Zonguldak (Tpronunciation: [zoŋˈguɫdak]) is a city and the capital of Zonguldak Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It was established in 1849 as a port town for the nearby coal mines in Ereğli and the coal trade remains its main economic activity. According to the 2009 census, Zonguldak has a population of 108,792. Zonguldak is one of the highest income economies among Turkish cities.

Etymology
There are several different theories concerning the origin of the city's name.

One is that it comes from Zone Geul-Dagh, the name given to the area by French and Belgian mining companies[3][4] to refer to the zone near "Geul-Dagh" or Göldağı ('Lake Mountain'), the highest mountain in the vicinity of the Devrek district.

Another theory is that the name originates from the Turkish zongalık which means swamp, or zongura.

Another is that the name may derive from the name of the nearby ancient settlement of Sandaraca or Sandarake (in Ancient greek Σανδαράκη).

According to another theory the name may have come from the compound word Jangal-Dagh, composed of Persian jangal, which the French entrepreneurs called the area due to its uneven and wooded geography, plus Turkish dağ 'mountain'.

In a 1920 report, the British Foreign Office spelled Zonguldak Zunguldak.

Transportation

The city is the terminus of a railway line to Irmak, with the terminating station Zonguldak Railway Station built in 1937.