Seyhan Basin is a region of strategic importance for

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

in terms of water resources, agriculture, and the economy. Geographically, it is located between the Central Anatolia and Mediterranean Regions. This basin generally has a mountainous structure, starting in the south with the flat and low

Çukurova Çukurova (), or the Cilician Plain (''Cilicia Pedias'' in antiquity), is a large fertile plain in the Cilicia region of southern Anatolia. The plain covers the easternmost areas of Mersin Province, southern and central Adana Province, western Os ...

plain and continuing northward with high mountainous areas and hills after being separated by a narrow strip.

Geographical location

The Seyhan Basin is situated in a wedge shape that expands northward from Çukurova. The upper part of the basin is located in Central Anatolia, while the middle and lower parts are in the Mediterranean Region. The Seyhan Basin spans between the latitudes of 36º 30' and 39º 15' north and the longitudes of 34º 45' and 37º 00' east.

Landforms

The basin generally has a mountainous structure. It starts from the low and flat Çukurova plain in the south and continues northward with high mountainous areas and hilly sections. The waters of the Seyhan Basin are collected by the

Göksu The Göksu River (), known in antiquity as the Calycadnus and in the Middle Ages as the Saleph, is a river on the Taşeli Plateau in southern Turkey. Its two sources arise in the Taurus Mountains—the northern in the Geyik Mountains and the s ...

, Zamantı,

Kürtün Kürtün is a town in Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast E ...

, Eğlence, and Çakıt rivers, along with their tributaries, which flow into the

Seyhan River The Seyhan River (formerly written ''Seihan'', ''Sihun''; ancient name: , ''Sáros''), alternatively known as ''Sarus'' (or in Turkish as ''Sarus Su''),John Garstang and O.R. Gurney is the longest river of Cilicia and the longest of Turkey t ...

. The drainage area of the basin is quite extensive, covering a total area of 20,450 km². The annual water volume is estimated to be approximately 6 billion m³.

Climate

The climate of the basin is generally divided into three different sections. In the coastal area, summers are hot and dry, while winters are mild and rainy. In the northern regions, summers are hot and dry, but winters are cold and rainy. In the part where the

Taurus Mountains The Taurus Mountains (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar,'' Greek language, Greek'':'' Ταύρος) are a mountain range, mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal reg ...

extend, a wetter and colder climate is observed. The area with the highest rainfall is the upper middle section of the basin.

Vegetation

The vegetation of the basin varies according to climate,

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

, and

landform A landform is a land feature on the solid surface of the Earth or other planetary body. They may be natural or may be anthropogenic (caused or influenced by human activity). Landforms together make up a given terrain, and their arrangement ...

s. In the arid northern areas, grass and meadows can be found, along with occasional wild pear and oak shrubs. As one moves southward, Mediterranean climate-specific

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

and maquis communities are

References

{{Reflist Seyhan