Canik

mountains in Turkey, the middle chain of the Pontic Mountains between the Kizil Irmak and Melet rivers. They are about 200 km long and reach 2,062 m in height. The Canik Mountains are formed primarily of andesite, trachyte, and sandstone and are cut through by the Yesil Irmak River gorge. The northern slope is covered by broad-leaved forests with shrubby underbrush on the lower zone (up to 400-700 m) and by coniferous and broad-leaved forests on the upper zone. On the southern dry slope there are sparse pine and oak forests and shibliak (deciduous secondary brush formation); on the upper zone there is frigana (xerophytic shrub and semishrub vegetation). Tobacco and grapes are grown in the valleys.