İkizdere

İkizdere is a town and district of Rize Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Etymology

Formerly known as Kuray-ı Sab, İkizdere means "two streams" and indeed the Çamlık and Cimil Rivers meet here to form the İkizdere.

Demographics

There are four ethnic group in the district: Greeks, Turks, Laz and Hemshin. The non-Turkic natives converted into Islam during the Ottoman peiod, and during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the natives stayed in the area. There is a minority of Greek-speakers, mostly old people. The local Turkish dialect is full of Pontic Greek words. The localities

Geography

This is hilly countryside inland from the Black Sea, forest-covered steep mountainside separated by narrow valleys, with areas of high pasture. The İkizdere is formed from streams running out of the Rize Mountains and continues down to the Black Sea, it is dammed for hydro-electric power and for irrigation. There is snow on the high peaks and lots of glacial formation. The climate is typical of the Black Sea region i.e. it rains all the time. There is broad-leaf forest at lower elevations and pine higher up.