Location Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia

Geographic coordinates 40 30 N, 47 30 E

Map references Asia

Area
total: 86,600 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
water: 500 sq km
land: 86,100 sq km

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: 19%
permanent crops: 3%
other: 78% (1998 est.)

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

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, 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, 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

NOTE: The information regarding Azerbaijan on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Azerbaijan Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Azerbaijan Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.