Encyclopedia
Anatolia is a region of
Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asiatic portion of
Turkey, as opposed to the
European portion, the
Thrace. . It's also often called by the
Latin name of
Asia Minor, which comes from the Greek
Mikra Asia.
The name comes from the Greek
A?at??? or
??at???a , which means "
rising of the sun" or "
east". The
Turkish form
Anadolu derives from the original Greek version and is often associated with
ana by popular etymology.
Geography
The Anatolian Peninsula is situated bridge-like between the mainlands of Asia and Europe. The
Anatolian Plateau is the large and semiarid central
plateau, which is rimmed by
hills and
mountains that in many places limit the access to the fertile, densely settled
coastal regions.
Anatolia's terrain is structurally complex. A central massif composed of uplifted blocks and downfolded troughs, covered by recent deposits and giving the appearance of a plateau with rough terrain, is wedged between two folded mountain ranges that converge in the east. True lowland is confined to a few narrow coastal strips along the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea coasts. Flat or gently sloping land is rare and largely confined to the deltas of the Halys River, the coastal plains of
Cilicia, and the valley floors of the Gediz River and the Büyükmenderes River, and some interior high plains in Anatolia, mainly around
Tuz Gölü and Konya Ovasi .
The Black Sea region has a steep, rocky coast with rivers that cascade through the gorges of the coastal ranges. A few larger rivers, those cutting back through the Pontic Mountains , have tributaries that flow in broad, elevated basins. Access inland from the coast is limited to a few narrow valleys because mountain ridges, with elevations of 1,525 to 1,800 meters in the west and 3,000 to 4,000 meters in the east in
Kackar mountains, form an almost unbroken wall separating the coast from the interior. The higher slopes facing northwest tend to be densely forested. Because of these natural conditions, the Black Sea coast historically has been isolated from Anatolia.
The North Anatolian Mountains in the north are an interrupted chain of folded highlands that generally parallel the Black Sea coast. In the west, the mountains tend to be low, with elevations rarely exceeding 1,500 meters, but they rise in an easterly direction to heights greater than 3,000 meters south of Rize. Lengthy, troughlike valleys and basins characterize the mountains. Rivers flow from the mountains toward the Black Sea. The southern slopes—facing the Anatolian Plateau—are mostly unwooded, but the northern slopes contain dense growths of both deciduous and evergreen trees.
The narrow coastal plains of the Mediterranean region, separated from the Anatolian plateau by the
Taurus Mountains, which reach elevations of 2,000 to 2,750 meters, are cultivated intensively. Fertile soils and a warm climate make the Mediterranean coast ideal for growing citrus fruits, grapes, figs, bananas, various vegetables, barley, wheat, and, in irrigated areas, rice and cotton. The Çukurova in the east is a plain that is the most developed agricultural area of the Mediterranean region.
Stretching inland from the Aegean coastal plain, the Central Anatolian occupies the area between the two zones of the folded mountains, extending east to the point where the two ranges converge. The plateau-like, semiarid highlands of Anatolia are considered the heartland of the country. The region varies in elevation from 600 to 1,200 meters from west to east. The two largest basins on the plateau are the
Konya Ovasi and the basin occupied by the large salt lake, Tuz Gölü. Both basins are characterized by inland drainage. Wooded areas are confined to the northwest and northeast of the plateau.
Eastern Anatolia, where the Pontus and Taurus mountain ranges converge, is rugged country with higher elevations, a more severe climate, and greater precipitation than are found on the Anatolian Plateau. The region is known as the Anti-Taurus, and the average elevation of its peaks exceeds 3,000 meters.
Mount Ararat, at 5,137 meters the highest point in Turkey, is located in the Anti-Taurus.
Lake Van is situated in the mountains at an elevation of 1,546 meters. The headwaters of three major rivers arise in the Anti-Taurus: the east-flowing Aras, which empties into the
Caspian Sea; the south-flowing
Euphrates; and the south-flowing
Tigris, which eventually joins the Euphrates in
Iraq before emptying into the
Persian Gulf. Several small streams that empty into the Black Sea or landlocked Lake Van also originate in these mountains.
Southeast Anatolia south of the Anti-Taurus Mountains. It is a region of rolling hills and a broad plateau surface that extends into Syria. Elevations decrease gradually, from about 800 meters in the north to about 500 meters in the south. Traditionally, wheat and barley were the main crops of the region, but the inauguration of major new irrigation projects in the 1980s has led to greater agricultural diversity and development.
Mountains close to the coast prevent Mediterranean influences from extending inland, giving the interior of Turkey a continental climate with distinct seasons. The Anatolian Plateau is much more subject to extremes than are the coastal areas. Winters on the plateau are especially severe. Temperatures of -30°C to -40°C can occur in the mountainous areas in the east, and snow may lie on the ground 120 days of the year. In the west, winter temperatures average below 1°C. Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures above 30°C. Annual precipitation averages about 400 millimeters, with actual amounts determined by elevation. The driest regions are the Konya Ovasi and the Malatya Ovasi, where annual rainfall frequently is less than 300 millimeters. May is generally the wettest month and July and August the driest.
History
Because of its strategic location at the intersection of Asia and
Europe, Anatolia has been a cradle for several
civilizations since
prehistoric ages, with
Neolithic settlements such as
Çatalhöyük , Çayönü , Nevali Cori , Hacilar , Göbekli Tepe and Mersin. The settlement of
Troy starts in the Neolithic and continues forward into the Iron Age. Major civilizations and peoples that have settled in or conquered Anatolia include the
Colchians, Hattians,
Luwians,
Hittites,
Phrygians,
Cimmerians,
Lydians,
Persians,
Celts, Tabals,
Meshechs,
Greeks, Pelasgians,
Armenians,
Romans,
Goths,
Kurds,
Byzantines,
Seljuk Turks, and
Ottomans. These peoples belonged to many varied ethnic and linguistic traditions. Through recorded history, Anatolians have spoken both
Indo-European and
Semitic languages, as well as many languages of uncertain affiliation. In fact, given the antiquity of the Indo-European Hittite and Luwian languages, some scholars have proposed Anatolia as the hypothetical center from which the Indo-European languages have radiated. Other authors have proposed an Anatolian origin for the
Etruscans of ancient
Italy.
Today the inhabitants of Anatolia are mostly native speakers of the
Turkish language, which was introduced with the conquest of Anatolia by
Turkic peoples and the rise of the
Seljuk Empire in the
11th century. However, Anatolia remained multi-ethnic until the early
20th century . The last
population exchange, occurring as result of the
Treaty of Lausanne between Turkey and Greece, eliminated the majority of Turks in Greece and Greeks in Turkey. A significant
Kurdish ethnic and linguistic minority exists in the south eastern regions, while
Armenians and
Georgians used to have a presence in the northeast.
See also
