Nature of Azerbaijan
Encyclopedia
National protection
Due to the tapping of oil reserves in the early 20th century, AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
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...
has had sufficient resources to develop an industrial sector, which in turn led to a significant increase in pollution. Under the centrally-planned Soviet command economy Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
became an industrialized capital city. Moscow could, for example, order that all air conditioners in the Soviet Union be built in Azerbaijan, such arbitrary and unilateral control of industrial output often led to environmental neglect and increased pollution, which caused serious damage to nature within Azerbaijan.
Since the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, the Azerbaijani government
Politics of Azerbaijan
The Politics of Azerbaijan take place in a framework of a presidential republic, with the President of Azerbaijan as the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan as head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and...
has taken drastic measures to preserve the unique nature of Azerbaijan. But national protection of Azeri nature started truly functioning after 2001 when the state budget increased due to new revenues provided by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline
The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline is a long crude oil pipeline from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It connects Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia; and Ceyhan, a port on the south-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey,...
. Within the last four years protected nature areas doubled to is equal to eight percent of the country's territory. The measures taken by the president were applauded by foreign organizations, in fact, President Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the President of Azerbaijan since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee...
was awarded Germany Mikhail Zhukov Fund's prize for his successful ecological policy in 19 October 2006 .
Since 2001 the government has set up seven large reserves and almost doubled the sector of the budget earmarked for environmental protection .
On October 4, 2006 Azerbaijani officials announced their plans for further improvement of the ecological situation in Baku Bay, which will take place during 2006-2010.
State Reserves of Azerbaijan
There are 16 state natural parks in Azerbaijan that preserve and protect the fauna
Fauna of Azerbaijan
Fauna of Azerbaijan or Animal Kingdom of Azerbaijan refers to the diversity of various types of animals, which inhabit and populate a defined ground or water area in Azerbaijan....
, flora and their ecosystems. See below for the list:
- Ag-Gel State Reserve
- Basut-Chay State ReserveBasut-Chay State ReserveBasut-Chay State Reserve or Besitchay State Reserve is protected area of Azerbaijan, near the border with Armenia. It was established as a 107 hectare reserve in 1974 for preserving and protecting the rare Oriental plane-tree. The area of the reserve was slightly reduced by 10 hectares in October...
- Eldar Pine State ReserveEldar Pine State ReserveEldar Pine State Reserve is a state reserve in Azerbaijan. It was established on the area of 16.86 km² of Samuh administrative region by a decree of the President of Azerbaijan Republic December 16th, 2004....
- Gara-Yaz State ReserveGara-Yaz State ReserveGara-Yaz State Reserve or Qarayazy State Reserve was established on the area of 48.55 km² in 1978 for protecting and restoring of riparian woodlands around the Kur. It mainly protects rare and endangered tugai ecological systems, occupying the lands in the mid stream of the Kur. Riparian...
- Gizil-Agach State ReserveGizil-Agach State ReserveGhizil-Agaj State Reserve, meaning golden forest, was established on an area of 884 km² south-west of the Caspian Sea shore for the purpose of protecting, creating conditions for wintering and nesting of migrant, swamp and wild birds in 1929....
- Gobustan State ReserveGobustan State ReserveGobustan National Park officially Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape is a hill and mountain site occupying the southeast ending of the Big Caucasian Ridge, mainly in the basin of Jeyrankechmaz River, between the rivers Pirsagat and Sumgait...
- Ilisu State ReserveIlisu State ReserveIlisu State Reserve was established on the area of 93 km² in 1987. It aims to protect natural complexes of southern slopes of Major Caucasus, to preserve rare and endangered flora and fauna, to restore forests and prevent erosion of soil and flood. The reserve accounts for 500 plant species with...
- Ismailli State ReserveIsmailli State ReserveIsmailli State Reserve or Ismayilly State Reserve was established on the area of 57.78 km² in 1981 for preservation and protection of natural complexes, occupying the north part of southern slope of Major Caucasus...
- Pirgulu State ReservePirgulu State ReservePirgulu State Reserve was established on the area of 15.21 km² in 1968 for protecting mountain forests, herbage of different kinds, fertile soil, expanding forest areas, preventing air pollution that has a negative impact on astroclimate. The flora of the reserve includes over 60 species...
- Shahbuz State ReserveShahbuz State ReserveShakhbuz State Reserve was created on the area of 31.39 km² of Shakhbuz administrative district of Nakhchivan by a decree of President of Azerbaijan on June 16, 2003. The area of Batabat lake is mainly surrounded by grassland. Medicinal herbs, oak trees etc. dominate the flora of the area...
- Shirvan State ReserveShirvan State ReserveShirvan State Reserve was established on the area of 177.45 km² of a part of Bendovan State Game reserve in 1969 for the purpose of protecting and increasing the number of water birds. The area of the reserve was expanded to 258 km² in 1982. Water reserves account for 35 km² of the area. The...
- Turian-Chay State ReserveTurian-Chay State ReserveTurian-Chay State Reserve or Turyanchay State Reserve was established on the area of 126.3 square kilometres in 1958 for the purposes of protection and restoration of arid forest complexes in Bozdagh and prevention of erosion processes in the mountainous slopes. The reserve area was expanded to 225...
- Qaragol State Reserve
- Zagatala State ReserveZagatala State ReserveZagatala State Reserve was established on the area of 252 km² on of Zagatala and Balakan districts in the central part of southern slopes of the Caucasus; in Azerbaijan....
National parks
National Parks of Azerbaijan refers to the National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s in the territory of Azerbaijan. National Parks have peculiarities and ensure a strong security system and all favorable conditions for animals living within the park. National Parks in Azerbaijan are restricted tourism zones but are open for observation of the natural processes. Ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
and other infrastructural constructions are currently being established in the national parks of Azerbajian.
As a country located in both the Caucasus and Asia Minor, between the Black and Caspian Seas, Azerbaijan has a rich natural culture, and the widest biodiversity of all the European states and has enormous natural resources. The natural reserves play a crucial role in the preservation of this biodiversity.
Azerbaijan has a total of 7 national parks, 13 state natural parks and 21 reserves, which can be seen here below. A seventh national park the Shakhdag National Park
Shakhdag National Park
Shahdag National Park — is a national park of Azerbaijan. It was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, on an area of in the Quba Rayon, Qusar Rayon, İsmayıllı Rayon, Qəbələ Rayon, Oğuz Rayon and Şamaxı Rayon administrative districts on December 8, 2006...
was established in 2008, Shakhdag is the largest national park in the Caucasus and one of the largest in Europe
.
- Absheron National ParkAbsheron National ParkAbsheron National Park — is a national park of Azerbaijan and was established on 8 February 2005 by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, on an area of in the administrative territory of the Azizbeyov district of Baku city, on the base of Absheron State Nature Preserve...
- Ag-Gol National ParkAg-Gol National ParkAg-Gel National Park — is a national park of Azerbaijan. It was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, in an area in Ağcabədi Rayon and Beyləqan Rayon administrative districts on July 5, 2003 on the basis of the former "Ag-Gol State Reserve" and "Ag-Gol State Game...
- Altyaghach National ParkAltyaghach National ParkAltyaghach National Park — is a national park of Azerbaijan. It was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, on an area of in the Khizi Rayon and Siazan Rayon administrative districts on August 31, 2004.-Flora:...
- Göygöl National Park
- Hirkan National ParkHirkan National ParkHirkan National Park — is a national park of Azerbaijan. It was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, in an area in Lankaran Rayon and Astara Rayon administrative districts on February 9, 2004 on the basis of the former "Hirkan State Reserve" which it superseded,...
- Shakhdag National ParkShakhdag National ParkShahdag National Park — is a national park of Azerbaijan. It was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, on an area of in the Quba Rayon, Qusar Rayon, İsmayıllı Rayon, Qəbələ Rayon, Oğuz Rayon and Şamaxı Rayon administrative districts on December 8, 2006...
- Shirvan National ParkShirvan National ParkShirvan National Park — is a national park of Azerbaijan. It was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, on July 5, 2003 within the territory of Salyan Rayon and Neftçala Rayon administrative districts. Its surface area is ....
- Zangezur National Park
State Natural Game Reserve
Game Reserves are reserves with the purpose of maintaining wildlife. Some game reserves also allow hunting. The State Game Reserves in Major Caucasus in Azerbaijan are:- State Game Reserve of Shaki
- State Game Reserve of Qusar
- State Game Reserve of Qabala
- State Game Reserve of Ismailly
- State Game Reserve of Qakh
The natural complexes with the Minor Caucasus are:
- State Game Reserve of Qubadly
- State Game Reserve of Lachyn
- State Game Reserve of Dashalty
- State Game Reserve of Qyzyldja
- State Game Reserve of Arazboyu
Four State Game Reserves of Azerbaijan (Lachyn, Gubadly, Dashalty, Arazboylu with a total area of about 440 km²) are not currently operating as a result of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
Orography
Azerbaijan is home to a vast variety of landscapes. Over half of Azerbaijan's land mass consists of mountain ridges, crests, yailas and plateaus which rise up to hypsometric levels of 400–1000 meters (including the Middle and Lower lowlands), in some places (Talis, Jeyranchol-Ajinohur and Langabiz-Alat foreranges) up to 100–120 metres, and others from 0 – 50 meters and up (Gobustan, AbsheronAbsheron
The Absheron peninsula, is a region in Azerbaijan. It is host to Baku, the biggest and the most populous city of the country, and also the Baku metropolitan area, with its satellite cities Sumgayit and Khyrdalan....
). The rest of Azerbaijan's terrain consist of plains and lowlands. Hypsometric marks within the Caucasus region vary from about -28 metres at the Caspian Sea shoreline up to 4466 metres, (Bazardyuzi peak).
Geology
The geology of Azerbaijan forms a constituent geological part of the Alpine folded belt. Sedimentary deposits embracing the southwestern parts of the Major and Minor Caucasus, including the intermountain Kur-River trough, as well as the Mid- and South Caspian basins consist of diversity fold systems. The Earth's crust thickness in Azerbaijan varies in the range from 38 to 55 km. Its maximum thickness is observed in the Minor Caucasus area, while its minimum thickness is typical for the Talysh foothills. Geological setting of the area consists of sedimentary, volcanic-sedimentary, volcanic and terrestrial deposits embracing almost entire stratigraphic range beginning from pre-Cambrian period up to Holocene time.Climate
Temperature, precipitation, humidity, evaporation and cloudiness all influence the landscape and climate of Azerbaijan.
The climate varies considerably from east to west. In the western mountains, the weather is drier and more extreme. The eastern part of Azerbaijan, near the Caspian Sea, has a more moderate climate.
As a predominantly mountainous country, Azerbaijan is surrounded by the Greater Caucasus
Greater Caucasus
Greater Caucasus , sometimes translated as "Caucasus Major", "Big Caucasus" or "Large Caucasus") is the major mountain range of the Caucasus Mountains....
, Lesser Caucasus
Lesser Caucasus
Lesser Caucasus is one of the two main mountain ranges of Caucasus mountains, of length about 600 km....
, Talysh Mountains
Talysh Mountains
Talysh Mountains is a mountain chain in northwestern Iran, and southeastern Republic of Azerbaijan in the northwest section of the Elburz Mountains, extending southeastward from the Lankaran Lowland in southeast Azerbaijan to the lower part of the Sefid Rud in northwest Iran...
and North Iranian Mountains.
All these aspects create a unique climate in Azerbaijan.
Flora
Azerbaijan has a rich flora, over 4,500 species of plants have been classified in the country. Due the unique climate in Azerbaijan, flora is much richer - based on the number of species - than that of other republics of the South Caucasus. About two thirds of all of the species present in the entire 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...
region can be found in Azerbaijan..
Fauna
Azerbaijan has an amazingly rich and diverse fauna. The first reports of the diversity of animal life in Azerbaijan can be found in travel notes of Eastern travelers. Animal carvings on architectural monuments, ancient rocks and stones survived up to the present times.There are 106 species of mammals, 97 species of fish, 363 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians and 52 species of reptiles which have been recorded and classified in Azerbaijan.
The natural habitat of various types of animals varies within the country. Some species only populate special restricted areas (lakes, parts of mountainous areas) while others are spread throughout the country. For example, passerines can be found anywhere in the territory of Azerbaijan. Protozoa parasites are also registered in all areas of the country, depending on natural habitat of carrier animals such as cattle and poultry. Among mammals, jeyran gazelles populate plain areas, Caucasian goats inhabit the Major Caucasus areas, most species of birds can be found in forests, some in water basins. Some insects occupy agricultural fields, while others are only present in defined ecosystems.
A number of animal species are protected from hunting within the natural reserves of Azerbaijan.
Karabakh
The symbol of fauna in Azerbaijan is the Karabakh horse horse which is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse found only in AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
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...
. The Karabakh horse is esteemed for its good temper, speed, elegance and intelligence. It is one of the oldest breeds, with ancestry dating to the ancient world. The horse was originally developed in the Karabakh region in the 5th century and is named after it
. Due to the Armenian occupation of Karabakh the last remaining Karabakh horses reside in Shaki.
Caspian Sea
