Forests.—Nearly 9% of the total area of Turkey-in-Asia is forest land, covering an area of some 25,419 square miles. A large proportion of Eastern Thrace is under forest and unin habited, amounting in all to 1,648 square miles. Pines are 37% of the total and oaks 14%. Cedars and beech are common. The Pontic coast and Cilicia are the most deeply wooded areas. Afforestation is unknown and any scientific knowledge of forestry is as yet in its infancy. But the concentration of population in the towns and coastal areas and the paucity of inhabitants has prevented the extreme deforestation that one finds in Greek lands. There is in fact a body of 2,500 officials primarily concerned with forestry and an actual school of forestry in Constantinople. The chief forests are in the Pontic region near Sinope and near Amasia. Here they are continuous and dense. In the Taurus they are considerable but not so dense.
Mineral Wealth.—Iri coal Turkey, compared with other Balkan lands is relatively rich. The coal-fields of the Eregli region, on the Pontic coast some 150 miles from Constantinople, are largely worked and have been productive for over 8o years. In all there are some 8o concessions at work and as much as a million tons has been produced annually. The workings are mainly open and on the sides of cliffs. There is another group of mines in the bay of Kozlu some 18 miles to the east. Further along still is Zunguldak, served by a modernised port. The mines here are some 5 miles inland. Other coal-bearing regions exist still further to the east. An annual average for the mines of all these districts together, omitting Eregli, has been estimated at 900,00o tons. The only other coal-fields are in the Erzerum dis trict, but owing to the disturbed state of this region and its proximity to the Russian frontier it is doubtful if they are now worked. Eregli coal is the best. Lignite is found at many places in Anatolia and also at Keshan on the sea of Marmora. Other minerals are gold, found in the Taurus and in the Smyrna and Brusa regions, but not now worked; silver, principally in the Taurus; zinc, tin, sulphur, salt, and mercury. The petroleum deposits in Erzerum are not worked.
In one rare mineral Turkey has what amounts to a world monopoly—meerschaum. It is found in the valley of the river Pursak in the Eski Shehir district. The present Government has begun to organise the mining for this mineral on a regular and more scientific basis. Five main quarries in an area of ioo sq.km. are worked. In 1923 33,738 kilogrammes were exported, the estimated worth being LT 51,150. In 1924 the export had increased. Italy, Germany and Austria are the chief purchasers.
Copper is the mineral in which Turkey can be said to be richest. There is one large field at Arghana, near Diarbekir on the Iraq-Syrian frontier. The total deposit here has been esti mated at 1,600,00o tons. The ore is first treated in furnaces at
Arghana and later refined at Tokat. It is ultimately exported from Samsun on the Black Sea. The mines are Government property and have yet to be fully and scientifically exploited. The average yield of copper in the ore from Arghana is 16%. Other copper deposits are in the Kars, Trebizond, Sinope and Smyrna regions.
Manganese, which is plentiful in the Caucasus, is found in the Marmora region near the Balia Maaden mines. It also occurs near Eregli and in the Smyrna region. Fifty-one concessions are in existence but so far little exploitation has taken place.
Emery is found in the Smyrna and Aidin regions, and is worked by British and American Companies.
Fisheries.—These constitute an important contribution to the wealth of the country. The passage through the Bosporus from the Black Sea of very large quantities of fish gives opportunities for fishing in the narrow and controlled Bosporan waters which are of incalculable value if properly exploited. Byzantium and Chalcedon (on the site of Moda) owed their wealth and their foundation to this source. Anchovies, mullet, sturgeon and tunny are the principal fish of value which come from the Black Sea to the Bosporus. Sword-fish, a coarser type, is a further addition, its flesh being greatly prized by those who cannot afford meat. Oysters, mussels, lobsters and prawns are common along the shores of Marmora and at the Princes' Islands.
No very accurate statistics are available since the industry is entirely without organisation, but in 1922-3 the total amount of fish caught was estimated at 2 2,000 tons. The Bosporus fisheries are further said to be worth £250,000 per annum.
The destruction or departure of the Greek population has de prived Turkey of the bulk of its expert fishermen, so that it may be assumed that before 1921 the value of the fisheries was con siderably greater.
Communications.—Turkey-in-Europe is well served with railways. The main line which conveys the Orient Express and all other European traffic to Constantinople has branches from Alapie to Kirk Kilisse and from Muradli to Rodosto on the Sea of Marmora. From Haidar Pasha station on the Asiatic shore of the Bosporus a main line runs to Ismid, Eski-Shehir and Angora, bearing considerable traffic. From Angora eastwards a line has recently been constructed to Kaisariyeh (Caesarea), being some Soo kilometres in length. The section Angora Kaisariyeh was opened to traffic in June 1927. A continuation to Sivas is now under construction by a Franco-Belgian company and a further extension from Sivas to Samsoun on the Black Sea, also now under construction, will complete an extensive policy of railway expansion, which was begun in 1923 after the estab lishment of the new Republic.