city, north-central Turkey. It lies on the edge of a fertile plain. A historic town on old trade routes from central Anatolia to the Black Sea coast, Çorum became famous for its hand-spinning and weaving cottage industries, the manufacture of copper utensils, and its leather products. It is also the main trading centre for the surrounding plain; the plain, watered by the Kızıl River (the ancient Halys), produces cereals, fruits, tobacco, and sugar beets. The city has a 13th-century mosque and several Ottoman structures. Pop. (2000) 161,321.