Adana

Capital of Adana (Seyhan) province, southern Turkey, about 50 km/31 mi north of the Mediterranean Sea, near the Taurus Mountains; population (2003 est) 1,219,900. Adana is a commercial centre and Turkey's fourth-largest city. It is located in the middle of the Çurukova (Cilician) plain, in the most fertile area of the country, where cotton, grains, and fruits are grown. Manufacturing includes cotton textiles, processed food, tobacco, machinery, and cement.

Adana is said to have been founded by Adanus, son of Kronus, the god of weather. It was probably founded by the Hittites, and was colonized by the Romans in 66 BC. In the 16th century the city passed to the Ottoman Turks. Adana was invaded by French forces in 1918, but achieved independence in January 1922.