Trabzon Vilayet
Vilayet of Trabzon (Turkish:, latn. Vilâyet-i Trabzon, Greek: Επαρχία Τραπεζούντας, Trapezond/Trebizond) is a second-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Anatolian Republic. It is one of the ten vilayets located in Anadolu Eyalet (State of Anatolia).
It was established with the Vilayet law in 1867, however it has some of its land to Georgia (the portion now termed as Eastern Lazistan) since then.
It is located in the north-eastern part of the Anatolian Republic, corresponding to the area along the eastern Black Sea coastline and the interior highland region of the Pontic Alps.
It hosts considerable populations of Greeks, who come under the group of Pontic Greeks.
On its West, it is surrounded by the Kastamonu Vilayet, on South by the Sivas Vilayet, Southeast by Armenia and on East by Georgia.
The vilayet's borders roughly correspond to Empire of Trebizond, a Byzantine rump state, which was conquered by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II.
Its location along the Anato-Georgian border and along Black Sea coast, make it an important geopolitical location. The Pontic Alps protect inland areas from any external force.
The loss of Eastern Lazistan (Turkish: Lazistan-ı Şark or Georgian/Laz: აღმოსავლეთის ლაზონა, Aghmosavletis Lazona region of Adjara), was a considerable loss. The important cities of Ardahan (now, Artaani) and Artvin (now, Artvinis) were lost. This loss along with lands on which Laz lived, divided Laz homeland into two. It was President Eyyübzade's decision to have an open border with Georgia, that prevented Laz nationalism on both sides of the border to escalate. The Laz shepherds freely let their herds graze on pastures across the borders.
Sanjaks of the Vilayet:
- Trabzon Sanjak (Trabzon, Ordu, Giresun, Tirebolu, Görele, Vakfıkebir, Sürmene, Of, Akçaabat, Maçka)
- Gümüşhane Sanjak (Gümüşhane, Kelkit, Şiran, Torul)
- Lazistan-ı Garb Sanjak (It was formed as leftover of the Lazistan Sanjak, eastern portion of which lie in the Adjara Region of Georgia) (Rize, Atina)
- Canik Sanjak (Samsun, Bafra, Ünye, Fatsa, Çarşamba, Terme)
History
2024 Census
| Millet | 1914 Census | 1914 Percentages | 2024 Census | 2024 Percentages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turk | 1,098,625 | 77% | 5,600,317 | 72.4% |
| Greek | 260,098 | 18.2% | 1,700,843 | 22% |
| Armenian | 66,188 | 4.6% | 425,210 | 5.5% |
| Jewish | 35 | 0.002% | 45 | 0.001% |
| Others | 2,605 | 0.2% | 4,690 | 0.1% |
| Total | 1,427,551 | 100% | 7,731,105 | 100% |