One glance at the physical map of Turkey is enough to say with confidence that it is a mountainous country. The Turkish plateaus are smoothly replaced by mountain ranges, and some of the coastal cliffs are real active or extinct volcanoes.
Mountain systems of Turkey
It is the mountainous relief that prevails throughout the entire space of this beautiful country. There are 3 main mountain systems spread across the territory of Turkey.
In the north, these are the Pontine Mountains. Otherwise they are called the Black Sea Mountains. This mountain system stretches for 1000 kilometers along the entire Black Sea coast. Consists of several parallel ridges with valleys between them. The height of these mountains increases from west to east, from 2000 meters to 3500 meters. The highest point of the Pontine Mountains is Kachkar Peak, 3931 meters high. In the north of Turkey, they steeply descend to the sea, sometimes leaving no coastal strip. In the east, this system is difficult to pass, showing steep slopes, ridges and the absence of valleys. The Pontine Mountains are deposits of natural resources. It is there, in Turkey, that copper ores, polymetals, crystalline shale and granite are being developed and mined. The southern slopes of the Pontine Mountains are covered with thorny bushes and mixed forests, and the northern part is overgrown with oak forests, beech forests, and coniferous thickets. All piedmont plains are densely populated.
The Toros or Taurus mountain range is located in the south of Turkey. These mountain ranges stretch along the entire southern coast of the country. Due to different climatic and geophysical features, this system is subdivided into 3 parts: Western, Eastern and Central Taurus. The highest peak of the entire Toros system is Demirkazik, with a height of 3806 meters. All the mountain ranges of the Taurus are lined with rivers flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. On the territory of the Western Taurus there is a group of lakes, some of them freshwater. Vegetation on the Taurus is weak. In humid places, the mountains are covered with pine forests; in arid areas, the vegetation is represented by shrubs of barberry and thorny plants. Toros is of interest to climbers, it is this mountain system that receives tourists for ski holidays in winter.
The western part of the country is the Armenian Highlands. There mountain ranges are combined with deep depressions and hollows. And the mountains themselves are a characteristic mountain range of individual peaks and long chains. This is the most inaccessible and rugged region in Turkey. The most famous peak is Mount Big Ararat. Its height is 5165 meters. This snowy and harsh peak is visible from a distance for many tens of kilometers. The top of the mountain is covered with a shell of ice and snow. From the mountain peaks of Ararat, the Araks River carries its fast waters. Once the top of Big Ararat was considered the top of the world. It was at her, according to legend, that the Ark of Noah landed, where the tablets with the Old Testament were found. Only experienced climbers conquer this mountain.
In the West, there is a small mountain plateau. Anatolia is not distinguished by high ridges, and the mountains have the character of small massifs. Anatolia is a series of drainless basins, among which low mountain ridges are located like islets. The capital of Turkey, Ankara, is located on one of the plateaus of Anatolia. It is on the territory of the Anatolian mountains that the second largest lake in the country, Van, is located.
Mountains and the future
So Turkey is not only an international beach resort, it is a large mountainous country, with its own characteristics and capabilities, which are partially hidden under the mountain ranges. Alpine skiing tourism is developing more and more in Turkey. Various deposits of the country's natural resources are being developed.
