Rural settlements in Gürpınar (Van) district

ABSTRACT Gürpınar, which constitutes the research area, is located in the Eastern Anatolia Region, in the Upper Murat Van Section. District; It is bordered by İpekyolu and Özalp districts in the north, Başkale in the east, Çatak district in the west, and Hakkari and Şırnak provinces in the south. With an area of 4.063 km2, it is among the largest districts of Turkey in terms of surface area. Gürpınar District, whose history dates back to ancient times, has an important place in the region. Although there is a previous study about the district, it is not possible to recognize the region as a whole since this study, which deals with the town center, does not cover the district in general. The fact that there was no scientific study on this subject before was effective in the selection of the research topic. The aim is to analyze the rural settlements in Gürpınar District in terms of their geographical characteristics, to determine the economic activity areas of the rural settlements and to offer solutions in line with the methods and principles of geography science for the rural settlements to get maximum efficiency from their economic potential. During the preparation process of the thesis, first of all, literature was searched and written sources (such as books, academic publications, reports) for the research field were obtained and examined in detail. At another stage, excursion-observation studies were carried out in rural settlements in the field in order to collect data and conduct interviews. In the last stage of writing, the information obtained; Analyzes were presented by supporting maps, tables, photographs and graphics. Physical environment and economic activities are the factors that affect the selection of rural settlements. Rural settlements where agricultural activities are carried out are generally established on plains and valley floors. Rural neighborhood settlements with easy access, wide agricultural lands, low elevation, and high water availability throughout the district are more populated. The population is low in rural neighborhoods where landforms are rugged, agricultural lands and irrigation facilities are scarce, and transportation is difficult. The morphological conditions of the settlement and the water resources have an important place in the settlements having a mass-textured feature. It has been concluded that various studies should be carried out to make the tourism sector the third important sector after agriculture and animal husbandry in the research area, which has an important potential in terms of historical and natural beauties, and to solve the employment problem. Keywords: Gürpınar, Population, Settlement, Agriculture, Livestock