Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, became Houston’s sister city in 1988. It has a population of 9.4 million and more than 10 million people live in the greater metropolitan region. Located along the Bosporus Strait, the city serves as the crossing point between Asia and Europe. This strategic location has allowed the city control over the route between Asia and Europe as well as passages from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea.
Originally founded by Greek colonists as Byzantium, the city was made the eastern capital of the Roman Empire in 324 A.D. Byzantium was renamed Nova Roma (New Rome) but was soon known as Constantinople, the City of Constantine. When the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, the capital was moved to Ankara. Istanbul became the official name of the city in 1930.
During the 1950s and 1960s the city underwent great structural change. The population of Istanbul began to increase rapidly in the 1970s as people migrated to the city for employment in the new factories that were constructed on the outskirts. This sudden surge in population caused a rapid rise in housing development and many previously outlying villages became engulfed into the greater metropolis of Istanbul.
The city is similar to Houston in that it is a place of great diversity. Having gone through three distinct periods of differing culture, diversity is an intrinsic component of Istanbul. Strong business ties link Houston to Istanbul. At least 113 Houston companies have subsidiaries in Turkey. In 2009, Houston’s total trade with Turkey was valued at more than $1.6 billion.
Fast Facts:
Population: 9.4 million (more than 10 million in greater metropolitan area)
Country: Republic of Turkey
Continent: Europe and Asia
Latitude & Longitude: 41º01’N, 28º58’ E
GMT Time Difference: +2
Time Difference from Houston: + 8 hours
Distance from Houston: 6400 mi/ 10300 km
Climate: Mediterranean
Language: Turkish
Governmental Structure: The council is the ultimate decision-making body of the Istanbul metropolitan area. It is composed of one-fifth of the members of the district and lower-tier municipalities within the metropolitan boundaries who have had the most number of votes, and the mayors of these municipalities. The council is chaired by the metropolitan mayor. The council has the power to discuss and approve some of decisions of district municipalities in addition to its own natural duties.
Current Mayor: The Honorable Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Metropolitan Istanbul
Other Sister Cities:
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Amman, Jordan
Barcelona, Spain
Busan, South Korea
Cairo, Egypt
Cologne, Germany
Constanta, Romania
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Durres, Albania
Jakarta, Indonesia
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Kazan, Russia
Khartoum, Sudan
Mari, Turkmenistan
Odessa, Ukraine
Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Rabat, Morocco
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Shanghai, China
Shimonoseki, Japan
Skopje, Macedonia
St. Petersburg, Russia
Additional Information:
Governorship of Istanbul
Lonely Planet - Istanbul
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality