GEOGRAPHY
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-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished
by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 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-Naxcivan exclave) 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
Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with
Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh
Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (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 Caspian
Sea
Environment—current issues:
local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula)
(including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically
most devastated area in the world because of severe air, water,
and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of DDT
as a pesticide and also from toxic defoliants used in the production
of cotton
Environment—international
agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity
Geography—note: Both the main area of the country and
the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked
