Nature and Resources

1. Geography

     Azerbaijan is situated on the south-eastern part of the Caucasus, which stretches for more than 800 km from the Black to the Caspian seas. Lying at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the country has a unique geographical location, and from time immemorial retains its significance for world economic and cultural links.
     Azerbaijan is surrounded by mountains: to the north by the Greater Caucasus with the highest peak of Bazarduuzu – (4,466m ), to the south-west by the massive Transcaucasian upland extended to Armenia and Georgia, bordered by the Lesser Caucasus, and to the south by the Talysh Mountains.  Summer in the plains, for the most part, is long, dry and hot; the landscape is semi-desert, but in the salt marshes it can be categorized as desert. It rains only during winter months and agriculture without irrigation is impossible.
     The main contrasts in the nature of Azerbaijan come from the difference between humid mountains and dry plains. The landscape varies from dry, hot semi-deserts, to snow-capped highlands and glaciers. The largest river in Azerbaijan is the Kur. It is 1,515 km long (900 km within Azerbaijan). The Kur forms a delta at its mouth which is 15 km long, it drains into the Caspian Sea. The Kur is the only river in Azerbaijan for naviqatation. The second river in size is the Araz, 1,072 km long. The Araz makes a natural boundary between Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran along 580 km. Potential hydropower resources of Azerbaijan's rivers make 16 billion kw/hour a year.
     The lakes in the mountains are of tectonic and glacial origin, such as Goy-gol (at 1,556 m) and Big and Small Alagel (at 2,730 m).                                                                                                                         
     The Caspian Sea is the largest salt lake on the planet. But its size and hydrological characteristics and origin give proof for it to be classed as a sea.

2. Climate

     The relief of Azerbaijan creates quite favorable conditions for the formation of a warm mild climate in the most of the country: the Greater Caucasus range serves as natural barrier preventing cold masses of air from the North, and the Lesser Caucasus are preventing hot tropical air from the South. However, in winter cold masses of air flowing into the territory of Azerbaijan from the North cause storms and snowfalls.
     Azerbaijan has 9 out of 11 climatic zones. The highest average annual temperature is generally recorded on the lowlands - Kur-Araz and Lankaran. Average winter temperature in the lowlands is 0C, but sometimes in the mountains the temperature falls to minus 20C. Dry, hot winds that blow from the Middle East in spring and in winter often cause temperatures to rise sharply.
     In Julfa (Nakhchivan) the highest recorded temperature is 44C. Situated far from the Caspian Sea and surrounded by high mountains ridges, Nakhchivan is characterized with a continental climate. Not only the highest, but also the lowest temperature in Azerbaijan was recorded in Nakhchivan. The lowest air temperature on the plains (-31C) was recorded in the Dervishlar meteorological station.

3. Flora

     The territory of Azerbaijan is home for over 4,100 species of vegetation. Over 200 are relict (indigenous) - they are found nowhere except Azerbaijan and neighboring territories. For example, the Eldar pine, the Caspian Lotus, can be seen in the Kur delta area and near Russia. In the Talysh forests there are several relict species of plants that can be found only in the north of Iran.
     The flora of Azerbaijan includes medical, tannery, vitamin rich wild fruit and forage plants. In the Talysh-Lankaran region there are plantations of tunga, feijoa, laurel, and on the Kur-Araz lowlands sudangrass - mogar - is cultivated.

4. Fauna

     Over 12,000 species of animals live in Azerbaijan, of which 92 are mammals, 350 - birds, 49 - creepers, only 9 are amphibians, 88 are fish and 10,000 are insects.The Caspian Sea is rich with marine life. The fish catch includes herring, Caspian salmon, sturgeon, white sturgeon, sevruga, Caspian loach, kutum, djerikh. In the Kur river there are 50 species of fish of which 23 are of commercial importance. A very rare fish - the pike perch - inhabits areas near the coastline. Seals come to the Azerbaijani shore in March, in April when they migrate to the south and in October and November, when they return back to the north. To preserve rare and valuable species of plants, fish and animals, reserves have been created. The most well-known are: Zagatala, Qizilaghaj, Girkan, Turianchay, Karayazi - Agstafa, Guba-Gusar, Goy-Gol, Lachin, Bandovan reservations. Over 100 species of animals are included in the Azerbaijani "Red Book".

5. Natural Resources

     Azerbaijan is rich in mineral resources, the most important of which is oil. The main oil fields are on the Absheron Peninsula and the Caspian Shelf. The richest deposits of oil have been discovered in the aquatics to the south of Absheron. Oil fields situated to the north of Absheron Peninsula in Siyazan and to the west and southwest of Absheron in Gobustan, Shirvan and Salyan have the most prospective structure. Not far from Ganja (in Naftalan) are the fields of unique modification of medicinal oil. The natural gas that is associated with the oil is also of great importance.
     Azerbaijan is one of the world's oldest oil-producing countries. The country's oil industry experienced a boom at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. During World War II, the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan produced approximately 500,000 barrels of oil per day. The years of independence marked a new era of oil exploration and production. Azerbaijan’s oil strategy realized since the mid 1990s. On 20 September 1994 Azerbaijan signed the Contract of the Century with the 14 largest oil companies in the World for a period of 30 years. As a result of this energy policy designed by National Leader Heydar Aliyev the Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline (1,760km) brings Caspian Sea oil to the qlobal market. Azerbaijan has in some 11 to 30 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves (depending on the source consulted). However, there is insufficient infrastructure to move associated gas from many of the Caspian offshore oil fields and some of it is being flared.
     In 1999, Azerbaijan passed a law requiring planning for associated gas exploitation to go with each oil project. In October 1999, SOCAR and TDA signed a $425,000 agreement to help fund a comprehensive natural gas study.
     The Shah Deniz natural gas field, which was discovered in 1999, is estimated to contain between 25 Tcf and 39 Tcf, making it the largest find of the last 20 years. The estimated cost for development and infrastructure at Shah Deniz is $4.5 billion and the first production is expected by 2006. The annual production rate is expected to be 286 billion cubic feet (Bcf).
     Of the other natural gas fields in Azerbaijan, the Nakhchivan field is estimated to contain 900 Bcf in reserves. There is also a natural gas reserve at Gunashli field.
     Over 95% of Azerbaijan's gas production comes from offshore fields, rather than onshore. The Bakhar natural gas field currently accounts for more than 40% of Azerbaijan's natural gas production but the production of that field is declining because of a lack of new drilling. It is expected that increased future production will come from the Nakhchivan, Gunashli, and Shah Deniz fields. Currently, SOCAR produces some 85% of Azerbaijan's natural gas, and AIOC produces a small amount of associated gas (i.e. natural gas found with crude oil deposits).
     Azerbaijan has no significant coal deposits, nor any domestic coal production. Azerbaijan consumes only a small amount of coal and consumption has declined from over 26,400 tons in 1992 to just 1,100 tons in 2000.
     Azerbaijan is, however, rich in iron and aluminum ore, pyrite, molybdenum, arsenic. The deposits of polymetalic ores on Filizchay (Greater Caucasus) in the upper part of Belokanchay valley are of commercial importance. The richest deposits of iron ore (Dashkesan) and alunite (Zaglic) are in the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus.
     Nearby, in the Dashkesan-Ganja district are considerable deposits of cobalt ore and pyrite.
     Nakhchivan is rich in salt and poly-metal. The salt deposits in the Negram field are estimated to be at 2-2.5 billion tons. Molybdenum is extracted in Paragachay and arsenic ore in Negram.
     Azerbaijan also has mineral deposits for use as building materials. On the slopes of the Lesser Caucasus marble is extracted, though its quality is inferior to Carr marble. Deposits of gravel, sand, lime, fire-proof and brick-red clay and loam are being worked on the Apsheron Peninsula. The deposits of construction stone in the Republic are estimated to be 300 billion tons (Gyuzdeck, Mardakyan, Dovletyari, Dilagarda, Shahbulag, Naftalan, Dash Salakhly) and some 24 millions tons of facing stone (Gyulbakht, Dashkesan,Shakhtakhty,Kilably).
     The number of hot and mineral springs of Azerbaijan runs into the many thousands. The best known springs are at Istisu, Turshsy, Badamli, Galalty, Shikhburnu, Surakhany.