Analysis of Settlements Patterns in Hatay Province

Abstract

The settlement patterns that occur by the spatial distribution of the population vary according to the morphological characteristics and economic resources of the region at which they are located. While Hatay is located in Turkey’s south between the Mediterranean Sea, the Amanos Mountains, and the Syrian border, it forms from settlements areas in which are diverse sizes and different shapes. The study aims to examine the impact of geomorphology on settlements and to reveal the relationship between the settlement typologies, economy, and demography. 2018 Corine Land Cover data, 2019 TUIK data, and Hatay Metropolitan Municipality data were investigated within this scope. According to the results, settlement areas of Hatay were classified into four groups with four patterns, while the patterns varied by the existence of economic structure. The pattern distribution was determined as dispersed-clustered in the industrial region, as linear in the tourism zone, and as dispersed in the agricultural production zone. Settlements were also densely affected and transformed by the 2011 Syrian refugee crisis due to the Syrian civil war. In conclusion, while geomorphology, advanced production systems, developed transportation axes, and international relations are effective in Hatay's settlement alterations, so these dynamics should strictly consider in city planning.