Geography of Azerbaijan
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. 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. Of the three Transcaucasian states, Azerbaijan has the greatest land area. 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. The status of Nagorno-Karabakh is disputed by Armenia, but is internationally recognized as territory of Azerbaijan.
| Continent | Europe and Asia |
|---|---|
| Region | Caucasus |
| Coordinates | 40°30′N 47°30′E |
| Area | Ranked 112th |
| • Total | 86,600 km2 (33,400 sq mi) |
| • Land | 99.87% |
| • Water | 0.13% |
| Coastline | 713 km (443 mi) |
| Highest point | Bazardüzü 4,466 m (14,652 ft) |
| Lowest point | Caspian Sea −28 m (−92 ft) |
| Longest river | Kura River 1,514 km (941 mi) |
| Largest lake | Mingachevir reservoir 605 km2 (234 sq mi) |
| Climate | subtropical 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 |
| Terrain | mountainous and lowlands |
| Natural resources | Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite |
| Natural hazards | Droughts and floods, rising levels of the Caspian Sea |
| Environmental issues | air pollution, water pollution, desertification, hazardous wastes, marine dumping, ship pollution |
| Exclusive economic zone | None, the Caspian Sea is a lake |
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. A small part of Nakhchivan also borders Turkey to the northwest. 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.