Izmir << IHZ meer or ihz MIHR >> is a Turkish port and trading center. The metropolitan municipality of Izmir has a population of 3,401,994. A metropolitan municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. The city lies on the country’s west coast, along the Aegean Sea. The Greek name for the city is Smyrna. Izmir exports chrome ore, tobacco, dried fruits, cotton, and olive oil. Since the 600’s B.C., many different peoples have ruled the city. These have included Greeks, Romans, Seljuk Turks, Mongols, and Ottomans. In 1919, after World War I, Greek troops occupied Izmir. In 1922, Turkish nationalists forced the Greeks to leave. Izmir became part of the Republic of Turkey when the republic was established in 1923. See also Turkey (The Republic of Turkey); Sèvres, Treaty of.
