Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul (, or or ; ), historically known as Byzantium and before 1924 as Constantinople, is the most populous city in Turkey and the country's economic, cultural, and historic center. Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Eurasia, straddling the Bosporus strait (which separates Europe and Asia) between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Its commercial and historical center lies on the European side and about a third of its population lives on the Asian side. The city is the administrative center of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (coterminous with Istanbul Province), both hosting a population of around 15
Piracy in the Strait of Hormuz Piracy in the Strait of Hormuz Piracy has taken place in a maritime area bounded by the Suez and the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 35 percent of all crude oil shipped by sea and one-third of all liquefied natural gas pass through the strait. High Risk Areas for piracy (HRA) have been declared in different parts of the world to reflect precautions to be taken when ships transit them. These include the following: As per the Contact group of Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), the HRA (updated on 8 October 2015) is an area bounded by the following: