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NATURE AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE AREA

Nature

The region in the south-west of Lesser Caucasus includes the areas of Jabrayil, Fizuli, Khojavend, Aghdam, Khojaly, Tartar, Shusha, Khankendi. The relief is mainly mountaineous. The north part of Nagorno Karabakh economic- geographical region is north-east bottoms of the Karabakh range, south slopes of Murovdagh range ( the highest peak of Caucasus Gamish mountain (3724 m), the central, west ,and south parts are eastern slopes of Karabakh range (Gizgala mountain (2843 m), Girkhgiz (2827 m), Boyuk Kirs Mountain (2725 m), northern- east and east parts are west edges of Karabakh and Mil plains. It borders on Iran Islam Republic in the south and south-east. The Murovdagh and Karabakh ranges are divided into some side branches lowering towards Karabakh and Mil plains. In the result of break of ranges and their side branches with rivers there appeared deep and steep slopes. In the middle upland, in the areas, where river valleys expand, there are intermountain lowlands. The forests in the area are 187,7 thousan hectares. The relief of the area of Aghdam is mainly flat, partly mountainous. The maximal altitude is about 1365m. Jabrayil region is basically located on the sloping plain (Injechol, Geyan field). The climate of Jabrayil region is temperate semi-desert with dry summer and dry steppe climate in the south part, moderate hot with dry summer in the north. Mountain chestnut, chestnut and brown mountain forest soils are spread. The relief of Fizuli region is mostly sloping plain descending towards the Araz, it consists of low mountains in the west, gray and gray meadow, chestnut and light chestnut, mountain chestnut, mountain gray brown soils. The landscape of Tartar region, which is located on the west of Kura-Araz lowland, is flat inclined from west to east with a climate of temperate semi-desert, with dry winter and dry steppe climate. Mostly chestnut, gray , and gray meadow soils are spread here. In geological structure collateral tectonic elements of Caucasus Murovdagh, Karabakh, Aghdam antycliniorums and separating Toraghaychay and Khojavand synclinoriums take the main place. The arch of antyclinoriums consists of volcanic rocks of Middle Jurassic, remote wings of the arch, and the synclinal structures complicating them contains limestone of Upper Jurassic, volcanogenic and sedimentary rocks of Chalk. They are cut with intrusions at times. In the lower parts of plains and river valleys anthropogenic sediments are spread. In January, the average temperature is 2-0.50 C in plains and foothills, –4; -130 C in high mountains, in July correspondingly 25-260 C and 15-140 C. In high mountains annual rainfall is more than 800-900 mm. The peaks of Murovdagh range are snowy topped all year round from time to time. The main rivers are The Kura- its tributaries Tartar, Khachin, Gargar, and the Araz, its tributaries Kondelenchay, Guruchay, Gozluchay and others. At the same time, in these areas 4 types of mammals, 8 types of birds, 1 type of fish, 3 types of amphibians and reptiles, 8 types of insects, 27 types of plants, which are included in “The Red Book of Azerbaijan”, were protected.

Vegetation

Chestnut, light chestnut, mountain dark chestnut, dark brown mountain and forest, brown mountain and forest, blackish mountain, etc. soils are widely spread. The soils of the area of Aghdam region are mainly chestnut, light chestnut, and dark brown mountain-forest soils.

Land cover

The area which is rich in vegetation more than 2000 types of plants grow. In low-lying areas wormwood, semi-desert covered with wormwood- salinegrass, in foothills lichens, gray covered with wormwood, and semi-gray plants, bushes on the slopes of mountains, broad-leaved forests (beech,oak,etc.) extend widely. There exist subalpine and alpine plains.

The amount of sun shine per a year is 2000-2400 hours. In terms of the average temperature of the coldest month the severity of winter is too soft (2.5-00 C), soft (0; -50C). In warm periods (April-October) possible evaporation is about 400-800mm. The number of drought days is 5-25 or less. The average wind speed is 2-3m/per a second or less. The climate sentimentality is characterized weak (less than 130), moderate (up to 165 with factor), and average (up to 205 with factor) in the continental interval. During a year the duration frost-free period 150-225 days, the number of days with the temperature below 00C is 10-100 days for the area. In Jabrayil, Fizuli, Khojavend, Aghdam, and Tartar it is 10-50, in Khojaly and Khankendi it is 20-50, in Shusha it is 50-100days. The number of days with snow cover per a year is 10-120 days in most regions of the area.

Karabakh horses are considered the most ancient horse breed in Asia and Caucasus. Investigators suppose that Karabakh horses are from the family of Manna, Median, Atropatenian, Albanian horses. The height of Karabakh horses is 148,5cm, breast is 165,8 cm, the circle of foot is 18,3 cm. They are golden- red and brown horses.

Karabakh horses could keep their origin although they were exposed to certain changes as a result of interaction with Roman, Sasanian, Arabic, Selcuk, Mongol, Iranian and other horses. The breed of Karabakh horses got much better in XVIII-XIX centuries. Karabakh horses had a great impact on Turkish, Iranian, Georgian, North Caucasian , Russian, Kazakhstanian, as well as Western European horse- breeding.

“The Book About Horses” writes:” Thank to Karabakh horses modern Don Horses are golden today.” Karabakh horses took places of honor in some international shows and races, won awards and medals. In races Karabakh horses participated with the names “Monkey”, “ Tokhmakh”, “Aghalar”, “ Bayram”, “Zaman”, “Garagozlu”, “Gafgaz Gozeli”, etc. and won many times.

At present, Karabakh horses take a special place among famous horse breeds like “Budyonni”, “Don”, “Arab”. The normal gait of a Karabakh horse is more than 8km.

STATE RESERVES

Besitchay State Reserve

The area which is rich in vegetation more than 2000 types of plants grow. In low-lying areas wormwood, semi-desert covered with wormwood- salinegrass, in foothills lichens, gray covered with wormwood, and semi-gray plants, bushes on the slopes of mountains, broad-leaved forests (beech,oak,etc.) extend widely. There exist subalpine and alpine plains.

The amount of sun shine per a year is 2000-2400 hours. In terms of the average temperature of the coldest month the severity of winter is too soft (2.5-00 C), soft (0; -50C). In warm periods (April-October) possible evaporation is about 400-800mm. The number of drought days is 5-25 or less. The average wind speed is 2-3m/per a second or less. The climate sentimentality is characterized weak (less than 130), moderate (up to 165 with factor), and average (up to 205 with factor) in the continental interval. During a year the duration frost-free period 150-225 days, the number of days with the temperature below 00C is 10-100 days for the area. In Jabrayil, Fizuli, Khojavend, Aghdam, and Tartar it is 10-50, in Khojaly and Khankendi it is 20-50, in Shusha it is 50-100days. The number of days with snow cover per a year is 10-120 days in most regions of the area.

Karabakh horses are considered the most ancient horse breed in Asia and Caucasus. Investigators suppose that Karabakh horses are from the family of Manna, Median, Atropatenian, Albanian horses. The height of Karabakh horses is 148,5cm, breast is 165,8 cm, the circle of foot is 18,3 cm. They are golden- red and brown horses.

Karabakh horses could keep their origin although they were exposed to certain changes as a result of interaction with Roman, Sasanian, Arabic, Selcuk, Mongol, Iranian and other horses. The breed of Karabakh horses got much better in XVIII-XIX centuries. Karabakh horses had a great impact on Turkish, Iranian, Georgian, North Caucasian , Russian, Kazakhstanian, as well as Western European horse- breeding.

“The Book About Horses” writes:” Thank to Karabakh horses modern Don Horses are golden today.” Karabakh horses took places of honor in some international shows and races, won awards and medals. In races Karabakh horses participated with the names “Monkey”, “ Tokhmakh”, “Aghalar”, “ Bayram”, “Zaman” , “Garagozlu”, “Gafgaz Gozeli”, etc. and won many times.

At present, Karabakh horses take a special place among famous horse breeds like “Budyonni”, “Don”, “Arab”. The normal gait of a Karabakh horse is more than 8km.

Garagol State Reserve

Qaragol Interrepublics State Reserve was set up with the decision of the Counsil of Ministers dated November17, 1987. Garagol State Reserve is located 2658m above sea-level in the borderline of Lachin region with Gorus region. The totl area of the reserve is 240hectares.

Ishikhli Garagol is in the south part of Karabakh Volcanic mountain range, which is 2658m above sea-level, in the source of the Aghoghlan river – the right tributary of Hekeri river, in the north foothills of Boyuk Ishikhli mountain (3548 m). It is surrounded by Demirdash and Kichik Ishikhli mountain in the north-west (3452 m), Janqutaran mountain in the north (2790 m), low moraine bloc in the east. This lake is a relict water source which reminds vulcanic crater. Garagol region is in the rocks of upper Pliocene age.

The length of the lake is 1950 m, the maximum width is 1250 m, the length of coastline is 5500m, the maximum depth is 7,8 m, the basin area is 13 square metres. The volume of water in the lake is calculated 10 million cubic metres. The water transparency of the lake is 4,6 m. The bottom of the lake near the coast consists of stones of different sizes. Towards the centre of the lake the size of rocks becomes diminished , and finally in the centre it comprises finely granular sediments.

From the second half of October till the end of April it is frozen. The thickness of the ice is more than 50cm up to 20-25 m distance from the shore towards the centre. The snow is up to 40-45cm thick here.

There are 102 species and semi- species of plants that consist of 68 species and 27 families.

Although there is no water flow into the lake, and since its water is pure and lifegiving, people used to visit there as a holy place.

In 1964s, the construction of cattle- breeding farms on the shore of the lake in the Armenian part, the usage of its water in irrigation of sown areas of Goruz region by building powerful pumping stations in the lake caused the lake pollution as well as reduction of water level in the lake. Those times discontents of people of Lachin region limited a little their exploitation. At present, the intensive usage of the lake water, which remains beyond notice, may lead to inevitable negative impacts.

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