ASIA MINOR ("Asia the Lesso). Mod ern Anatolia is the extreme western peninsula projection of Asia, forming ,part of Turkey in Asia. The name is not very ancient; orig inally the Greeks seem by Asia to have meant only the western part of Asia Minor, but with their geographical knowledge the scope of the name Asia gradually widened. The late Greek name for Asia Minor is Anatolia — Anatoli, "the East," whence is formed the Turkish Anadoli. Asia Minor includes the peninsula; it is bounded on the north by the Black Sea and Sea of Marmora, on the west by the /Egean Sea, on the south by the Mediterranean and on the east by the Armenian highlands and the Euphrates. In the extreme northwest it is separated from Europe by the Straits of the Bosporus and the Dardenelles. The western coast is indented with innumerable bays and gulfs, beyond which lie the islands of the Grecian Archipelago. The area of the peninsula is about 199,272 square miles. It con stitutes the western prolongation of the high table-land of Armenia with its border mountain ranges. The interior consists of a great plateau or rather series of plateaus, rising in gradation from 3,500 to 4,000 feet, with bare steppes, salt plains, marshes and salt lakes; the struc ture is volcanic and there are several conical mountains, one of which, the Ergish-dagh (Argzus), with two craters, attains a height of 13,100 feet, towering above the plain of Kaisarieh which has itself an elevation of be tween 2,000 and 3,000 feet. The plateau is bordered on the north by the Pontic Coast range, a long train of parallel mountains 4,000 to 6,000 feet high and cut up into groups by cross-valleys. These mountains sink abruptly down on the northern side to a nar row strip of coast; their slopes toward the interior are gentler and bare of wood. Simi lar is the character of the border ranges on the south, the ancient Taurus, only that they are more continuous and higher, having an average elevation of about 7,000 feet and ris ing to over 10,000 feet in Lycia and Cilicia. The western border is intersected by numerous valleys opening upon the archipelago to the northern part of which Mounts Ida and Olym pus belong. Between the highlands and the
sea lie the fertile coast lands of the Levant. Of the rivers the largest is the Kizil Irmak (Halys), which, like the Yeshil Irmak (Iris), and the Sakaria (Sangarius), flows into the Black Sea; the Gediz Chai (Hermus) with its affluents the Pactole and Menderes (Mmander), flow into the 2Egean.
Climate.— The climate has on the whole a southern European character, except on the central plateau which is more Asiatic, and has very little rain, a hot summer and a long, cold winter; the southern coast has mild win ters and scorching summers, while on the coast of the 2Egean there is the mildest of climates, the summer being tempered by sea breezes and a magnificent vegetation. On the northern side, being exposed to the northeast winds from the Black Sea, the climate is not so mild, but there are abundant rains and the vegetation is luxuriant.
Industrial Development.— In point of natural history Asia Minor partakes of the character of the East and of the West. The forest trees and cultivated plants of Europe are seen mingled with the forms characteris tic of Persia and Syria. The central plateau, which is barren, has the character of an Asi atic steppe, more adapted to the raising of flocks and herds than for agriculture, except the cultivation of wheat and other grains; horses, excellent mule-camels and the Angora goat are bred here. The coasts are rich in all European products, fine fruits, olives, vines and silk have quite the character of the south of Europe, which on the warmer and drier southern coast shades into that of Africa. The chief products besides those mentioned are wheat and other grains, cotton, tobacco, flax, poppy-seed and licorice. Carpets, rugs and silk stuffs are the principal manufac tures. Asia Minor has considerable mineral wealth, including lead, copper, petroleum, meerschaum, gold, silver, coal and salt, but it is as yet almost undeveloped. The main ex ports are figs, raisins and other fruits, olive oil, silk, cocoons, carpets, sponges, mohair, wool, hides, cattle, gum, poultry, wax and to bacco.