Editing Geography of Turkey (section)

=== Central Anatolia region ===
{{Main|Central Anatolia region, Turkey}}
[[File:Mount erciyes.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Erciyes]] near [[Kayseri]]]]

Stretching inland from the Aegean coastal plain, the Central Anatolia region occupies the area between the two zones of the folded mountains, extending east to the point where the two ranges converge. The plateau-like, semi-arid highlands of [[Anatolia]] are considered the heartland of the country. The region varies in elevation from 700 to 2000 meters from west to east. [[Mount Erciyes]] is the peak at 3916 meters. The two largest basins on the plateau are the ''[[Konya Province|Konya]] Ovası'' and the basin occupied by the large salt lake, [[Lake Tuz|Tuz Gölü]]. Both basins are characterized by inland drainage. Wooded areas are confined to the northwest and northeast of the plateau. Rain-fed cultivation is widespread, with wheat being the principal crop. Irrigated agriculture is restricted to the areas surrounding rivers and wherever sufficient underground water is available. Important irrigated crops include barley, corn, cotton, various fruits, grapes, opium poppies, sugar beets, roses, and tobacco. There also is extensive grazing throughout the plateau.

Central Anatolia receives little annual rainfall. For instance, the semi-arid center of the plateau receives an average yearly precipitation of only 300 millimeters. However, actual rainfall from year to year is irregular and occasionally may be less than 200 millimeters, leading to severe reductions in crop yields for both rain-fed and irrigated agriculture. In years of low rainfall, stock losses also can be high. Overgrazing has contributed to soil erosion on the plateau. During the summers, frequent dust storms blow a fine yellow powder across the plateau. Locusts occasionally ravage the eastern area in April and May. In general, the plateau experiences moderate heat, with almost no rainfall in summer and cold weather with heavy snow in winter.

Frequently interspersed throughout the folded mountains, and also situated on the Anatolian Plateau, are well-defined basins, which the Turks call ''ova''. Some are no more than a widening of a stream valley; others, such as the ''Konya Ovası'', are large basins of inland drainage or are the result of limestone erosion. Most of the basins take their names from cities or towns located at their rims. Where a lake has formed within the basin, the water body is usually saline as a result of the internal drainage—the water has no outlet to the sea.

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{{wide image|Cappadocia Chimneys - DWiW.jpg|1000px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of the Fairy Chimneys in [[Cappadocia]]}}