Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range

Geographic coordinates:
40 30 N, 47 30 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 86,600 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 82,629 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 3,971 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
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
country comparison to the world: 114

Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries:
total: 2,468 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (5): Armenia 996 km, Georgia 428 km, Iran 689 km, Russia 338 km, Turkey 17 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (713 km)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
dry, semiarid steppe
More Climate Details

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) to the west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

Elevation:
mean elevation: 384 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,466 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite

Land use:
agricultural land: 57.6% arable land 22.8%; permanent crops 2.7%; permanent pasture 32.1%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 11.3%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 31.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
14,277 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
highest population density is found in the far eastern area of the county, in and around Baku; apart from smaller urbanized areas, the rest of the country has a fairly light and evenly distributed population

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, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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