ORUMIYEH

also spelled Urmia, or Urumiyeh, formerly Reza'iyeh, or Rizaiyeh, city, extreme northwestern Iran. It lies just west of Lake Urmia on a large fertile plain that yields grains, fruits, tobacco, and other crops. The population is mainly Azeri Turkish, with Kurdish, Assyrian Christian, and Armenian minorities. The remains of ancient settlements are scattered over the plain, as are traces of the ancient kingdom of Urartu. For long periods the city belonged to the Ottoman Empire. In 1900, Christians formed nearly half the population, but in 1918 many left. Most of the remainder were massacred after the retreat of the Russians from the area. Some survivors were later repatriated by the Iranian government. Orumiyeh is connected by primary roads with Tabriz, 75 miles (120 km) northeast, and with Kermanshah, 250 miles (400 km) southeast. There is an airfield nearby. Pop. (1985 est.) 298,400.