East Thrace

East Thrace is of historic importance as it is next to a major sea trade corridor and constitutes what remains of the once-vast Ottoman region of Rumelia.

The region also serves as a future connector of existing Turkish, Bulgarian, and Greek high-speed rail networks.

The two continents are separated by the Dardanelles, the Bosphorus (collectively known as the Turkish straits) and the Sea of Marmara, a route of about 361 km (224 mi).

Summers are warm to hot, humid and moderately dry whereas winters are cold and wet and sometimes snowy.

East Thrace was the setting for several important events in history and legend, including: During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) and the Balkan Wars (1912–1913), Muslim Muhacir of various ethnic groups from the former Ottoman territories in the Balkans, were forced to flee toward eastern Thrace through expulsions, violence and massacres, followed by further emigration caused by the 1923-24 Population exchange between Greece and Turkey.

A publication from December 21, 1912, in the Belgian magazine Ons Volk Ontwaakt (‘Our Nation Awakes’) estimated 1,006,500 inhabitants in the vilayet:[7] 21st century East Thrace constitutes what remains of Turkish Rumelia, which once stretched as far north as Hungary and as far west as Bosnia.

Since 1360, the oil wrestling tournament Kırkpınar is held annually near Edirne; usually in late June.