Naxçivan

Naxçivan or Nakhichevan, autonomous republic of Azerbaijan, located in the southern Caucasus. Naxçivan is an exclave of Azerbaijan, separated from the contiguous part of the country by a 50-km (30-mi) wide strip of Armenia on the north and east; the republic also shares borders (marked by the Aras River) with Iran and Turkey.

Naxçivan has a total area of about 5,500 sq km (about 2,100 sq mi) and stretches from the Daralagez Mountains on the north to the Zangezur Mountains on the east, both southeastern branches of the Lesser Caucasus (Malyy Kavkaz) mountain system. The highest peak is the 3,904-m (12,808-ft) Mount Kaputdzhukh, located on the Armenian border. The land slopes down southwest from the mountains, flattening into plains near the Aras River.

Naxçivan has a dry climate with hot summers and cold winters, although temperatures and annual precipitation varies according to altitude. On the plains, winter average temperatures vary from -6° to -3° C (21° to 27° F), while in the mountains they vary from -14° to -10° C (7° to 14° F). Summer averages vary from 25° to 28° C (77° to 82° F) on the plains and from 2° to 5° C (36° to 41° F) in the mountains. Average annual precipitation varies from 190 to 300 mm (7 to 12 in) on the plains, and 300 to 600 mm (12 to 24 in) in the mountains. The dry climate supports semidesert vegetation on the plains and in the foothills, and mountain thyme and steppe vegetation at mid-elevations. Higher up, alpine meadows and meadow steppes predominate. There is little forest cover.

Naxçivan had a population of 293,900 at the time of the 1989 census, conducted when the area was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Azerbaijanis made up 95.9 percent of the population; Russians, 1.3 percent; and Armenians, 0.6 percent. Since the 1989 census, however, virtually all Armenians have fled the region due to ethnic strife. Most of the population resides on the plains; about one-fourth live in the capital, also called Naxçivan, and smaller settlements, including Ordubad and Culfa.

Naxçivan’s principal economic activities are agriculture, food processing, and light industry. Grain, cotton, tobacco, wine grapes, and mulberry trees for silkworm cultivation are grown on the plains; livestock are raised for meat and wool in the highlands. Two hydroelectric plants on the Aras River provide power for the mining, machine building, and metalworking industries. Most industry is in Naxçivan city, Ordubad, and Il’ichevsk.

A rail line between the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and the Armenian capital of Yerevan runs along Naxçivan’s southern border. Road networks serve the most populated areas, and there is regular air service between the capital and Baku. In 1992 the “Bridge of Hope” was opened across the Aras River linking Turkey with Naxçivan.

Archaeological evidence suggests migrants from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor may have established agricultural settlements in the Caucasus region between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago. Persia conquered the region in the 6th century bc and the territory’s cities subsequently developed as trading centers along the Silk Road between Rome and China. Over the centuries Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Mongol Tatars, and Ottomans competed for control of the territory. Naxçivan came under Russian control in 1828. In 1921, due to the predominantly Azerbaijani population of the region and good transportation and communications links with Azerbaijan, the Soviet government created the Naxçivan Autonomous Republic out of Armenian land, placing it under Azerbaijan’s control.

After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, fighting broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian-populated region within Azerbaijan. The conflict isolated Naxçivan and disrupted Azerbaijan’s economy, leaving the country unable to support its exclave. Azerbaijan has blockaded Armenia since 1990, so Naxçivan can be supplied only through Iran or Turkey.