Azerbaijan Geography Profile 2008

Location

Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range

Geographic coordinates

40 30 N, 47 30 E

Map references

Asia

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, bauxite

Land use

arable land: 20.62%
permanent crops: 2.61%
other: 76.77% (2005)

Irrigated land

14,550 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

30.3 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 17.25 cu km/yr (5%/28%/68%)
per capita: 2,051 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

droughts

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, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked