The People.— The inhabitants, some 10, 000,000 in number, consist of the most various races. The dominant race are the Osmanli Turks, who number about 7,000,000, and are spread over the whole country; they are main ly engaged in agriculture and cattle-raising. Allied to these are the Turkomans and Yuruks, speaking a dialect of the same language. The latter are found chiefly on the tableland, leading a nomadic life; there are also hordes of nomadic Kurds. Among the mountains east of Trebizond are the robber tribes of the Lazes. Before the European War the Greeks and Armenians were the most progressive elements in the population and had most of the trade. While the Greeks monopolized the professions, the ownership of the land was largely passing into the hands of the Greeks, Armenians and Jews.
Administration.— The country falls into eight vilayets or governments with their cap itals in Brusa, Smyrna, Konia (Iconium), Adana, Sivas, Angora, Trebizond and Kas tamuni, respectively, and the two "independ ent') Sanjaks of Ismid and Bigha. In ancient times the divisions were Pontus, Paphlagonia, Bithynia in the north; Mysia, Lydia, Cana in the west; Pisidia and Cilicia in the south; Cappadocia in the west; and Galatia with Lycaonia and Phrygia in the centre: The 1Egean Islands, which have recently passed out of the hands of Turkey, belonged most of them to Asia Minor.
Railways.— The right to construct rail ways in northeastern Asia Minor and Arme nia has been conceded to Russia. The earliest roads, however, were constructed by English and French companies in 1856 and 1866, re spectively, the first running from Smyrna to Aidin and Dineir with several branch lines; the second from Smyrna to Cassaba with ex tensions to Afion and Karalussar. The or Anatolian line was opened about 1873, the first section running from Haidar Pasha to 'mid. In 1888 it was taken over by the German Society of Anatolian Railways, financed by the Bank of Berlin, and in 1892 was extended to Angora, and in 1896 to Ko nia. In 1902 the German Bank received the concession for the Bagdad Railway (q.v.) by which the Anatolian line was to be extended from Konia to Adana, Mosul, Bagdad and Basra, with numerous branch lines. It has been completed continuously as far as Kara Buna in Cilicia (1911-12) and with the vari ous sections already completed was in 1916 operating along a length of 538 miles from Konia. The total length of railways in Asia Minor is about 1,500 miles and the benefits derived from them by the country are ines timable.
History.— Here, especially in Ionia, was the early seat of Grecian civilization and here were the countries of Phrygia, Lycia, Caria, Paphlagonia, Bithynia, Lydia, Pamphylia, Isauria, Cilicia, Galatia, Cappadocia, etc., with Troy, Ephesus, Smyrna and many other great and famous cities, including the seven churches of the book of Revelation. Here in the dawn of history the non-Aryan race of the Hittites, whose capital is thought to have been at Bo ghaz Kent, rose to power; here from the ob scure era of Semiramis (about 2000 B.C.) to the time of Osman (about 1300 A.D.), the greatest conquerors of the world contended for supremacy; and here took place the wars of the Medes and Persians with the Scythians; of the Greeks with the Persians; of the Romans with Mithridates and the Parthians; of the Arabs, Seljuks, Mongols and Osmanli Turks with the weak Byzantine empire. Here Alexander the Great and the Romans suc cessfully contended for the mastery of the civilized world, and here the Crusaders passed on their way to the Holy Sepulchre. But not withstanding all these wars the country still continued to enjoy some measure of prosper ity till it fell into the hands of the Turks, under whose military despotism its ancient civilization has been sadly brought to ruin. Recently considerable portions of Armenia have been absorbed by Russia. In 1878 Great Britain made a secret engagement to guaran tee against Russian aggression the Asiatic dominions of the Porte. Of recent years German influence has been preponderant throughout the Turkish empire and in Asia Minor all the railroads of the plateau are practically in the hands of German capitalists.
Bibliography.— Clark, F. E., 'The Holy Land of Asia Minor> (New York 1914) ; Flitch,