The Azerbaijan is a country with very favorable natural conditions and rich

natural resources. Snowy peaks, high mountains, foothill fertile soils, wide plains,
Lowest Land Points Below Ocean Level are the main landscape forms of republic.
This complex landscape structure has caused the variety in natural conditions -
climate, soil-vegetation, and water resources. This, in turn, led to the uneven
distribution of population and farms on the territory, and the specialization of
production on different types.Generally, the natural resources are understood by
all the natural components that people use in life and economic activities. Natural
resources are divided into the following groups:Solar, geothermal, wind, nuclear
energy, climate, water withdrawal and flood, sea currents.Mining minerals in
Azerbaijan are oil, gas, shale, peat, etc. The oil and gas industry are the most
valuable among the other resources. Oil is extracted by means of both onshore
and offshore (Caspian Sea) operations.The territory of Republic (especially the
Absheron peninsula) is one of the world's oldest oil producing regions. The
extraction and distribution of oil from Absheron peninsula to other countries has
started from VII-VI centuries of BC.
Around 1.2 billion tons of oil (25% from offshore oilfields) has been produced in
Azerbaijan until 1985. The oil produced in Azerbaijan territory is high quality, low-
sulphuric and low-paraffin content. The density of oil changes in a large range (780–
940 kg/m3). In Naftalan, the extracted oil from the Maykop and Agjagil sediments is
considered to be the only oil in the world to have healing properties.
The flammable gases produced in the country are hydrocarbons composed. They are
in various forms such as soluble gas in oil, gas cap and pure gas fields. A lot of gas
condensate fields have been explored and executed during the last 30–50 years.
There are currently 8 producing oil and gas fields (Absheron, Shamakhi-Gobustan,
Ashaghi Kur, archipelago Baku , Ganja, Yevlakh-Aghjabadi, Guba-Khazaryani, Kur-
Gabirri rivers) and 2 prospective fields regions can be mentioned (Acinohur and
Jalilabad).
The main productive oil and gas producing layers are in Absheron, Shamakhi-
Gobustan, Down-Kur and Baku archipelagi regions. The thickness of total layers
consisting of sand, sandstone and mud reaches 4,000 meters (even more in
some places).Fields with productive layers (Balakhani-Sabunchu-Ramana,
Surakhani-Garachukhur-Zykh, Gala, Bibiheybat, Neft Dashlari, Puta, May 28,
Lokbatan-Binagadi, Sangachal-Deniz-Duvanny-Deniz-Bulla, Bulla-Deniz etc.) is
horizontal and anticlinal structured. The largest oil and gas condensate fields
are located in the Absheron, Baku archipelagi and the Lower Kuryani
regions.Many shale and coal manifestations have been discovered in the
Maykop-Absheron old sediments in the Republic.The burning mountain is an
unknown origin historical monument located in the Absheron Peninsula, near
Baku, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, in the village of Mahammedi, occurred as
a result of the released natural gas at the foot of the mountain.The location is 27
km away from the city center of Baku, and about 2 km away from the village
center, on the left side of the Mahammedi-Digah highway.The flame in this area
has been resulted from the burning of natural gas flowing to the surface from
the underground oil and gas storing layers through cracks that was caused by
volcanic-tectonic movements and processes. Sometimes, the height of flame
reaches 10–15 meters.By the Decree of the Azerbaijani President dated May 2,
2007, the territory of the "Burning Mountain" was declared to be state-cultural
and nature preservation. The territory of this area is 64.55 hectares. This area
includes the ‘’Gurd yuvasi’’, two cemeteries with age of thousand years and an
ancient mosque, Gothursu fount, Ali Stone, Kardashi, Girmaki valley and Yanar
dag.
These excavations (iron, aluminum, chromite, gold, silver, copper, lead, zin
cobalt, molybdenum ore etc.) brings different ore deposits in the mountainou
parts of the republic.Iron ores (magnetite, hematite) are found in four classes i
Azerbaijan: segregation-magmatic, skarn-magnetite (contact-metasomatic
hydrothermal-metasomatic and sedimentation. Only Dashkasan, Sout
Dashkesen and İron ore-bearing regions with skarn-magnetite are fo
commercial use as ore-deposits. These deposits are composed of Kellovey
Oxford, Kimeric aged volcanogenic, pyroclastic and sedimentary-volcanogeni
rocks. Industry reserves of the Dashkasen iron ore group deposits are 250ml
tons.The significant industrial cobalt ores is placed in the Dashkasek ore region
The cobalt ores are formed both independently (with the Yukhari Dashkasa
field) and together with skarn-magnetite ores.The gold deposits an
manifestations are mainly found in the territory of the Lesser Caucasu
Söyüdü, Qızılbulaq, Dağ Qəsəmən, Veynəli, Qoşa, Gədəbəy, Çovdar; Shekerder
Pyezbashi, Agyurt and Baskand deposits are spread in the Nakhchiva
Autonomous Republic. The silver, copper, etc. mixtures are also can be found i
these deposits.At present, numerous manifestations of gold have bee
discovered (Tulallar, Kepez, Dabalt, Kungutchay, Keleki, Unus and others
Evaluation of gold deposits in powder form from Alincachay and Kurekcha
Basin was carried out, initial reserves were calculated and industria
significance was determined.Chromite deposits and manifestations (Goyder
Kazimbinasi, Ipek, Khatavang etc.) are mainly located in Kalbajar and Lachi
regions.The small sized deposits and manifestations of manganese are know
in the Somxeti-Agdam (Mollacelli, Dash Salahli, etc.) of the LesserCaucasu
Vandam (Mugar, Balakenchay) and Araz (Bichanak, Alahi) of the Greate
Caucasus structure-formation zones.Copper ore are copper-pyrite and coppe
porphyry origin in Azerbaijan. The mineral content of copper-pyrit
formations is mainly composed of pyrite and chalcopyrite. Copper-porphyr
formations’ ores consist of molybdenum and small amount of nobl
metals.There are many copper-porphyry formation ores in this region excep
Garadagh and Xarxar deposits (Gedebey ore region). There are coppe
porphyte in the Mehmana ore-bearing region (Demirli and Xançincay).Coppe
porphyry ore-bearing in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, is mainl
located on the Mehri-Ordubad granitoid batholite's exo and endocontact zone
(Diakhchay, Goygol, Goydagh etc.). In addition, Halhal copper-pyrite, Goygo
Agridağ copper, Nashirvaz, Kilit-Katam copper-cobalt, Nergirvaz coppe
polymetallic are known in this region.
Molybdenum field are found in Dalidagh (Teymuruchandagh, Baghırsag, etc.) and Ordubad ore
regions (Paraghachay Diachchay).The largest field of aluminum ore (alunite) is in the
Dashkasan region (Zaylik alunit deposit). Alunite - bearing is also found in Shamkir and
Ordubad. The Zaylik alunite deposit has been operated since 1960. This deposit is the largest one
in the Europe. Aluminum oxide together with potassium fertilizer, soda, sulfuric acid and so on.
is extracted from this ore in Ganja aluminum plants.Bauxite ore (Sadarak-Sharur districts)
which is the best raw material of aluminum is found in areas where Permian deposit site are
spread in the western part of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.Mercuric ore deposits are
widely spread in the central part of the Lesser Caucasus (Kalbajar-Lachin zone). Mercuric ore
reserves contained within the largest ore deposits as Agh-Yatagh, Shor-Bulag, Levchay (Kalbajar
region), Jilgaz-chay, and Narzanly (Lachin region) have been evaluated. Mercuric
mineralization (Cinnabar) occurs at various age and composition rocks, most commonly Upper
Cretaceous volcanic-sedimentary rocks and area where hyperbasites and Miocene-Pliocene
aged acid magmatic rocks are spread. The pyrite, chalcopyrite, antimonite, magnetite, hematite,
sphalerite and other minerals are in association with Kinovar ore. Kishlak ores are found in
Badamli-Ashaghi of Nakhchivan AR.The largest deposits of Arsenic in Azerbaijan are found in
the Gadabay (Bitibulag Enargit Field) and Julfa (Dardagh auripigment-real bed) areas. This field
was exploited until 1941. Arsenic ore body has a shtok-shape geometry. The content of the ore
consists of red orpiment, realgar, antimony and arsenopyrite.Non-metallic mining resources-
play an important role in the overall balance of crude mineral resources of Azerbaijan. This
group includes rock-salt, gypsum, anhydride, bentonite clays, building materials, pyrite, barite,
semi-precious and colorful stones, dolomite, Icelandic quarry and so on.Rock-salt deposits are
located in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Nehram, Düzdağ, Pusyan). The deposits are in the
sandstone, clay and limestone sediments of Miocene. Balanced reserves of the Nehrame field
are 73600min tons on the B + S1 category and 64200min on category S2. Reserves are estimated
to be 2-2.5 billion tonnes. The industrial reserves of the Duzdag field are 94517 thousand tons on
the A + B + S1 category and 37810 thousand tons on the S2 category.Gypsum, anhydrite deposits
are formed in homogenous way in the Chalky sediments of Yukhari Aghcakand and Manash
villages of Goranboy region. They consist of separate stocks, with total inventory of 65-70
million tons. Industrial reserves of 120 km to the south-east of the city of Nakhchivan (Aras,
Gypsum) and around the city of Ganja are 40632 thousand tons on the A + B + S1 category.
Azerbaijan is known as a unique and classic development zone of mud volcanoes on the Earth. The
344 of the 2000 widely known mud volcanoes on the Earth are located in the east of Azerbaijan and
in the Caspian Sea boundary. Most of the mud volcanoes are spread over Baku and the Absheron
Peninsula, and some of them have been formed as a natural monument.Mud volcanoes play an
important role in placing exploration wells of oil and gas fields without extra surveying costs.
Additionally, mud volcano clays are considered to be useful and important minerals. Also, volcanic
mud is successfully used in the treatment of many diseases - nervous system, skin and bone joints.
At the same time, volcanoes are important in terms of prediction of events such as seismic events
and earthquakes.In the Caucasus regions, especially in Azerbaijan, cotton is spread by means of
countries of the Ancient East, mainly by Iran. The exporting of textile made of cotton from the cities
such as Barda, Nakhchivan, Beylagan, Ganja, Shamkir and others to abroad, as well as cotton
fabrics exporting from Shamakhi to Russia in the 15th century can be highlighted.Cotton exports
from Azerbaijan to Russia have been expanded from XVII century. In the 18th century, there were
large cotton fields on the plains of Mil-Mughan and Shirvan. At the beginning of the 19th century
the cotton industry was being developed in Guba and Baku. In the 1930s, Egypt and America, as
well as local Mazandaran and Iravan cotton varieties were being cultivated in Azerbaijan.After the
Northern Azerbaijan was being joined to Russia, cotton production in Azerbaijan was developed
especially since the end of the 19th century.At the beginning of the 20th century, the cotton
industry area was expanded in Azerbaijan due to Russian textile industry being down. In 1913 the
cotton industry area was more than 100 thousand hectares, whereas the cotton production was 65
thousand tons.There are 61 reservoirs (each of them has capacity of 1 mln m3) available in
Azerbaijan. The total volume of water reservoirs is 21.5 km3. Water reservoirs are built on the
riverbed as well as beyond it (in a distance from river). Most reservoirs are regulated according to
seasons and used for irrigation purposes.The largest Mingachevir reservoir of the republic started
to be operated in 1953 and it is operated in a multi-year regime, the flow of the Kur River is
completely regulated in its downstream and overfloods are prevented.The river system of the
Republic has more than 8350 rivers, 2 of them are the lengths of more than 500 km, the length of
the 22 rivers are between 101 and 500 km, the length of the 324 rivers are between 11 and 100 km,
and the length of majority rivers is less than 10 km.The river system of the Republic consists of the
Kur River and its branches, as well as rivers directed into the Caspian Sea.Kur River is the main
water source and artery of Azerbaijan. The flowing path of river goes through Turkey, Georgia and
Azerbaijan. The cumulative area of the river is 188,000 square km, which of 58,000 square km or
31% of the area belongs to Azerbaijan. After passing the Georgian border, the Kur river's flowrate
in the Girag Kasaman settlement is 270 m3 / s or 8.52 km3. Whereas, in the Kur-Salyan station the
average perennial flowrate is 445 m3 / s or 14.04 km3.
The Araz River, the second largest river in the Republic and the right branch of the Kur River
flow path starts from Turkey territory, as well as it is a border river between Turkey and
Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan and Iran and Azerbaijan. The cumulative area of the Araz
River is 102,000 km2, where the 18,740 km2 or 18% of the river area belongs to Azerbaijan.
Average annual flowrate of Araz River through Novruzlu (Saatli) settlement is 121 m3 / s or
3.82 km3.The river system of the republic consists of three groups: transboundary, border
and local rivers. The transboundary (flowing through two or several countries) rivers
include Kur, Ganikh (Alazan), Gabrirri (Iori), Khrami, Arpachay and others. Border rivers
(which are in border between two or more countries) include Araz, Samur, Bolgarchay and
others. Local rivers are formed and flowing in the territory of the Republic.The mountain
rivers flowing from the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus (Balakanchay, Talacay,
Kurmukchay, Kishchay, Turyanchay, Goychay, Girdimanchay, etc.) are the left branches of
the Kur river, however, flowing from the north-eastern slope (Gusarchay, Gudyalchay,
Garachay, Valvalachay, etc.) and the Gobustan rivers (Sumqayitchay, Pirsaat, etc.) are the
rivers directed into the Caspian Sea. Moreover, the rivers flowing from the north-eastern
slope of the Lesser Caucasus (Zeyamchay, Shamkirchay, Goshagachay, Ganjachay,
Kurekchay etc.) flowing from the Karabakh Range (Khachinchay, Terterchay, Gargarchay,
etc.) are the right branches of the Kur, however, flowing from the Zangazur Range
(Nakhchivanchay, Alinjaychay, Gilanchay, etc.) and the rivers flowing from the south-
western slope of the Lesser Caucasus (Hekerichay, Guruchay, Kondalanchay etc.) are the left
branches of the Araz River.The water collection area is supplied by 2 large rivers of the
Republic (Kur and Araz), 12 medium rivers, and other small rivers. Only 4 of the local rivers
(Pirsaat, Hekericay, Tertçay, and Kurekchay) can be considered as medium rivers.Lankaran
rivers (Vishonchay, Lankaranchay, Tengerchay, Astarachay, etc.) are the rivers directed into
the Caspian Sea.The largest lake of the Republic is Sarısu lake, located in the Kur-Araz
lowland (water area 65.7 km2, volume of water is 59.1 million m3). The highest mountainous
lake in the Republic is Tufangöl (area 0.01 km2, volume 0.11 million m3) located in the basin
of Damiraparanchay and at a height of 3277 m. One of the most attractive lakes of the
Republic is the famous Lake Goygol. The lake was formed in the middle stream of Aghsuchay
after strong earthquake in 1139.