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Suluova (Ancient Greek: Αργουμα, Argouma and Latin: Arguma) is a town and district of Amasya Province of Turkey, located on high ground inland within the central Black Sea region. It covers an area of 516km², and the population (2010) is 47,510 of which 37,669 live in the town of Suluova, the remainder spread throughout the surrounding countryside. Altitude is 510 m. The mayor is Mahmut Boz (AKP).

Name

Suluova was known in antiquity as Arguma, meaning 'watery' and this was later translated into Turkish first as Suluca and later as Suluova, meaning watery plain. Two-thirds of the district lies on the plain (watered by the Tersakan River), one-third in the surrounding mountain forest. The land is dry and strong winds whip over the mountains from the Black Sea so Suluova is notorious for its dust storms. Özhan Öztürk claims that Argoma means "border settlement/base" at Hitite-Kaskians border Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

History

Excavations of the hill of Kümbettepe show the history of Suluova goes back to 2000 BC, the stone age. The area was then settled by the Hittites.

The Seljuk Turks arrived in the 11th century AD and the area was brought within the Ottoman Empire in 1386.

Suluova today

Suluova has grown into a large town for four reasons: 1) the area is a rich source of lignite coal; 2) this is good farmland and in particular Turkey's largest growers of onions are located here; 3) the sugar factory; and lastly a railway line passes through the town.