| Istanbul | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| International City of Istanbul | |
 |
The International City of Istanbul is a major city in the Kingdom of Europa.
History[]
Byzantium (Greek: Βυζάντιον, Byzántion) is the first known name of the city. Around 660 BC, Greek settlers from the city-state of Megara founded a Doric colony on the present-day Istanbul, and named the new colony after their king, Byzas. After Constantine I (The Great) made the city the new eastern capital of the Roman Empire in 330 AD, the city became widely known as Constantinopolis or Constantinople. Constantinople began to decline after the Fourth Crusade, during which it was sacked and pillaged. Various economic and military policies weakened the empire and left it more vulnerable to attack. In the mid-14th century, the Ottoman Turks cut off Constantinople's supply routes and strangled it slowly. Finally, on 29 May 1453, after an eight-week siege (during which the last Roman Emperor, Constantine XI, was killed), Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople and declared it the new capital of the Ottoman Empire.
After the Third Balkan War in 1955, Istanbul was awarded to Europa, as part of the Dardanelles Territory.
Modern-day[]
Istanbul has grown to become a major trade and financial center of the world. It is a major shipping center, with the largest port in the world. West Istanbul has the Istanbul Naval Base of the Royal Navy of Europa as the only military post on the Black Sea.