Effects of Natural Geographic Features on the Manufacturing Industry in Sanliurfa, Turkey

Abstract

Geographical features of a place have an important effect on distribution, location, aglomeration and a variety of industrial activities. Social and economical features, along with natural geographic features such as geology, geomorphology, climate, natural vegetation, soil properties and hydrographic features also have a significant effect on industry. This study aims at determining how physical geographic features affect categories of industrial activities in Sanliurfa. For this purpose, firstly, physical geographic features of Sanliurfa and statistical data on agricultural and industrial activities in Sanliurfa were obtained. Then, effects of these physical features on other economic activities and the influence of those features on the distribution of industrial plants and industrial activities were analysed in terms of distribution, relation and casuality principles. Geological formations in Sanliurfa province occured in Neogene and also in Quaternary. These formations mostly consist of Neogene limestone, Quaternary basaltic volcanic rocks and alluvial soils. Geomorfically Sanliurfa is a slightly hilly place with plateaus and plains. The main river in Sanliurfa is the Euphrates – the biggest river of Turkey. Naural vegatation of Sanliurfa consists of steppe. These physical geographic fetaures of Sanliurfa cause intensive agricultural activites all across the province. Sanliurfa province covers 18,584 km² and 60% of this area is convenient for agriculture. As a consequence, the majority of manucturing industry in Sanliurfa is agro-based, such as food, textile, mill and apparel industries. While these categories constitute 65.43% of all industrial enterprises, the share of enterprises involving stone, clay, glass, and concrete industry is 11%, and lumber and wood industry share is only 2%.