Kocaeli Province (, ) is a province and metropolitan municipality of Turkey and one of only three not to have the same official name as its capital, İzmit, which is thus also sometimes called Kocaeli. Its area is 3,397 km2, and its population is 2,079,072 (2022). The province is the successor of the Ottoman-era Sanjak of Kocaeli. The largest towns in the province are İzmit and Gebze. The traffic code is 41. The province is located at the easternmost end of the Sea of Marmara around the Gulf of İzmit. Kocaeli is bordered by the province of Istanbul and the Marmara Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north, the province of Sakarya to the east, the province of Bursa to the south and the province of Yalova to the southwest. The metropolitan area of Istanbul extends to the Kocaeli-Istanbul provincial border. The size and natural conditions of the Bay of İzmit allow for extensive port facilities, including the Gölcük Naval Base. The province is called the industrial capital of Turkey. Kocaeli has an airport named Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station which is used for military and civilian transport. Kocaeli has two universities: Kocaeli University and Gebze Technical University.
Demographics
Data taken from Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and Central Dissemination System. The information is for (xxxx-12-31).
Districts
Kocaeli province is divided into 12 districts: Başiskele Çayırova Darıca Derince Dilovası Gebze Gölcük İzmit Kandıra Karamürsel Kartepe Körfez
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayors
1984-1989 Necati Gençoğlu ANAP
1989-1995 Sefa Sirmen SHP
1995-2002 Sefa Sirmen CHP
2002-2004 Hikmet Erenkaya CHP
2004-2019 İbrahim Karaosmanoğlu AK Party
2019-present Tahir Büyükakın AK Party
Twin cities
Kassel, Germany
Novi Pazar, Serbia
See also
East Marmara Region
Kocaeli University
Pişmaniye
Provinces of Turkey
References
External links
Kocaeli municipality's official website
Kocaeli Etkinlik
Kocaeli Gazetesi ve Haberleri
