Six Vilayets
Introduction The '''Six Vilayets''' (, ''Vilâyat-ı Sitte''), the '''Six Provinces''', or the '''Six Armenian Vilayets''' ( ''Vets' haykakan vilayet'ner''; ) were the main Armenian-populated vilayets ("provinces") of the Ottoman Empire. These were Van, Erzurum, Mamuret-ul-Aziz, Bitlis, Diyarbekir and  Sivas.
Name The term ''Six Vilayets'' was a diplomatic usage referring to the Ottoman vilayets with substantial Armenian populations. European diplomats often referred to the ''Six Armenian Vilayets'' during the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
Population ===Ethnic groups===Ethnic map of the Six Vilayets according to the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1912.Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire according to the 1914 official population statistics. ;Statistical analysis of the racial elements in the Ottoman provinces by the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, 1912''Note: The analysis excludes certain portions of these provinces where Armenians are only a minor element. These portions are as follows: Hakkiari, in the Vilayet of Van; the south of Sairt, in the Vilayet of Bitlis; the south of the Vilayet of Diyarbekir; the south of Malatia, in the Vilayet of Mamuret-ul-Aziz; the north-west and west of the Vilayet of Sivas. '''''Ethnic groups''''''Bitlis''''''Diyarbekir''''''Erzurum''''''Mamuret-ul-Aziz''''''Sivas''''''Van''''''TOTAL''''''%''' Armenians180,000105,000215,000168,000165,000185,0001,018,00038.9 Turks148,00072,000265,000182,000192,00047,000806,00030.8 Kurds277,00055,00075,00095,00050,00072,000499,00019.1 Others330,00064,00048,0005,000100,00043,000290,00011.1 '''TOTAL''''''382,000''''''296,000''''''630,000''''''450,000''''''507,000''''''350,000''''''2,615,000''''''100'''1 including Qizilbash  2 including  Zaza  3 Assyrians (Nestorians, Jacobites, Chaldeans), Circassians, Greeks, Yazidis, Persians, Lazs, Roma;Ottoman official population statistics, 1914''Note: The Ottoman population statistics doesn't give information for separate Muslim ethnic groups such as the Turks, Kurds, Circassians, etc. ''The official Ottoman population statistics of 1914 that were based on an earlier census underestimated the number of ethnic minorities, including the number of Armenians. The Ottoman figures didn't define any ethnic groups, only religious ones. So the “Armenian” population as counted by the authorities only tallied ethnic Armenians who were also adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Ethnic Armenians who professed the Muslim faith, which by that time had grown in number, were counted only as “Muslims” (not as Armenian Muslims or Armenians), while Armenian Protestants, just as Pontic Greeks, Caucasus Greeks, and Laz, were counted as "others". '''Ethnic groups''''''Bitlis''''''Diyarbekir''''''Erzurum''''''Mamuret-ul-Aziz''''''Sivas''''''Van''''''TOTAL''''''%''' Muslims309,999492,101673,297446,376939,735179,3803,040,88879.6 Armenians119,13265,850136,61887,862151,67467,792628,92816.5 Others44,3484,0205,7974,04778,17311,969148,3543.9 '''TOTAL''''''473,479''''''561,971''''''815,712''''''538,285''''''1,169,582''''''259,141''''''3,818,170''''''100'''Image:Prorportions des populations musulmanes grecques et armeniennes en AsieMineure d'apres la statistique du livreJaune.png|1893-96, Armenian populationFile:Armenian population in the Six Vilayet (1896).JPG|Armenian population in the Six Vilayets.===Largest cities===All figures are as of early 20th century. City Vilayet Population Armenians % Van Van Vilayet 40,000 25,000 62.5% Sivas Sivas Vilayet 60,000 30,000 50% Erzurum Erzurum Vilayet 60,000 15,000 25% Mezereh Vilayet of Mamuret-ul-Aziz 12,000 6,000 50% Bitlis Bitlis Vilayet 30,000 7,000 23% Diyarbakır Diyarbekir Vilayet 150,000 45,000 33% Arapgir Vilayet of Mamuret-ul-Aziz 20,000 10,000 50% Malatya Vilayet of Mamuret-ul-Aziz 40,000 20,000 50%
See also *Western Armenia*Wilsonian Armenia*Armenians in the Ottoman Empire*Ottoman Armenian population*Occupation of Western Armenia*Kingdom of Armenia*Russian Armenia*Armenian genocide
References ;Notes;Bibliography*