- Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, is the most populous city in Turkey. Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Eurasia, straddling the Bosphorus 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 14.7 million residents. Istanbul is one of the world’s most populous cities and ranks as the world’s 7th-largest city proper and the largest European city.
- North Cascades (summitpost.org)
“I have roamed many foreign parts my boys, and many lands have seen. But Columbia is my idol yet, of all the lands she is queen.” -Parson Smith, June 8th, 1886 When trapper Allen (Parson) Smith carved those words into a tree 12 feet this side of the Canadian Border, he was one of the many who traveled great lengths to reap the rewards of the legendary North Cascades. The rewards of those days were pelts, furs, gold, copper, and many other minerals.