Country Turkey Area 881.76 km2 | Capital Tunceli Mayor Mehmet Ali Bul (BDP) | |
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Map of Tunceli
Tunceli ([tundʒeli], meaning "Bronze Land" in Turkish; Kurdish: Dersim, Zazaki: Desim) Tunceli old name Zazaki: Mamekiye) is a city in Turkey. It is the capital of Tunceli Province, located in the middle of Eastern Anatolia Region. The former name of Tunceli was Mamiki (from the Armenian, Mamikon), then Kalan.
Contents
- Map of Tunceli
- Pkk terrorism 2 dead 8 injured in football match attack in tunceli 05 09 2011
- Geography
- History
- Economy
- Climate
- References
Pkk terrorism 2 dead 8 injured in football match attack in tunceli 05 09 2011
Geography
Tunceli at 39°06′N 39°33′E is situated just to the north of the intersection point of two rivers, Munzur and Pülümür, both flowing to south. The city is founded in the valley of Munzur which is known for its picturesque appearance. It is surrounded by high mountains called Munzur mountains. The city has a limited means of transport to other cities. The population of the city is 32815 as of 2011. It is one of the least populated province centers of Turkey.
History
During the Ottoman Empire, Tunceli (then known as Kalan) was a part of the region named Dersim. In 1847 Dersim was declared a sanjak (a historical administrative unit smaller than the province). The capital of the sanjak was Hozat. During the Republican period Tunceli Province was established in 1935. In 1946 the former town of Kalan was renamed as Tunceli and it was declared as the capital city of the province.
As a result of the Turkish campaign of "Turkisation" Tunceli became a main target of Turkish officials after the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Tunceli played a role in the Dersim rebellion which has controversially been described as a genocide.
Today, Tunceli still has to fight against accusations of supporting the illegal PKK-terror organisation and is facing exclusion from the wider Turkish society. Nevertheless, Tunceli also makes a name by excellent rankings in National Education statistics.
Economy
The main economic activity is animal breeding. Wheat is the only notable agricultural product. There are chromium salt and marble deposits. But only salt is produced. There are a few factories based on agriculture.
Climate
Tunceli has a dry-summer continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dsa) with very hot, dry summers and freezing cold, snowy winters.