Eastern Anatolia Region

	█Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
	█Precipitation totals in mm
	Source: Turkish State Meteorology

Erzurum
Climate chart (explanation)
	█Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
	█Precipitation totals in mm
	Source: Turkish State Meteorology
Imperial conversion
	█Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
	█Precipitation totals in inches

Eastern Anatolia Region

*Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi*
Eastern Anatolia Region Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi
Region
Country	Turkey
Area
• Total	165,436 km2(63,875 sq mi)
Population
• Total	6,513,106
• Density	39/km2(100/sq mi)
GDP
• Total	US$ 28.582 billion (2022)
• Per capita	US$ 4,390 (2022)

TheEastern Anatolia Region(Turkish:Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi) is ageographical regionofTurkey.The most populous province in the region isVan Province.Other populous provinces areMalatya,ErzurumandElazığ.

It is bordered by theBlack Sea RegionandGeorgiain the north, theCentral Anatolia Regionin the west, theMediterranean Regionin the southwest, theSoutheastern Anatolia RegionandIraqin the south, andArmenia,Azerbaijan,andIranin the east.

The region encompasses most ofWestern Armeniaand had a large population of indigenousArmeniansuntil theArmenian genocide.TheAnatoliapeninsula historically never encompassed what is now called "Eastern Anatolia" which was, instead, referred to as theArmenian highlands.It was renamed by the newly founded Turkish Republic in the 1920s.^[2]This has been seen as an attempt by Turkey to erase the Armenian history of the region.^[3]^[4]

It has the highest average altitude, largest geographical area, and lowest population density of the sevenTurkish regions.

Etymology

The English-language nameAnatolia(Turkish:Anadolu) derives from theGreekἈνατολή(Anatolḗ) meaning "the East" and designating (from a Greek point of view) eastern regions in general.^[7]^[8]Traditionally, Anatolia was considered to be a peninsula the eastern boundary of which was a line from theBlack Seato theGulf of Alexandretta,which is to the west of what is now the Eastern Anatolia Region.^[9]^[10]As a geographical term, this definition continues to be used.^[11]

Historically, the region was referred to as theArmenian highlandsorWestern Armenia.In 1923, the newly foundedRepublic of Turkeyrenamed the territory "Eastern Anatolia" as part of a wider policy ofremoving all non-Turkish names of placesfollowing theArmenian genocide.^[5]^[6]^[4]^[12]Beginning in 1880, the nameArmeniawas forbidden to be used in official documents of theOttoman Empire,in an attempt to play down the role of Armenians in the region.^[4]^[13]^[12]The government of SultanAbdul Hamid IIreplaced the name Armenia with such terms as "Kurdistan" or "Anatolia". TheSublime Portebelieved there would be noArmenian questionif there was no Armenia. The process of "nationalization" of toponyms was continued and gained momentum under theKemalistsafter the foundation of the Republic ofTurkey.^[5]^[6]^[4]^[12]

The region encompasses most ofWestern Armenia(Armenian:Արեւմտյան Հայաստան) and had a large population of indigenousArmeniansuntil theArmenian genocide.TheAnatoliapeninsula never encompassed what is now called "Eastern Anatolia", which has been seen as an attempt by Turkey to erase the Armenian history of the region.^[4]^[12]

Subdivision

Eastern Anatolia Region has four subdivisions:

Upper Euphratesdivision (Turkish:Yukarı Fırat Bölümü)
Erzurum-Karsdivision (Turkish:Erzurum-Kars Bölümü)
Upper Murat-Vandivision (Turkish:Yukarı Murat-Van Bölümü)
Hakkaridivision (Turkish:Hakkari Bölümü)

Provinces

Provinces that are entirely in the Eastern Anatolia Region:

Provinces that are mostly in the Eastern Anatolia Region:

Location and borders

The Eastern Anatolia Region is located in the easternmost part ofTurkey.It is bounded by Turkey'sCentral Anatolia Regionto the west; Turkey'sBlack Sea Regionto the north; Turkey'sSoutheast Anatolia RegionandIraqto the south; andIran,Azerbaijan,ArmeniaandGeorgiato the east, where Eastern Anatolia overlaps and converges with theSouth Caucasusregion andLesser Caucasusmountain plateau.

The area of the region is 164,330 km²(63,450 sq mi), which comprises 20.9% of the total area of Turkey.

Panoramic view ofAniinKars

Population

The total population of the region is 5,966,101 (2019 estimate), down from 6,100,000 at the 2000 census. The population density (40 inhabitants per square kilometre (100/sq mi)) is lower than the average for Turkey (98/km²(250/sq mi)).^{[citation needed]}The region has the second most rural population in Turkey after theBlack Sea region.Migration, especially to Marmara Region, is high. Migration to other regions and abroad is higher than the natural population increase. Until theArmenian genocide,the region also had a large population of indigenousArmenians,when it was also known asWestern Armenia,and in addition had significant minorities ofGeorgians,Pontic GreeksandCaucasus Greeks.^[14]^[15]^[16]

Geography

The average altitude is 2,200 m (7,200 ft). Major geographic features include plains, plateaus and massifs. There is some volcanic activity today.

Lakes and rivers

Erçek

Aygır

Turna

Kaz

Ahır

Sodalı

Hıdırmenteş

Süphan

Akgöl

Gövelek

Atar

Lakes near Lake Van.

Located in the Eastern Anatolia Region Aras and Kura rivers flooded the shed outside the territory of Turkey to the Caspian Sea. Euphrates, the Tigris and the Zab river waters are poured back onto the Persian Gulf Turkey outside.
The regime of the streams of the region is irregular. This is because; the irregularity of the precipitation regime and the fall of winter precipitation in the form of snow. As the snow falls on the ground for a long time without melting, the flow rates of the rivers decrease. The snow melting in spring and summer causes streams to increase their flow rates and flow enthusiastically. On the other hand, the rivers of the region have high hydroelectric energy potential. The reason for this is that it has high elevations and slopes.
Lakes were formed on the fault lines throughout the region. Turkey's largest lake,Lake Vanalong withLake Çıldır,Lake Nazik,Lake Erçek,Lake Hazar,Lake Balık,Lake HaçlıandLake Akdoğanare located within the region.

Massifs and mountains

There are three massif lines running north–south:
- To the north, theÇimen Dağı,Kop DağıandYalnızçam mountains,Allahuekber Mountains,Aras MountainsandMount Ararat.
- In the centre, theMunzur,Karasu Dağı,Aras Dağı,Bingöl MountainsandAkdoğanmountains.
- To the south,Southeast Tauros;Karaçavuş Mountains,Bitlis,Hakkâri,andBuzulmountains.
The volcanic mountainsNemrut,Süphan,TendürekandAraratare in the region.

Plateaus and plains

The largest plateau in the region isErzurum-Kars Plato.
The region includes theMalatya,Elazığ,Bingöl,Muşplains and theVan Lake basin.
The largest plain in the region is theIğdır Plain.The second largest plain is theMuş Plain.^[17]

Lakes

Rivers

Climate and nature

Since most of the region is far from the sea, and has high altitude, it has a harshcontinental climatewith 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's annual temperature difference is the highest in Turkey. Some areas in the region have different microclimates. As an example,Iğdır(nearMount Ararat) has a milder climate.

The region contains 11% percent of the total forested area ofTurkey,and it is rich in native plants and animals.Oakandyellow pinetrees form the majority of the forests.

The region has high potential forhydroelectric power.^[19]

Gallery

View ofMount Ararat(Ağrı in Turkish) fromIğdır
Cumhuriyet Avenue inErzurum
The 13th-centuryÇifte Minareli Medreseis an architectural monument of the lateSeljukperiod in the city ofErzurum
The 14th-centuryYakutiye MedresesiinErzurum
Panoramic view of the city ofBingöl
The 10th-century ArmenianChurch of the Holy Apostles,with theCastle of Karsin the background
Karscity centre
Akdamar Islandand theArmenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross,a 10th-centuryArmenian churchand monastic complex
Ottoman era Yeni (New) Mosque inMalatya
Harput CastleinHarput

Endnotes

^"Statistics by Theme > National Accounts > Regional Accounts".turkstat.gov.tr.Retrieved11 May2023.
^Helft, Susan (2020)."The Past, Present and Future of the Canon of Ancient Anatolian Art".In Gansell, Amy Rebecca; Shafer, Ann (eds.).Testing the Canon of Ancient Near Eastern Art and Archaeology.Oxford University Press. p. 91.ISBN 978-0-19-067316-1.
^Hovannisian, Richard G.(1997)."Etiology and Sequelae of the Armenian Genocide".In Andreopoulos, George J. (ed.).Genocide: Conceptual and Historical Dimensions.University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 127.ISBN 978-0-8122-1616-5.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^fCheterian, Vicken (2015).Open Wounds: Armenians, Turks and a Century of Genocide.Oxford and New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 65.ISBN 978-1-84904-458-5.As a result of policies such as these, the expression Armenian Plateau, which had been used for centuries to denote the mountainous highlands around Lake Van and Lake Sevan, was eliminated and replaced by the expression 'eastern Anatolia'.
^^a ^b ^cSahakyan, Lusine (2010).Turkification of the Toponyms in the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey.Montreal:Arod Books.ISBN 978-0-9699879-7-0.
^^a ^b ^cHovannisian, Richard(2007).The Armenian Genocide: Cultural and Ethical Legacies.New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers. p. 3.ISBN 978-1-4128-3592-3.
^Henry George Liddell; Robert Scott."A Greek-English Lexicon".Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2007.Retrieved20 February2021.
^"Anatolia | Origin and meaning of the name Anatolia by Online Etymology Dictionary".etymonline.Archivedfrom the original on 13 July 2017.Retrieved14 May2021.
^Stephen Mitchell (1995).Anatolia: Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor. The Celts in Anatolia and the impact of Roman rule.Clarendon Press, 266 pp.ISBN 978-0-19-815029-9 [1]Archived29 March 2017 at theWayback Machine
^Philipp Niewohner (2017).The Archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia: From the End of Late Antiquity until the Coming of the Turks.Oxford University Press. pp. 18–.ISBN 978-0-19-061047-0.Archivedfrom the original on 11 March 2020.Retrieved7 December2018.
^Hopkins, Daniel J.; Staff, Merriam-Webster; 편집부 (2001).Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary.Merriam-Webster. p. 46.ISBN 978-0-87779-546-9.Archivedfrom the original on 28 November 2021.Retrieved18 May2001.
^^a ^b ^c ^dJournal of the Society for Armenian Studies.Vol. 14–16. Los Angeles. 2005. p. 55.Most of historical Armenia presently constitutes a part of Turkey (renamed "Eastern Anatolia" ), which conducts a policy of minimizing the role of the Armenians in history{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Galichian, Rouben(2004).Historic Maps of Armenia: The Cartographic Heritage.London and New York City: I.B. Tauris. pp. 8–9.ISBN 978-1-86064-979-0.
^Holslag, Anthonie (2018).The Transgenerational Consequences of the Armenian Genocide: Near the Foot of Mount Ararat.Springer. p.26.ISBN 978-3-319-69260-9.
^Hovanissian, Anush (2016). "Turkey: a Cultural Genocide". InChorba gian, Levon;Shirinian, George (eds.).Studies in Comparative Genocide.Springer. p.149.ISBN 978-1-349-27348-5.
^Bloxham, Donald(2003). "The Armenian Genocide of 1915-1916: Cumulative Radicalization and the Development of a Destruction Policy".Past & Present(181): 148.JSTOR 3600788.Though no ethnicity comprised an absolute majority of the inhabitants of eastern Anatolia, Armenians formed a plurality, alongside Kurds.
^"İRAP, Il afet risk azaltma planı"(PDF)(in Turkish).Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency.2021. p. 18.
^"İl ve İlçelerimize Ait İstatistiki Veriler- Meteoroloji Genel Müdürlüğü".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-20.Retrieved2011-05-31.
^C, Aykut (2020-05-01)."Hidroelektrik Üretimi En Fazla Hangi Bölgede?".dpumekatronik(in Turkish).Retrieved2020-10-08.

External links

[:1-1] "Statistics by Theme > National Accounts > Regional Accounts".turkstat.gov.tr.Retrieved11 May2023.

[2] Helft, Susan (2020)."The Past, Present and Future of the Canon of Ancient Anatolian Art".In Gansell, Amy Rebecca; Shafer, Ann (eds.).Testing the Canon of Ancient Near Eastern Art and Archaeology.Oxford University Press. p. 91.ISBN 978-0-19-067316-1.

[3] Hovannisian, Richard G.(1997)."Etiology and Sequelae of the Armenian Genocide".In Andreopoulos, George J. (ed.).Genocide: Conceptual and Historical Dimensions.University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 127.ISBN 978-0-8122-1616-5.

[Cheterian-4] Cheterian, Vicken (2015).Open Wounds: Armenians, Turks and a Century of Genocide.Oxford and New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 65.ISBN 978-1-84904-458-5.As a result of policies such as these, the expression Armenian Plateau, which had been used for centuries to denote the mountainous highlands around Lake Van and Lake Sevan, was eliminated and replaced by the expression 'eastern Anatolia'.

[Sahakyan-5] Sahakyan, Lusine (2010).Turkification of the Toponyms in the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey.Montreal:Arod Books.ISBN 978-0-9699879-7-0.

[Hovannisian3-6] Hovannisian, Richard(2007).The Armenian Genocide: Cultural and Ethical Legacies.New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers. p. 3.ISBN 978-1-4128-3592-3.

[etym-7] Henry George Liddell; Robert Scott."A Greek-English Lexicon".Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2007.Retrieved20 February2021.

[OED-8] "Anatolia | Origin and meaning of the name Anatolia by Online Etymology Dictionary".etymonline.Archivedfrom the original on 13 July 2017.Retrieved14 May2021.

[Mitchell-9] Stephen Mitchell (1995).Anatolia: Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor. The Celts in Anatolia and the impact of Roman rule.Clarendon Press, 266 pp.ISBN 978-0-19-815029-9 [1]Archived29 March 2017 at theWayback Machine

[Niewohner2017-10] Philipp Niewohner (2017).The Archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia: From the End of Late Antiquity until the Coming of the Turks.Oxford University Press. pp. 18–.ISBN 978-0-19-061047-0.Archivedfrom the original on 11 March 2020.Retrieved7 December2018.

[Merriam-11] Hopkins, Daniel J.; Staff, Merriam-Webster; 편집부 (2001).Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary.Merriam-Webster. p. 46.ISBN 978-0-87779-546-9.Archivedfrom the original on 28 November 2021.Retrieved18 May2001.

[JSAS-12] Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies.Vol. 14–16. Los Angeles. 2005. p. 55.Most of historical Armenia presently constitutes a part of Turkey (renamed "Eastern Anatolia" ), which conducts a policy of minimizing the role of the Armenians in history{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[Galichian-13] Galichian, Rouben(2004).Historic Maps of Armenia: The Cartographic Heritage.London and New York City: I.B. Tauris. pp. 8–9.ISBN 978-1-86064-979-0.

[14] Holslag, Anthonie (2018).The Transgenerational Consequences of the Armenian Genocide: Near the Foot of Mount Ararat.Springer. p.26.ISBN 978-3-319-69260-9.

[15] Hovanissian, Anush (2016). "Turkey: a Cultural Genocide". InChorba gian, Levon;Shirinian, George (eds.).Studies in Comparative Genocide.Springer. p.149.ISBN 978-1-349-27348-5.

[16] Bloxham, Donald(2003). "The Armenian Genocide of 1915-1916: Cumulative Radicalization and the Development of a Destruction Policy".Past & Present(181): 148.JSTOR 3600788.Though no ethnicity comprised an absolute majority of the inhabitants of eastern Anatolia, Armenians formed a plurality, alongside Kurds.

[Disaster_and_Emergency_Management_Presidency-17] "İRAP, Il afet risk azaltma planı"(PDF)(in Turkish).Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency.2021. p. 18.

[18] "İl ve İlçelerimize Ait İstatistiki Veriler- Meteoroloji Genel Müdürlüğü".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-20.Retrieved2011-05-31.

[19] C, Aykut (2020-05-01)."Hidroelektrik Üretimi En Fazla Hangi Bölgede?".dpumekatronik(in Turkish).Retrieved2020-10-08.

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