Azerbaijan

I

Introduction

Azerbaijan, officially Republic of Azerbaijan, republic in the Transcaucasia region of western Asia, bordered on the north by Russia, on the north-west by Georgia, on the east by the Caspian Sea, on the south by Iran, and on the west by Armenia. Formerly a republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the republic includes the regions known under the Soviets as the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR), which is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by a mountainous strip in Armenia. Azerbaijan, which covers an area of about 86,600 sq km (33,400 sq mi), is a land of high mountain ranges and low river valleys. Baku, a large port city on the Caspian Sea, is the capital and largest city.

II

Land and Resources

The Greater Caucasus mountains form much of the country’s northern border and contain Mount Bazardüzü, which reaches a height of 4,466 m (14,653 ft), the highest elevation in the republic. The tallest mountains of the Lesser Caucasus (Malyy Kavkaz) form the country’s south-eastern boundary and attain heights of 3,500 m (11,500 ft). The central portion of the country is dominated by the Aras-Kura river valleys. With the exception of the Länkäran Lowland in the subtropical south-east and upper elevations in the mountainous zones, the climate is generally arid.

A

Rivers and Lakes

Large-scale canal systems divert water, primarily for agricultural purposes. The Verkhne-Karabakhskiy Canal channels water from the Mingechaurskoye Reservoir on the upper Kura to the River Aras. The Samur-Apsheronskiy Canal redirects water from the River Samur on Azerbaijan’s northern border to the Abşeron Peninsula, which juts into the Caspian Sea.

B

Plants and Animals

Forests grow in the subalpine zone, which is inhabited by bear, deer, lynx, and wild boar. The arid and semi-arid lowlands support a great number of lizards, poisonous snakes, and other reptiles.