and Russia

Flag
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Description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and
green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in
red band

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

Geographic coordinates: 40 30 N, 47 30 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
total area: 86,600 sq km
land area: 86,100 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Maine
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

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)

International disputes: violent and longstanding dispute with
ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh over its status; Caspian Sea
boundaries are not yet determined

Climate: dry, semiarid steppe

Terrain: large, flat Kur-Araz Lowland (much of it below sea level)
with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag (Karabakh)
Upland in west; Baku lies on Abseron (Apsheron) Peninsula that juts
into Caspian Sea
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: 18%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 25%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 53%

Irrigated land: 14,010 sq km (1990)

Environment:
current issues: local scientists consider the Abseron (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
natural hazards: droughts; some lowland areas threatened by rising
levels of the Caspian Sea
international agreements: party to - Climate Change; signed, but not
ratified - Biodiversity

Geographic note: landlocked