Bala, Ankara

Bala is a town and district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, 67 km south-east of the city of Ankara. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 19,426 of which 8,506 live in the urban center of Bala. The district covers an area of 2,563 km (990 sq mi), and the average elevation is 1,310 m (4,298 ft). Bala stands on a high plain, summers are hot, winters are cold and snowy. The town of Bala is small but busy with shops and light manufacturing workshops, the surrounding countryside is used for farming, especially grains and sunflower seeds. Recently Ankara's wealthier citizens have begun building luxury housing in some villages of Bala. However the town stands on a fault line and experiences many...