Elazığ Province

Template:Short description Template:Infobox Turkey place Elazığ Province (Template:Langx; Template:Langx;<ref>Zazaca -Türkçe Sözlük, R. Hayıg-B. Werner</ref> Template:Langx)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> is a province of Turkey with its seat in the city of Elazığ. Its area is 9,383 km²,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and its population is 591,497 (2022).<ref name=tuik>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The population of the province was 569,616 in 2000 and 498,225 in 1990. The province is considered part of Turkish Kurdistan and has a Kurdish majority<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> with a significant Turkish minority.

History

In 1927 the office of the Inspector General was created, which governed with martial law.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> The province was included in the first Inspectorate General (Umumi Müfettişlik, UM) over which the Inspector General ruled. The UM spanned over the provinces of Hakkâri, Siirt, Van, Mardin, Bitlis, Şanlıurfa, Elazığ and Diyarbakır.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In December 1935, the Tunceli Law was passed, which demanded a more powerful Government in the region.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In January 1936 the Elazığ Province was transferred under the authority of the newly established Fourth Inspectorate General, which span over the provinces of Elazığ, Erzincan, Bingöl and Tunceli<ref>Cagaptay (2006), p.110</ref> and its seat was in the city of Elazığ.<ref name="Çağaptay">Soner Çaǧaptay, Islam, Secularism, and Nationalism in Modern Turkey: Who is a Turk?, Taylor & Francis, 2006, Template:ISBN, p. 48</ref> The fourth UM was governed by a Governor-Commander. Most of the employees in the municipalities had to be from the military and the Governor-Commander had the authority to evacuate whole villages and resettle them in another part of the province.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1946 the Tunceli Law was abolished and the state of emergency removed but the authority of the fourth UM was transferred to the military.<ref name=":1" />

The Inspectorates General were dissolved in 1952 during the Government of the Democrat Party.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The province has experienced many earthquakes, including a magnitude 6.1 earthquake on 8 March 2010 and a magnitude 6.7 earthquake on 24 January 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Geography

Elazığ stretches in a general west-southwest to east-northeast direction, along the line of equal geographic latitude and longitude. The source of the Euphrates river is located in this province. Template:Convert of its area is covered by reservoirs and natural lakes.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Districts

Elazığ province is divided into 11 districts (capital district in bold):

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Economy

Historically, Elazığ Province produced silver, which ceased being mined in 1885. The Turkish government attempted to modernize the mines; however, the cost of fuel and energy caused the shut down. There was a silver mine still producing in 1903 in Palu, as with coal. Coal is also found in other areas of the province. Gold and salt was also produced.<ref name=Prothero74>Template:Cite book</ref>

Education

Education is provided by the Elazığ Provincial Directorate for National Education. It currently views over 442 educational institutions, both formal and informal ones.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Archaeology

Altınova, Elazığ was an important archaeological site in the Altınova plain that was excavated in the 1970s. It was later flooded by the Keban Dam. Other sites in the Altınova plain were also Tepecik, Korucutepe, Değirmentepe, and Körtepe.