Van is a province in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. It is 20,927 km 2 in area and has a population of 877 524 (2000). Its adjacent provinces are Bitlis to the west, Siirt to the southwest, Şırnak and Hakkari to the south, and Agri to the north. The capital is Van. The province and the surrounding area is the home of famous Turkish Van cats.
In the 9th century BC, the Van area was the center of the Urartian kingdom.
See also
- Van Province, Ottoman Empire
External links
