Azerbaijan Geography 1997

Location Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia

Geographic coordinates 40 30 N, 47 30 E

Map references Commonwealth of Independent States

Area
total: 86,600 sq km
land: 86,100 sq km
water: 500 sq km
note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakhregion; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Sovieton 26 November 1991

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries
total: 2,013 km
border countries : Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivanexclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran(with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km

Coastline 0 km (landlocked)
note: Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km, est.)

Maritime claims none (landlocked)

Climate dry, semiarid steppe

Terrain large, flat Kur-Araz Lowland (much of it below sea level) with GreatCaucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag (Karabakh) Upland in west; Baku lies on Abseron (Apsheron) Peninsula that juts into Caspian Sea

Elevation extremes
lowest point : Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina

Land use
arable land: 18%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 11%
other : 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 10,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards droughts; some lowland areas threatened by rising levels of the CaspianSea

Environment - current issues local scientists consider the Abseron (Apsheron) Peninsula (includingBaku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, water, and soil pollution; soilpollution results from the use of DDT as a pesticide and also from toxic defoliantsused in the production of cotton

Environment - international agreements
party to: Climate Change, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity

Geography - note landlocked

NOTE: The information regarding Azerbaijan on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Azerbaijan Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Azerbaijan Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.