where was the byzantine empire located

The Byzantine Empire was located in the eastern Mediterranean region. Its capital was Constantinople, which is modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. The empire covered much of the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including present- day Turkey (especially the area of Asia Minor), Greece, parts of the Balkans, Italy, portions of North Africa, and the Middle East. Constantinople was strategically situated on the Bosphorus Strait, a key transit point linking Europe and Asia, which made it an important commercial, cultural, and diplomatic center for over a thousand years. The empire was also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, distinguishing it from the western part of the Roman Empire. The inhabitants identified as Romans and primarily spoke Greek during later periods.