Inland sea lying between the Asian and European parts of Turkey.
It is connected with the Black Sea through the Bosporus , and with the Aegean Sea through the Dardanelles . It is 175 mi (280 km) long and nearly 50 mi (80 km) wide, and it occupies an area of 4,382 sq mi (11,350 sq km). The sea has two distinct island groups. The Kızıl Islands in the northeast are primarily resort areas. The Marmara Islands in the southwest are rich in granite, slate, and marble, which have been quarried since antiquity.