Jolfa
Encyclopedia
Jolfa is a city in and capital of Jolfa County
, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran
. At the 2006 census, its population was 4,983, in 1,365 families.
Jolfa is located to the north of Tabriz
, separated by the Araks River
from its northern neighbor and namesake, the town of Julfa in the Republic of Azerbaijan
.
Some 18,000 students study in the regional schools and 450 students attend the universities from all over the country. The employed population of the city work in service, administrative, transport, customs, banks and insurance as well as in other trade and urban activities. The majority of the rural population are farmers. With the increasing level of education and the popularity of mechanical agriculture, there are increasing numbers of young, qualified people entering the work force.
-Jolfa railway have been designed to accommodate custom duties, warehousing, cargo releasing and transportation of three million tons of commodities per year. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union
, all imports and exports of Iran with the USSR, Eastern Europe
and Scandinavia
were primarily carried out through Jolfa.
-Jolfa railway due to the dispute over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh
between Armenia
and Azarbaijan, cargo exchanges through this border dropped sharply. However, in recent years, an annual average of 150,000 tons of cargo have been cleared from Jolfa border to Turkey
, Azarbaijan republic, and Nakhichevan
, Armenia and vice versa through the main roads of Jolfa. Upon the cessation of hostilities and continuation of settlement talks, as well as with the opening of the Iran Caucasus
railway, it is expected that the border town of Jolfa will revive its past significance to be not only one of the most important cargo exchange borders among Iran, the Caucasus and Russia
, but will also become one of the greatest cargo transit routes from Persian Gulf and Central Asia
to Caucasus, Russia
and vice versa.
Jolfa County
Jolfa County is a county in East Azerbaijan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Jolfa. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 52,176, in 14,186 families. The county is subdivided into two districts: the Central District and Siah Rud District...
, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 4,983, in 1,365 families.
Jolfa is located to the north of Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
, separated by the Araks River
Araks River
The Aras , is a river located in and along the countries of Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Its total length is...
from its northern neighbor and namesake, the town of Julfa in the Republic of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
.
Some 18,000 students study in the regional schools and 450 students attend the universities from all over the country. The employed population of the city work in service, administrative, transport, customs, banks and insurance as well as in other trade and urban activities. The majority of the rural population are farmers. With the increasing level of education and the popularity of mechanical agriculture, there are increasing numbers of young, qualified people entering the work force.
Facilities and business
Jolfa is one of the most important border towns for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Customs facilities in the city and the CaucasusCaucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
-Jolfa railway have been designed to accommodate custom duties, warehousing, cargo releasing and transportation of three million tons of commodities per year. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, all imports and exports of Iran with the USSR, Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
were primarily carried out through Jolfa.
Cargo
During the year 1990 and 1991 the volume of cargo exchanges through the Jolfa border amounted to 2.69 and 2.37 million tons respectively, forming over 10 percent of the country's imports. After the closing of the CaucasusCaucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
-Jolfa railway due to the dispute over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
between Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and Azarbaijan, cargo exchanges through this border dropped sharply. However, in recent years, an annual average of 150,000 tons of cargo have been cleared from Jolfa border to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Azarbaijan republic, and Nakhichevan
Nakhichevan
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a landlocked exclave of Azerbaijan. The region covers 5,363 km² and borders Armenia to the east and north, Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest...
, Armenia and vice versa through the main roads of Jolfa. Upon the cessation of hostilities and continuation of settlement talks, as well as with the opening of the Iran Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
railway, it is expected that the border town of Jolfa will revive its past significance to be not only one of the most important cargo exchange borders among Iran, the Caucasus and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, but will also become one of the greatest cargo transit routes from Persian Gulf and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
to Caucasus, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and vice versa.
Monuments
- Saint Stepanos Monastery (a medieval Armenian fortified monastery)
- Jolfa damaged water mill (a beautiful waterfall)