Geography of Azerbaijan

Geography of Azerbaijan
ContinentEurope and Asia
RegionCaucasus
Coordinates40°30′N 47°30′E / 40.500°N 47.500°E / 40.500; 47.500
AreaRanked 112th
 • Total86,600 km2 (33,400 sq mi)
 • Land99.87%
 • Water0.13%
Coastline713 km (443 mi)
Highest pointBazardüzü
4,466 m (14,652 ft)
Lowest pointCaspian Sea
−28 m (−92 ft)
Longest riverKura River
1,514 km (941 mi)
Largest lakeMingachevir reservoir
605 km2 (234 sq mi)
Climatesubtropical and humid in the southeast, subtropical and dry in the center and east, continental and humid in the mountains, and continental and dry in Nakhchivan
Terrainmountainous and lowlands
Natural resourcesPetroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
Natural hazardsDroughts and floods, rising levels of the Caspian Sea
Environmental issuesair pollution, water pollution, desertification, hazardous wastes, marine dumping, ship pollution
Exclusive economic zoneNone, the Caspian Sea is a lake
Azerbaijan map of Köppen climate classification zones

Azerbaijan is a country in the Caucasus region, situated at the juncture of Eastern Europe and West Asia. Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country's center.[1] About the size of Portugal or the US state of Maine, Azerbaijan has a total land area of approximately 86,600 km², less than 1% of the land area of the former Soviet Union.[1] Of the three Transcaucasian states, Azerbaijan has the greatest land area.[1] Special administrative subdivisions are the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by a strip of Armenian territory, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, entirely within Azerbaijan.[1] The status of Nagorno-Karabakh is disputed by Armenia, but is internationally recognized as territory of Azerbaijan.

Located in the region of the southern Caucasus Mountains, Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea to the east, Georgia and Russia to the north, Iran to the south, and Armenia to the southwest and west.[1] A small part of Nakhchivan also borders Turkey to the northwest.[1] The capital of Azerbaijan is the ancient city of Baku, which has the largest and best harbor on the Caspian Sea and has long been the center of the republic's oil industry.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Curtis, Glenn E. (1995). Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia : country studies (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division. pp. 99–101. ISBN 0-8444-0848-4. OCLC 31709972.
  2. ^ "CIA Site Redirect — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on October 17, 2000. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
  3. ^ "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 2018-03-07.