Geographic location: Southwestern (Caucasus) Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea Longitude: 44o46     50o45 Latitude:   38o24     41o54 Area: 86,600 sq km water: 500 sq km land: 86,100 sq km

a z e r b a i j a n

Land bordaries:
Armenia proper 566 km;
Armenia-Nakhichevan: exclave 221 km;
Georgia: 322 km
Iran proper: 432 km
Iran (with Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan exclave): 179 km
Turkey: 11 km
Russia: 284 km
Note! Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km, est.)

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

Land use:
arable land: 19,31%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 11,5%
other: 41% (1993 est.)
agricultural lands: 50% (27% of which are pastures)

Irrigated land: 14 550 sq km (1998 est.)

Elevation extremes: Highest: Bazarduzu Daghy 4,466 m Lowest: Caspian Sea -27 m

The biggest lakes: km²
The biggest lake in the world is Caspian Sea, 400000 sq.km, depth - 1025 m!
Sarisu: 67.0
Aggel: 56.2
Agzibirchala: 37.0
Mehman: 35.0
Boyukshor: 9.2
Hajigabul: 8.4

Rivers: km
Kur: 1515
Araz: 1072
Alazan (Ganikh): 413
Iori (Gabirri): 389
Terter: 200
Samur: 216

The longest islands: sq. km.
Pirallahi: 14.4
Chilov: 11.5
Khara-Zira: 3.5
Boyuk-Zira: 1.4

Climate: dry, semiarid steppe

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

Natural hazards: droughts; some lowland areas threatened by rising levels of the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan has lost almost 20% of its territory and must support some over 1 000 000 refuges as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.