Kastamonu is one of the Provinces of Turkey, in the Black Sea Region, to the north of the country. It is surrounded by Sinop to the east, Bartin and Karabuk to the west, Cankırı to the south, Corum to the south east and the Black Sea to the north. It is not definitely known when Kastamonu was first founded. However, some sources dating back to the Early Middle Ages refer to the province. There are also some archeological findings dating back to about 100,000 years that suggest the region was inhabited then.