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GEOGRAPHICAL
OUTLINE
The Azerbaijan Republic is situated in the eastern part
of Trans-Caucasian territory. The area of the republic is 86.6 thousand
sq. km. The population is 7.3 million. In the north, Azerbaijan borders
on the Dagestan Republic (the border length is 289 km), in the north-west
with the Georgian Republic (340 km), in the south-west with the Republic
of Armenia (766 km). In the south, Azerbaijanís state border is
with the Islamic Republic of Iran (618Ýkm) and the Turkish Republic
(11 km). In the east, the Azerbaijan Republic is washed by the Caspian
Lake. The coastline is about 825 km long in the republic. The Caspian
Lake provides an outlet into the River Volga, linking Azerbaijan with
Central Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and, further, with the republics
of Central Asia which connect it with Siberia and the Far East.
STATE STRUCTURE
AND ECONOMY
Official name of Azerbaijan is the Azerbaijan Republic ("Azerbaijan
Respublikasy" in Azeri). Capital of the state is Baku.
Under the Constitution of 1995, 125 Deputies of the Parliament (Milli
Majlis) are re-elected each 5 years. President is elected for a 5-years
term. According to presentation of the President, the Parliament approves
Speaker, Prime Minister and Chairman of Supreme Court.
Today, Azerbaijan is at the stage of industrial-agrarian state, formation
of market relations and private business.
RELIGION
Most population of Azerbaijan professes Islam -monotheistic religion based
by Prophet Mohammed. Although the religion is separated from the state
in the Azerbaijan Republic, nonetheless, a greater portion of the population
is pious. Besides Moslems, there are Orthodox believers, Judaists, etc.
in Azerbaijan.
POPULATION
Population of Azerbaijan is 7,486,900, primarily Azerbaijanians. There
are also Russians, Jews, representatives of national minorities, particularly,
Lezghins, Avars, Udins, Kurds, etc.
LANGUAGES
State language of Azerbaijan is the Azeri (Turkic group). Also widely
spread Russian and English, yet, a communicate with ordinary
NATURE
Principal part of Azerbaijan is located between south-east parts of Major
and Minor Caucasus. Coastal line of the Caspian Sea stretches for 800
km.
Inimitable in their beauty are the Absheron Gulf and the Baku Bay. The
biggest islands are Zhiloi and Artem, these 2 pearls in the necklace of
the Absheron archipelago.
LANDSCAPE
The Azerbaijan Republic is, predominantly, a mountainous country. Yet,
along with high mountain ridges, there are vast plains and lowlands. The
republicís average elevation is 384 m. 18 percent of the republicís
territory is situated below the sea level. Plains and lowlands (with elevations
less than 500 m) account for 39 percent of the territory, low and medium
mountains (with elevations ranging between 500 and 2500 m), 39.5 percent,
and high mountains (more than 2500 m), 3.5 percent. Geotectonically, the
territory of Azerbaijan is divided into 4 major geomorphological regions:
the Greater Caucasus, the Minor Caucasus, the Kura-Araks Plain and the
Talysh mountains. Look at the map: Major Caucasus in the north,  Minor
Caucasus in the south and the Kura depression between them. Talysh mountains
in the south-east, Middle Arax hollow and its northern frame: Daralagez
and Zangezur ranges of Major Caucasus are represented by Chief or Watershed
(mountain Bazarduzu, 4,466 m) and Lateral ranges. Deep river valleys cut
Middle Mountains. To the east of mountain Babadag (3,629 m), Major Caucasus
sharply depresses and grows into extensive lowlands and foothills.
To the north of Major Caucasus, there is Gusar plain that grows into Samur-Davachi
lowland in the east.
Within the boundaries of the Republic, Shahdag, Murovdag (mountain Gamysh,
3,724 m) and Karabakh ranges of Minor Caucasus are lined up. Inner part
of Minor Caucasus - Karabakh foothills is rich n extensive plateaux and
conuses of extinct volcanoes. Exquisite Talysh mountains are formed out
of 3 ranges, 2,477 m.
HYDRORESOURCES
The hydrographic network of Azerbaijan took its present shape over a long
period of time, and has undergone multiple changes due to manifestations
of tectonic forces and Quaternary glaciation. Even today, it is changing
due to natural processes and man's activities resulting in major changes
in the river systems and riversí water regime to meet the requirements
of the national economy. These activities include building 50 water reservoirs,
each with a capacity of more than 1 mln. cubic meters. The republic has
8350 rivers of various lengths totalling 33,665 km. All the rivers are
divided into five groups: the smallest ones (up to 25 km long), small
(26 to 50 km), medium (51 to 100 km), large (101 to 500 km) and the largest
(over 500 km). The rivers in the Azerbaijan Republic belong to the Caspian
Lake catchment and are grouped into three particular basins:
The River Kura catchment
The River Araks catchment
Rivers that flow directly into the Caspian Lake.
There are over 250 lakes and 50 water reservoirs in the republic (the
Caspian Lake, Ajikabul, Bejukshor, Jandargel).
According to the State Committee for Geology, the republic has over 200
groups of mineral water outcrop.
CLIMATE
Variety of relief and proximity of the sea account for uncommon climatic
diversity: 9 out of 11 world's climatic zones are located on Azerbaijan's
territory.
Mainly Azerbaijan is situated in the subtropical zone, extending from
north-west to south-east in the form of a horn with its mouth turned towards
the Caspian Lake. All the year round, the country receives plenty of solar
heat and light. It is located far away from the ocean effects, and is
close to the dry steppe and desert areas, which determines a considerable
degree of insulation, high evaporation and air dryness.
The average annual air temperature ranges between 12 and 14 degrees C.
It decreases with elevation in lowlands and foothills, and is negative
at an elevation of 3 km, i.e. about minus 1 degree C. The average annual
sums of above-zero temperatures in Azerbaijan are:
45 degrees C in the western part of the Kura-Araks lowland;
53 degrees C in the eastern part;
40 to 45 degrees C in the foothills (up to elevations of 700-800 m).
In the north-eastern part of Azerbaijan, the average annual sums of above-zero
temperatures are 45 to 46 degrees C in the lowland coastal areas, and
35 to 37 degrees C in the foothills, with 50 degrees C in the Nakhichevan
Autonomous Republic.
The annual precipitation is 1000 to 1200 mm in the south-eastern part
of the republic, and 1700 mm at an elevation of 800 m. At the same time,
there are semidesert areas, such as Gobustan, where annual precipitation
is 150 to 200Ýmm. On the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus,
at 600-700 m, the annual precipitation is 600 to 800 mm, and 1300 mm at
elevations of 1500 to 2000 m.
On the north-eastern slope of the Greater Caucasus, annual precipitation
totals 600 to 700 mm, while the total for Azerbaijan is 350 to 500Ýmm.
There is little precipitation, 200 mm, in lowland areas, except for the
Lenkoran region. The monsoon character of winds is pronounced in the lowland
coastal area in the south-eastern part of Azerbaijan: south-easterly winds
predominate in the warm season (blowing from the Caspian Lake), and westerly
winds from the dry land in the cold season. Mountain and valley winds
are predominant in mountainous areas, and northerly winds (the Baku north
wind) in the Apsheron peninsula and on the nearby islands, with frequent
southerly winds (Khazri). The highest wind velocity is observed in the
coastal area, especially in Apsheron, where it reaches 20 to 25 m per
second, while northerly winds may sometimes have a velocity of over 30
to 35 m per second. Azerbaijan has 9 out of 11 types of climatic zones:
semidesert and dry steppe climate, moderately warm with dry winter, moderately
warm with dry summer, cold with dry winter, cold with dry summer, moderately
warm with an almost even distribution of precipitation over all seasons,
cold with abundant precipitation all the year round, and the climate of
the mountain tundra.
GEOLOGICAL
PECULIARITIES
Azerbaijan is rich in mineral deposits. Hydrocarbon raw materials, i.e.
oil and gas, are the basis of fuel and energy resources. The republic
has 70 oil and gas deposits, 50 of which are located in inland areas,
while the rest are in the Caspian Lake, with a total of 350 beds. An iron-ore
deposit is being worked in Dashkesan (the Minor Caucasus), a lead-zinc
deposit in the township of Gumushlu, an alunite deposit in Zaglik, and
others. The largest deposit of polymetals which is not being worked at
present, is the Filizchai deposit located on the southern slope of the
Greater Caucasus.
Mining for non-metallic minerals has become widespread in the republic.
The deposits include the Chardakhla refractory clay deposit, the fluxing
limestone deposit at Dashkesan, the Negram and Kobustan dolomite deposits.
The Kazakh district is the area where the Dashsakhla bentonite deposit,
the Aidag ceolite deposit, the Agdjakend gypsum deposit, the Nephtechalin
and Khillin iodine and bromine depositsare located. There are over 100
quarries in Apsheron, and a rock salt deposit in the Nakhichevan Republic.
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