Population Characteristics of Ayvalık City

Abstract

This study evaluates the population characteristics of Ayvalık city from past to the present. In terms of population characteristics, Ayvalık appears as a rich cultural area due to different religion, language and race factors which appear in the region. Ayvalık city has taken advantage of its geographical location and characteristics for many years and it has been an important economic and socio-cultural center. The population of the city increased greatly during those periods. The population of Ayvalık, which reached 40.000's in 1800, could re-increase to only 34.968 in 2008. As will be explained, significant changes occurred in the population characteristics due to political, socio-cultural and economic conditions from time to time. The wars, revolts, long-lasting invasions in Ayvalık tired the people who live there, and the region regressed so much economically. The population who came to Ayvalık through immigration experienced great problems, and for the entire population who experienced the entire immigration, Ayvalık became a hope as they left their homelands and came to this city. The immigrating population was identified as foreigners at the places from where they came, and from time to time, they are also the foreigners for the places they arrived, and tried to overcome this troublesome immigration process. Despite everything, the established new order tried to be developed. The population, who experienced hard times, began to evaluate the physical and human characteristics of Ayvalık better during the period reaching the present time.