The origin of the Angora is not known.Шаблон:R The earliest Western description may be that published in 1555 by Pierre Belon,Шаблон:R who while travelling from Heraclea to Konya in southern Turkey had seen goats with snow-white "... wool so delicate that one would judge it finer than silk ...".Шаблон:R
Angora goats were depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 50 lira banknote from 1938 to 1952.Шаблон:R
In 1960 there were over 6 million Angora goats in Turkey; the population subsequently dropped sharply.Шаблон:R In 2004 the total goat population of the country was approximately 7.2 million; of these, just over 5% were of Angora stock, while the remainder were hair goats.Шаблон:R A conservation programme for the Angora was established in 2003.Шаблон:R
The Angora is a moderately small goat, standing about Шаблон:Val at the withers.Шаблон:R It is slender, elegant and light-framed;Шаблон:R the head is small, with semi-lop ears. It is usually horned; in billies the horns are commonly long, twisted and strong.Шаблон:R With the exception of the face and legs, the animal is entirely covered in a coat of long ringlets of fine and lustrous mohair.Шаблон:R This is not goat hair as seen on other breeds, but the down or undercoat which, in this breed only, grows much longer than the outer hair coat. The face and coat are normally white, but – particularly in southern Turkey – black, brown and grey animals also occur.Шаблон:R
Use
The goats are reared either for mohair or for their goat's meat.Шаблон:R Mohair is not as fine as cashmere, but yields are much higher. Unlike cashmere, which is obtained by combing the coat of the goat, mohair is obtained by shearing; this is commonly done twice per year.Шаблон:R In 2010 approximately half of all mohair production was in South Africa; Argentina and Lesotho were also major producers, followed by the United States, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand.Шаблон:R
In some other countries the Angora is reared for its meat, which is succulent and tender, and which in the early twentieth century was described as the best of its kind in the world.Шаблон:R
