Balikesir is a province in midwestern Turkey, having shorelines on both Marmara and the Aegean seas. Its adjacent provinces are Canakkale to the west, Izmir to the southwest, Manisa to the south, Kutahya to the southeat, and Bursa to the east. The provincial capital is Balikesir City. The Mount Ida of Phrygia, now known by its Turkish name, Kaz Dağı (pronounced "Kaz DA-u") is located in this province. Balikesir province is famous for its olives, thermal spas, clean beaches, making it an important tourist destination. The province also hosts immense deposits of Kaolinite, with some open-pit mines.
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