The human and economic geography of Samandag district (Hatay)

Samandag District is located south-west part of Antakya, in Adana Sub Region of Mediterranean Region. Center of district that situated on Mediterranean coast, has been settled over delta plain. This district where antique Seleukeia city and port instructed, is important in case of history of settlement.This district, identified as a pier city according to middle age resources, was named by arabian people as Suveydiye. This district was perspectively ruled by Roman Empire, Anatolian Seljuklu State, Ottoman Empire, French authority and in 1938 independent Hatay State was founded. In 1948 Samandag became a district which has been called Suveydiye, a subdistrict of Antakya, during the years between 1940-1948.There are 31 villiages and 12 municipality in Samandag. According to Census-2000, there are 106.754 inhabitants 34.681 of living in district center, 72.113 in villiages in Samandag. While the ratio of 0-14 age group to total population is 38,8%, the ratio of 15-64 age group is 57,3 %and the ratio of old people is 3,7%. And this shows that most of the population are in active population.With respect to language, ethnic and religious differencies, this district has a special condition. This condition, and the life has been kept in tolerance in the common settlement place, through history.Settlement density extended through Ziriye Gorge and Asi river decreases in foot of Musa Mountain which is located North-western. With transportation and economic developments those settlements which were built of mud brick has began to be built of cement brick since 1980s. Detached houses replaced with new houses having two or more flat. With respect to their economic functions, flat roofs and tile roofs are common in usage.A great amount of population in the district, earns their lifes from farming and animal breeding. 47% of inhabitants living in rural areas earn their lifes from fruit growing, 44 % of them from selling vegetable, 3% of them from worker?s pay and the 6 % of them from other economic activities. This district having area of 382 square kilometers consists of diffirent sizes: 49 % agricultural, 33 % forest and heat, 18 % other areas. It can be yielded two or three times per year thanks to industrious inhabitants. Cereals is grown in 28,45 % of the area which is suitable for agriculture. About 70% of dryfarming areas is consisted of cereals. 95% of grown cereals is wheat. and a little amount of barley and oats is planted.The size of agricultural area in Samandag is totally 188.700 decares. About 42 % is allocated for vegatable grown, 28,5 % for grain, 9,7 % for citrus fruits, 12,9 % for other fruits (plum, vetches, pomegranate), 5,2 % for olive, 1,2 % for glasshouse crops and 0,4 % for tobacco. It is because of the ailments in plum trees that leads to open new areas to grow pomegranate and citrus fruits.Due to the substitues given for animal breeding there is some progress in barn animal breeding. Commercial breeding has taken place of breeding for daily life. Port instructed in Cevlik Cove and harbor in coast of Meydan Village provide an opportunity to progress fishing and afford a facitility for nearly six hundreds of families to earn their lifes from fishing.Despite the fact that Samandağ District is an attracting place with its sea-side, climate, natural sight, historical places and cultural values, the tourism has not progressed well due to irrelevance of administration and lack of advertisement.Keywords: Geography, Human Geography, Urban, Hatay, Samandag, Organic Farming, Glasshouse, Ethnical Structure