,544
 • District density 340/km2 (870/sq mi)
Postal code 67 000
Area code(s) (+90) 372
Vehicle registration 67
Climate Cfb
Website www.zonguldak.bel.tr

Zonguldak 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 Muharrem Akdemir, representing the CHP. Zonguldak is one of the highest income economies among Turkish cities.

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 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 Sandraka or Sandràke (in Ancient greek Σανδράκη).

According to another theory the name may have come from the compound word Jungle-Dagh, composed of jungle, 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.

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.

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.

Zonguldak has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb); 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.


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