Kars Province

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Kars Province
Kars ili
—  Province of Turkey  —
Location of Kars Province in Turkey
Country Turkey
Region Eastern Anatolia
Area
 • Total 9,587 km2 (3,702 sq mi)
Population (2010-12-31)[1]
 • Total 301,766
 • Density Bad rounding here31/km2 (Bad rounding here82/sq mi)
Area code(s) 0474
Vehicle registration 36
Per capita income 6,750 TL (69th; 2011)[2]

Kars Province (Turkish: Kars ili) 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.

Contents

[edit] History

Kars was under the control of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. For a brief period, from 1878 until 1917, it was controlled by Russia as Kars Oblast. From 1918 to 1920, the province was under the administration of the Democratic Republic of Armenia as the Vanand province with the city of Kars as its capital. Its territory was ceded to Turkey with the Treaty of Kars in 1921.

[edit] Districts

Kars province is divided into 8 districts (ilçe), each named after the administrative center of the district:

There are 383 villages in Kars.

[edit] Kars nature, wildlife and ecotourism

The church of St. Gregory of the Abughamrents in Ani

Kars has a wealth of wildlife that is being documented by the Kars-Igdir Biodiversity Project run by the KuzeyDoga Society.[3] The project has recorded 323 of Turkey's 468 bird species in the region. At least 223 of these occur at Kuyucuk Lake,[4] that is the most important wetland in the province. Sarikamis Forests in the south harbor wolves, brown bear, lynx and other animals, and Aras (Araxes) River wetlands comprise a key stop-over site for many migrating birds. Aras River Bird Research and Education Center at Yukari Ciyrikli village has recorded 228 bird species at this single location alone.

[edit] Economy

Ecomony of Kars Province is dominated by agriculture, livestock breeding and forestry. 85% of the active population in Kars Province are farmers or herders. 60% of the gross domestic income is received from those sectors. Industry, tourism and commerce is developing.[5]

The climate limits the cultivation of plants in the region. In Kağızman and Tuzluca, cotton, sugar beet, beans and vetches are grown. Vegetable gardening and orcharding is not much developed. Wheat, barley, cotton and in small quantity tabacco are grown in the province.[5]

Livestock breeding in the region is more important than agriculture. Grassland, meadows and the rich vegetation led to the development of livestock breeding. The grassland and meadows, which make out 70% of the area of Kars Province, are capable of providing at least ten times of the current livestock potential's breeding. Kars is the biggest cattle breeding province in Turkey, and is the center of livestock trade.[5] Efforts are being made to increase goose breeding, which is very special to Kars region. Aside its meat taking a speicla place in the Kars cuisine, goose liver and down feather started already to be exported to Europe.[6] [7]

Kars Province is not abunant with woods although the region is favorable for forests. Only 4% of the province area is covered with woods. Scots Pine, spruce and alder are the tree species most found in the woods of Kars. Around 15,000 m3 (530,000 cu ft) timber is produced by logging in forestry.[5]

Ore beds of rock salt, arsenic, asbestos, magnesite, gypsum and perlite are explored, however, only rock salt is mined.[5]

Main industrial plants in Kars are of meat processing, livestock feed processing, gristmill, yarn, tannery, footwear, cement and brick factories.[5]

[edit] Cuisine

Among the most famous food products special to Kars region are Kars honey, Kars Kasseri, Kars Gruyère cheese, which tastes like Swiss Emmental cheese, and Kars style roasted goose.[8][9][10]

[edit] Monuments

Kars contains numerous monuments, the most notable being the ruined Armenian city of Ani and the 9th century Church of the Apostles.

[edit] In popular culture

Kars was also the setting for the popular novel Snow by Orhan Pamuk. The Siege of Kars, 1855 is a book published by The Stationery Office, 2000, and is an account of its defence and capitulation as reported by one General Williams, one of many British officers lent to the Turkish army to lead garrisons and train regiments in the war against Russia.

[edit] Gallery

[edit] References

  1. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute, MS Excel document – Population of province/district centers and towns/villages and population growth rate by provinces
  2. ^ "İşte Türkiye'nin en zengin illeri" [Here is the richest provinces of Turkey]. Kuzey Ekspres Gazetesi (in Turkish). 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2013-03-01. 
  3. ^ "KuzeyDoga Society"http://www.kuzeydoga.org
  4. ^ "Kuyucuk Lake Project"http://www.kuyucuk.org
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Kars-Ekonomik Faaliyetler" (in Turkish). Coğrafya Dünyası. Retrieved 2013-04-07. 
  6. ^ Küpeli, Mustafa (2011-12-11). "Kaz Kars, Ardahan ve Bölge için Bir Ekonomik Potansiyeldir". Serhat'ın Sesi Siyasal Birikim (in Turkish). Retrieved 2013-04-07. 
  7. ^ "Kars'tan Almanya'ya Kaz Tüyü İhraç Edildi". Yeni Umut Gazetesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2013-04-07. 
  8. ^ Yaşin, Mehmet (2007-01-21). "Kars’ta kaz kebabı ziyafeti". Hürriyet Yazarlar (in Turkish). Retrieved 2013-04-07. 
  9. ^ Taşdemir, Yüksel Turan. "Kars Kazı, Kars Kars kaşarı , Kars Grevyeri, Kars Balı ve Bu Yöreye Özel Besinler" (in Turkish). Tavsiye Ediyorum. Retrieved 2013-04-07. 
  10. ^ "Kars usulu Kaz / Kars style roasted goose". Turkish cuisine. Retrieved 2013-04-07. 

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kars Province

Coordinates: 40°27′17″N 43°03′37″E / 40.45472°N 43.06028°E / 40.45472; 43.06028
Provinces of Turkey
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