TURKEY
Officially called The Republic of Turkey, the country is located where the three continents, Asia, Africa and Europe are closest to each other. Thus the country is roughly a rectangular peninsula that forms a natural bridge between Asia and Europe. The Anatolian peninsula (Asia Minor) is the westernmost point of Asia, divided from Europe by the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. Thrace is the western part of Turkey on the European continent. The large, semiarid central plateau, is rimmed by hills and mountains that in many places limit access to the fertile, densely settled coastal regions. Half of the land area being higher than 1.000 meters and two thirds higher than 800 meters. The climate of Turkey is temperate and it has high, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The more inland one gets however, the harsher the climate becomes. The peninsula is bathed by four seas: the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean to the west, the Sea of Marmara between the European and Asian land masses, and the Black Sea to the north. Geographically the whole land is divided in 7 parts.
Marmara Region
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The Marmara region, occupying the northwestern corner of the country gets its name from the sea it surrounds: the Sea of Marmara. It is comprised of two parts, Thrace which is an extension of Balkans also referred as European part and Anatolia which is situated on the Asian side. The two parts bridges Asia and Europe. The region is connected to Aegean Sea via Dardanelles, and to Black Sea via Bosphorus. Its relevance in history as well as in the contemporary world, marks it as a must see place.
The region is the smallest but most densely populated of the seven geographical regions of Turkey. It is actually only a bit smaller than Ireland or Benelux countries. Although it represents approximately 8.6% of the Turkish national territory its population is 30%. It is Turkey’s most populous and most heavily industrialized part, though one can still find primordial forests. Dense urban areas and farmlands interact with untouched wilderness beautifully. Coastal settlement and tourism is very common. The region is famous for variety of fish and the cultivation of sunflowers, grapes and other fruits. Summers are warm to hot, humid and moderately dry whereas winters are cold and wet and sometimes snowy.
One will certainly find something to catch its glimpse in any part of this region, where there are ruins from Greek, Persian, Roman, also empires like Byzantine and Ottoman have made their debut and have seen their fall, as well as historic wars like Troy, Siege of Constantinople and Gallipoli occured. Beside Istanbul which has been the capital for different civilizations, Edirne, Bursa and İznik are important historical cities.
Aegean Region
The region occupies 11% of the total area of Turkey. Most of the population and cities are concentrated on the coast line because of its convenience for sea transportation and tourism. Aegean coast of Turkey is lined by a succession of modern cities with palm-lined avenues and liberal attitudes, towns with old quarters that are filled with elegant turn of the 20th century neo-classical architecture, The Aegean region is also both industrialized and agriculturized.
Turkey’s Aegean shores are among the loveliest landscapes in the country. The magnificent coastline, lapped by the clear waters of the Aegean Sea, abounds in vast and pristine beaches surrounded by olive groves, roky crags and pine woods. The climate of the Aegean Region has a Mediterranean climate at the coast, with hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters and a semi-arid continental climate in the interior with hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. Main products are; textile, leather, carpet weaving, food, machinery and spare parts, marble, tobacco, sugar, olive and olive oil. About half of the total olive trees of Turkey are in this region. There are many important rivers feeding the Aegean Sea. Large oliveyards—which help to make Turkey one of the biggest producers of olive oil in the world.
Backed by fertile valleys and hills and sides and dotted with idyllic fishing harbors, picturesque villages and the remains of ancient civilizations attesting to the inheritance of more than 5.000 years of history, culture and mythology. This region was the heart of the Aeolian, Ionian, Lydian, and Carian civilizations. Thus it has the highest concentration of ancient city ruins in Turkey. It's little wonder that much of ancient art and philosophy—from Aristotle to Homer, many were citizens of cities along this coast—was developed in this land of wine and honey. İzmir, Manisa, Denizli, Ayvalık, Muğla and Bodrum are important cities.
Black Sea Region
Extending from just east of Istanbul to the frontier with Georgia, The Black Sea Region, which gets its name and characteristics from the adjacent sea covers approximately 18% of the land. The region is further divided into three sections: west, central and east, based on their geographical characteristics. Although the western part of this region hosts much of Turkey’s heavy industry and coal mining most of the economic activity in the central and eastern parts is centred on fishing, animal husbandry and agriculture. The population and cities are concentrated along the coast line.
The coastal region has a step and rocky mountains, and rivers cascades. Access inland from the coast is limited to a few narrow valleys, and, as a result, it has always been isolated from the interior. Though widening here and there into fertile deltas, is an area of concentrated cultivation. All available areas, including mountain slopes wherever they are not too steep, are put to use. The region is very humid and receives high rainfall year around. Summers are warm and humid, and winters are cool and damp. The mild, damp climate favors commercial farming, thus making the region heavily forested and rich in fauna and flore with over 7.000 species of plants. Fishing, animal husbandry, corn, nuts and tea growing are the major sources for local economy. Other important agricultural products are kiwi, rice, beans and potatoes. The mountains are heavily forested. Misty highlands are very characteristic. Highest parts of the mountains are covered with alpine meadows, glacier lakes, and glaciers. The region includes several national parks.
The Black Sea’s history was shaped by the nations that ruled the seas. Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, Genoese, the Venetians and, until the early 20th century and afterwards Ottoman Empire, all put their cultural imprint on the region. Although one of the of ceasura of the Argonauts in mithology the region made its first brief appearance on the world stage when the Pontic king, Mithridates IV Eupator, came close to expelling the Romans from Anatolia. (Trebizond), Giresun, Samsun, Sinop, Amasra and Rize are the main cities. The Black Sea region looks set to receive a further boost, with the state-run Turkish Petroleum Corporation joining with Shell in 2011 to develop vast beds of oil and gas reserves that apparently lie in waiting offshore.
Central Anatolia Region
Central Anataolia Region lies in the middle of Anatolia occupying the central plateau. Central Anatolian region occupies 19% of the total area of Turkey and is the second largest region of Turkey after Eastern Anatolia. The largest city in the region is Ankara, the capital of Turkish Republic. It is located squarely in the middle of Central Anatolia and has been planned and developed for a contemporary society. The region is home to some of the most interesting archeological findings in Turkey and these discoveries have a major impact in understanding world history.
The plateau-like, arid highlands of Anatolia are considered the heartland of the country. The region varies in altitude from 600 to 1,200 meters west to east, averaging 500 meters in elevation. The two largest basins on the plateau are the Konya Plain and the basin occupied by Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake). Wooded areas are confined to the northwest and northeast, and cultivation is restricted to the areas surrounding the neighboring rivers. For the most part, the region is bare and monotonous and is used for grazing. As a matter of fact overgrazing has caused soil erosion in the plateau, and during the frequent summer dust storms a fine yellow powder blows across the plains. An area of extreme heat. Rainfall is limited and virtually no almost no rainfall at all in summer, the Anatolian plateau Continental climate is cold in winter and receives heavy, lasting snows. Villages may be isolated by severe snow storms. There are numerous small and medium-size industrial facilities in Central Anatolia. Agriculture and animal husbandry are important sources of income. Wheat and barley are the most important crops. Other important crops in the region are potatoes, beans, chickpeas and lentils. Carpet weaving is another important income for small villagers, especially in Cappadocia, Kayseri, Sivas and Konya.
This central region has been the centre of many significant societies and civilisations throughout history such as Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians and Kingdom of Galatia as well as Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine Seljuk and Ottoman. The most visually impressive structure of modern Turkey here is the Anitkabir mausoleum built for Ataturk. Also Çatalhöyük and Cappadocia open air museums and The Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and Mevlana Museums are world renowned cultural places. The Anatolian Central Region is home to the Anatolian much-loved mystics and icons such as Yunus Emre, Mevlana and Nasreddin Hoca. Aksaray, Eskişehir, Karaman, Kayseri, Konya, Nevşehir, Niğde and Sivas are other important cities.
Mediterranean Region
From Aegean region to borders of Syria the Mediterranean Region occupies 15% of the total area of Turkey. The famous Taurus Mountains run paralel to the coast line from west to east, covers most of the region. Another chain is Amonos Mountains which run from north to south in the extreme east of the region. The population is concentrated especially at the locations suitable for agriculture, tourism, industry and commerce. The region is filled with touristic facilities as well as ancient cities from west to east dating from different civilisations.
The backland rises sharply from the coast to elevations of up to 2,800 meters. Because of high and step mountains, the valleys between the sea and mountain range are very narrow. In the western part of the region, rivers have not cut valleys to the sea; movement inland therefore is restricted. There are some important rivers rising especially during the Spring when the snow is melting, and many lakes on the highlands with a great nature such as Lake Beyşehir, Lake Eğridir and Lake Burdur which are in the north west of the region. The coastal plains were formed in the lower courses of the rivers. The most important coastal plain is Çukurova (Cilicia of the antiquity) in the eastern part of the region. It was formed by three rivers, Berdan, Seyhan and Ceyhan. The plains of this region are rich in agricultural resources. Especially in Adana are largely flood lands. Fertile soils and a warm Mediterranean climate make the area ideal for growing citrus fruits and grapes, cereals and, in irrigated areas, rice and cotton. Summers are hot, and droughts are not uncommon. Other industrial and agricultural products of the area are wheat, barley, tobacco, green houses and carpet waeving aluminum and steel. 80% of total of Turkey's oranges and mandarins are grown here, meanwhile bananas are specific only to this region.
The region had been home to several ancient civilisations, including Lycia, Pamphylia and Cecilia, before it was conquered by the Romans around 100BC. It was later occupied by Crusaders then Seljuks and finally it became a part of Ottoman Empire in the 15th Century. Important cities in this region are Adana, Antalya, Mersin and Antakya.
Eastern Anatolia Region
The Eastern Anatolia Region is the largest and uneven geographical region in Turkey. It is the ceiling of Turkey, covered with high mountains. Altough it covers 18,7% of Turkey it has the lowest population density. The migration toward other Turkey's regions and toward foreign countries is higher than the natural population increase. The region has highest unemployment rate in Turkey.
The region has a harsh continental climate with long winters and short summers. During the winter, it is very cold and snowy, during summer the weather is cool in the highlands and warm in the lowlands. The region has the lowest average temperature of all Turkish regions, with -25°C. Although it can get below -40°C and blocking roads to small villages for several months. The summer average is about 20°C. The average altitude of the region is 2.200m and major geographic features include plains, plateau and mountains. From the highlands in the north, to the mountain ranges in the south that descend toward the Mesopotamian plain in Iraq, vast stretches of this eastern region consist only of wild or barren wasteland. The region contains 11% percent of the total forested area of Turkey. It is rich in native plants and animals. Fertile basins, such as the Muş Valley west of Lake Van (largest lake in Turkey) and various river corridors, lie at the foot of the lofty ranges. Agriculture is very limited with wheat, barley, cotton, tobacco and sugar. Also various fruits are grown on some hollow plains which are protected from the cold. Stockbreeding is the major income for the local economy. The production of animal products is high. The main industrial branches in the region are cotton textiles, sugar, cement, food and tobacco enterprises. The hydroelectric power plant at Keban, the thermoelectric power plant at Afsin-Elbistan and the other plants which are stil being constructed contribute significantly to the energy production in Turkey.
Eastern Anatolia has been at the crossroads of several civilisations throughout the history and for that reason had been occupied and ruled by many including Sassanids, Arabs, Armenians, Seljuks, Mongols, Persians, Georgians, Russians and Ottomans, until the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923. For that reason, the region has important ancient cities and historical sites. The ancient city of Ani in Kars, Munzur National Park in Tunceli, Lake Van and its surroundings including the Akdamar Island and the 10th century Church, Mount Nemrut tomb-sanctuary from 62BC a UNESCO World Heritage site in Adıyaman and İshak Paşa Palace in Doğubeyazıt build by Seljuks are among the most important sites. Also Mount Ararat (5137m) is the highest point in Turkey where Noah’s Ark ended according to the legend in Abrahamic religions. Today Ağrı, Erzurum, Kars, Malatya, Tunceli and Van are major cities.
Southeastern Anatolia Region
Southeastern Anatolia Region is geographically the smallest region of Turkey representing only 9.7% of the total area of the country. Surrounded by Syria to the South and Iraq to the southeast has a lot in common with its neighbours in culture, the languages spoken or the landscape, and is the Middle-Eastern-most part of Turkey. Unlike rest of the Anatolia, the southeast is not mountainous, but rather an arid plateau at around 600 meters elevation. Valleys and Plateaus occupy large areas especially in the south of southeast Taurus mountains. Central part is very mountainous and eastern part is generally flat. Two major rivers of Middle East, namely Euphrates and Tigris are originating from the snowy mountains of Eastern Anatolia.
The region is under the influence of the continental climate but western part shows typical characteristics of Mediterranean climate. Long summers with very hot absolute terms with temperature frequently above 40°C are rainless. But winters are cold and often snowy. Southern half of the region is fairly shadeless plains dominated by steppes that are bright yellow in summer. Northern half is hillier, but still mostly devoid of trees nonetheless. The region’s agricultural economy resembles the Central Anatolia Region. A great majority of the arable lands are allocated to the sowing of grains, with the exception of the Gaziantep region, where there is a diversification of vegetable products, due to the Mediterranean climate. The city is also most important industrial city where the textile, machinery and food industries are fairly developed. Industrial branches such as the cement, food, metal goods, agricultural equipment and similar industries are found in Diyarbakır, Mardin and Şanlıurfa where the industries are developing. The economy is based also on stockbreeding and agriculture, main crops and products are; wheat, barley, lentil, tobacco, cotton, and pistachio nuts. The most important underground resource in the region is petroleum. Batman Refinery is one of the most important establishments in the region. Another portion of the crude oil is transported by pipeline to the filling facilities in the Mediter- ranean Region and then to the other regions by tankers. Thanks to GAP (Southeastern Anatolian Project) the area is having great changes positively; many farming lands and dam lakes were formed lately with this project. The Atatürk Dam (1990) is one of the biggest in the world.
Western quarter of the region, are mostly populated by Turks. On the other hand the majority of population east of Euphrates is Kurdish. When projected closer, one will find a diverse array of religions and ethnicities in the region such as Arabs, Armenians, Syriacs and Yazidis as well as nomadic Kurds, who move with their herds between South Eastern and plateaus of Eastern Anatolia. The history of the region dates back to 10.000 BC. This region of ancient cities is adorned by attractive natural figures, constituting a real mixture of sights and past combined with originality. Mount Nemrut, Hasankeyf, Midyat, Balıklı Göl (Fish Lake), Zeugma Antique City, Halfeti are Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Kilis, Mardin and Şanlıurfa (once being a city of 1001 nights) are important cities in the region.