Eastern Anatolia Region
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Anatolia Region is one of seven non-administrative subdivisions of Turkey
and encompasses its eastern provinces.
The region and the name "Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi" were first defined at the First Geography Congress
in 1941. It has the highest average altitude, largest geographical area, and lowest population density of all regions of Turkey. Some part of the region was formerly called the Armenian Highlands
or, simply, Armenia.
. It is bounded by Turkey's Central Anatolia Region on the west, its Black Sea Region on the north, its Southeast Anatolia Region and Iraq
on the south, and with Iran
, Azerbaijan
, Armenia
and Georgia
on the east.
The area of the region is 171,061 km², 21% of the total area of Turkey
.
Massifs and mountains
Plateaus and plains
Lakes
Rivers
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. The summer average is about 20°C.
The region's annual temperature difference is the highest in Turkey.
Some areas in the region have different microclimates. As an example Iğdır
(near Mount Ararat
) has a milder climate.
The region contains 11% percent of the total forested area of Turkey
. Oak
and yellow pine
trees form the majority of the forests. It is rich in native plants and animals.
The region has high potential for hydroelectric power.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and encompasses its eastern provinces.
The region and the name "Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi" were first defined at the First Geography Congress
First Geography Congress, Turkey
The First Geography Congress, which was held in Ankara in 1941, separated Turkey into seven geographical regions, which are still used today.The congress took numerous factors into consideration when defining these regions, including the fact that Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides and the...
in 1941. It has the highest average altitude, largest geographical area, and lowest population density of all regions of Turkey. Some part of the region was formerly called the Armenian Highlands
Armenian Highland
The Armenian Highland is the central-most and highest of three land-locked plateaus that together form the northern sector of the Middle East...
or, simply, Armenia.
Location and borders
Eastern Anatolia Region is located in the easternmost part of TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It is bounded by Turkey's Central Anatolia Region on the west, its Black Sea Region on the north, its Southeast Anatolia Region and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
on the south, and with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
on the east.
The area of the region is 171,061 km², 21% of the total area of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Provinces
- Ağrı ProvinceAgri ProvinceThe Ağrı Province is a province in eastern Turkey, bordering Iran to the east, Kars to the North, Erzurum to the Northwest, Muş and Bitlis to the Southwest, Van to the south, and Iğdır to the northeast. Area 11,376 km². Population 542,022 ....
- Ardahan ProvinceArdahan ProvinceArdahan Province is a province in the far north-east of Turkey, at the very end of the country, where Turkey borders with Georgia . The provincial capital is the city of Ardahan.- Geography :...
- Bingöl ProvinceBingöl ProvinceBingöl Province is a province of Turkey in Eastern Anatolia. The province was created in 1946 out of parts of Elazığ and Erzincan. The new province was known as Çapakçur Province until 1950. Its neighbouring provinces are Tunceli, Erzurum, Muş, Diyarbakır, Erzincan and Elazığ. The province covers...
- Bitlis ProvinceBitlis ProvinceBitlis Province is a province of eastern Turkey, located to the west of Lake Van.-History:Bitlis was formed as an administrative district in the 17th Century...
- Elazığ ProvinceElazig ProvinceElâzığ Province is a province of Turkey with its seat in the city of Elâzığ. The source of the Euphrates river is located in this province.The province has a population of 552,646 as of 2010...
- Erzincan ProvinceErzincan ProvinceErzincan Province is a province in the eastern region of Anatolia, Turkey, and home to Erzincan, a city which was destroyed and rebuilt after an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 on December 27, 1939...
- Erzurum ProvinceErzurum ProvinceErzurum Province is a Province of Turkey, in the Eastern Anatolia Region of the country. It is bordered by the provinces of Kars and Ağrı to the east, Muş and Bingöl to the south, Erzincan and Bayburt to the west, Rize and Artvin to the north and Ardahan to the northeast. The provincial capital is...
- Hakkari ProvinceHakkari ProvinceHakkâri Province is a province in the south east corner of Turkey. The administrative centre is located in the city of Hakkâri . The province covers an area of 7,121 km² and has a population of 251,302 . The province had a population of 236,581 in 2000.The province was created in 1936 out of...
- Iğdır ProvinceIgdir ProvinceIğdır Province is a province in eastern Turkey, located along the border with Armenia, Azerbaijan , and Iran. Its adjacent provinces are Kars to the northwest and Ağrı to the west and south...
- Kars ProvinceKars ProvinceKars Province is a province of Turkey, located in the northeastern part of the country. It shares part of its border with the Republic of Armenia.The provinces of Ardahan and Iğdır were until the 1990s part of Kars Province.-History:...
- Malatya ProvinceMalatya ProvinceMalatya Province is a province of Turkey. It is part of a larger mountainous area. The capital of the province is Malatya , which has many residents. Malatya is famous for its apricots. The area of Malatya province is 12,313 km². Malatya Province has 740,643 inhabitants. The population was...
- Muş ProvinceMus ProvinceMuş Province is a province in eastern Turkey. It is 8,196 km² in area, and has a population of 406,886 . The population was 453,654 in 2000. The provincial capital is the city of Muş...
- Tunceli ProvinceTunceli ProvinceThe Tunceli Province is a province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The province was named Dersim Province and was changed to Tunceli Province on January 4, 1936. with the "Law on Administration of the Tunceli Province" , no...
- Van ProvinceVan ProvinceVan Province is a province in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. It is 19,069 km2 in area and had a population of 1,035,418 at the end of 2010....
Population
The total population of the region is 6,100,000 (2000 census). The region has the second most rural population of Turkey after the Black Sea region. The migration level (to the other regions, especially to Marmara Region) is high and population density (35 person/km²) is lower than the average for Turkey (85 person/km²).Geography
The average altitude is 2,200 m. Major geographic features include plains, plateaus and massifs. There is some volcanic activity today.Massifs and mountains
- There are three massif lines running north-south:
- To the north, the Çimen Dağı, Kop Dağı and Yalnızçam mountainsYalnizçam MountainsThe Yalnızçam Mountains or Arsiani Range is a mountain range in Eastern Anatolia Region, northeast Turkey, and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, southwest Georgia. The range, continuing the Lesser Caucasus to the Armenian highlands, forms the watershed between the river valleys of Çoruh/Chorokhi...
- In the centre, the Munzur, Karasu Dağı, Aras Dağı mountains
- To the south, Southeast TaurosTaurus MountainsTaurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
, BitlisBitlisBitlis is a town in eastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. The town is located at an elevation of 1,400 metres, 15 km from Lake Van, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis River, a tributary of the Tigris. The local economy is mainly based on agricultural products which include...
, HakkâriHakkariHakkâri , is a city and the capital of the Hakkâri Province of Turkey. The name Hakkâri is derived from the Syriac word, Akkare, meaning farmers...
, and Buzul mountains.
- To the north, the Çimen Dağı, Kop Dağı and Yalnızçam mountains
- The volcanic mountains NemrutNemrut (volcano)Nemrut is a dormant volcano in Eastern Turkey, close to Lake Van, at .The volcano is named after King Nimrod who is said to have ruled this area in about 2100 BC.- Description :...
, Süphan, Tendürek and AraratMount AraratMount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat .The Ararat massif is about in diameter...
are in the region.
Plateaus and plains
- The largest plateau in the region is Erzurum-Kars Plato.
- The region includes the MalatyaMalatyaMalatya ) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of its eponymous province.-Overview:The city site has been occupied for thousands of years. The Assyrians called the city Meliddu. Following Roman expansion into the east, the city was renamed in Latin as Melitene...
, ElazığElazigElâzığ is a city in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey and the seat of Elâzığ Province. It has a population of331,479 according to the 2010 census, and the plain on which the city extends has an altitude of 1067 metres....
, BingölBingölBingöl is a city in Eastern Turkey. It is also known as Çabakcur , which means violent water in Armenian. It is surrounded by mountains and a large number of glacier lakes, hence the name . Lately, the town has become a popular tourist destination...
, MuşMus-Computing:* Mus, a file extension used by Finale * MUS, the internal music format used in Doom -Three-letter acronyms:* Mitsubishi UFJ Securities * MUS, the NATO country code for Mauritius...
plains and the Van Lake basin.
Lakes
- Van GölüLake VanLake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
is the largest lake in Turkey. - HazarLake HazarLake Hazar is a lake in the Taurus Mountains, southeast of Elazig, notable as the source of the Tigris....
- Balık
- Bulanık
- NazikLake NazikLake Nazik is a freshwater lake in the Bitlis Province, eastern part of Turkey. It is located at , close to Lake Van. Lake Nazik is located in the elevation of about 1,816 m. It has an area of 44.5 km² and maximum depth of about 50 m.- References :...
- ÇıldırLake ÇildirLake Çıldır , , - Tzovák Hiusisó) is a large freshwater lake in the Ardahan Province, northeastern part of Turkey. It is located at , close to the borders with Georgia and Armenia. Lake Çıldır is located in the elevation of about and surrounded by mountainous region. It has an area of and...
- ErçekLake ErçekLake Erçek is a salt lake in the Van Province, eastern part of Turkey. It is located at , close to Lake Van. Lake Erçek is located in the elevation of about 1,890 m. It has an area of 95.2 km² and maximum depth of 30 m.- References :* *...
Rivers
- Fırat
- Dicle
- Aras
- KuraKura RiverKura is a river, also known from the Greek as the Cyrus in the Caucasus Mountains. Starting in north-eastern Turkey, it flows through Turkey to Georgia, then to Azerbaijan, where it receives the Aras River as a right tributary, and enters the Caspian Sea...
- Zap
Climate and nature
Since most of the region is far from the sea, and has high altitude, it has a harsh continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
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. The summer average is about 20°C.
The region's annual temperature difference is the highest in Turkey.
Some areas in the region have different microclimates. As an example Iğdır
Igdir Province
Iğdır Province is a province in eastern Turkey, located along the border with Armenia, Azerbaijan , and Iran. Its adjacent provinces are Kars to the northwest and Ağrı to the west and south...
(near Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat .The Ararat massif is about in diameter...
) has a milder climate.
The region contains 11% percent of the total forested area of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and yellow pine
Yellow pine
Yellow pine may refer to the following:*Certain pines in the subgenus Pinus subgenus Pinus:**In American forestry, a term for several closely related species of pine with yellow tinted wood, including the Southern Yellow Pines , and the non-Southern yellow pines and several others...
trees form the majority of the forests. It is rich in native plants and animals.
The region has high potential for hydroelectric power.