GEOGRAPHY

GENERAL ASSESSMENT

Çorum is located inside the Middle Black Sea Region.  It is surrounded by Amasya in the east, Yozgat in the south, Çankırı in the west, Sinop in the north, Samsun in the northeast, Kırıkkale in the southwest. Its Acreage is 12.820 km². As to the latitude and longitude ; it is located between 34 degrees 04 minutes 28 seconds. east longitude and 39 degrees 54 minutes 20 sec. northern latitudes. The city has an elevation of 801 m

TOPOGRAPHY

Two main chunk  rock groups are important. The first one is Metamorphic serie and the second is Sedimentary Chunk. The main formation of the city took place in the end of the third geological period and in the beginning of fourth geological period. In Çorum city center, Alaca, İskilip, Osmancık, Mecitözü and Kargı,various metamorphic soils have been found from the geological eras known as Archaea and the Precambrian. Gypsum (limestone) ,the salt beds and lignite coal-bed with the amount of % 75 carbon are available in Osmancık, Dodurga  region and  Alpagut-Zambal-Karakaya-Ayva- Ovacık villages. This era’s trachyte, granite, basalt and andesite which are the eruptive rocks are found in  Çorum city center, Kargı, Sungurlu, Alaca, Mecitözü, Osmancık ve İskilip. Sedimentary rock can be found anywhere in Çorum.

Çorum is located on North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAF) which is  the part of Alpine-Himalayan orogeny (mountain formation)  . NAF is in the 20 km distance of the northern Çorum.

 CLIMATE

 Çorum is located in the transition climate of Black Sea Region and Middle Anatolia Region. Summers are hot and dry; winters are cold and snowy. Kargı,
Osmancık, İskilip, Laçin, Dodurga, Oğuzlar and  Bayat towns are under the influence of Black Sea Region climate. Çorum city center, Sungurlu, Alaca, Boğazkale, Ortaköy, Mecitözü and  Uğurludağ have Middle Anatolian steppe climate.

The measurement performed since 1929 show that average annual rainfall in the city center is 523mm, in Alaca 376 mm, in Bayat 445mm, in Boğazkale 490mm, in Dodurga 373.2 mm, in İskilip 484.8 mm, in Kargı 360.3mm, in Laçin 530.2mm, in Mecitözü 422.7mm, in Ortaköy 409.5mm, in Osmancık 368.1mm, in Sungurlu 438.1 mm and in Uğurludağ 450mm.

The average temperature in the city center is 10,7º. The highest temperature is measured in 2000 July as 42,7 Cº and the lowest is in 1985 February as -27,2 Cº. July and August are the hottest months.

    Northeaster which starts blowing in the afternoon till 10 pm is very affective in summers. The scorching winds are sometimes harmful for the fields and crops. Stellar wind from the north in winter, southwest winds from the south blow in spring. These winds cause plenty rainfall and sometimes hailfall. In autumn the weather is mostly calm. These months are called as “sağır aylar” among the native people.

 
VEGETATION AND NATURE LIFE
The southern part of Çorum is mostly covered with steppes. They turn green with the spring rainfall and dry with in autumn. Daisies, poppies, camel thorn, belemun, thistle, mullein, veronica are widely seen. The willow and poplar varieties are found throughout streams.

Oak, juniper and larch are seen in the high parts of Alaca, Sungurlu, Ortaköy and Mecitözü. Crocus, wild hyacinth, wild tulip flowers are seen with spring. In the northern districts of the province , oak forests and coniferous forests are found.

Oak, dogwood, wild plums, apples, hawthorn, wild rose are found in the high territories which are 1000-1200 meters above the sea level. Linden trees are rarely found in the Hacıhamza environment.

Pine, larch, fir and pine trees are found in Kargı, İskilip, Osmancık, Bayat towns.
Total forest and scrub areas are  365.208 hectar and it is 28% of the acreage.