Astara District

Astara is a rayon in Azerbaijan. It is bordered to the south and west by Iran, on the east by the Caspian Sea. The capital city of Astara.

Geography

The rayon has an area of 616 km ². To the west lies the Talyschgebirge with up to 2000 meters altitude. The east of the region extends some of the Lenkoraner lowlands. Much of the area is forested. The rivers Astarachai and Tengerud flow through the rayon into the Caspian Sea. The district is a part of the Hyrcanian National Park.

Population

In Rayon lived 2009 95.900 people. The population is spread over a town and 13 villages. A large part of the population are Talysh which adhere to the Shia Islam. In addition, living in the district Azerbaijanis and Russians.

Economy

In the region of mainly tea, cereals, citrus fruits and vegetables are grown. In addition, there is a food processing industry in the capital city of Astara. The district is the pipeline from Abadan leads the Persian Gulf to Azerbaijan.

Attractions

In the village Şahağac is a mausoleum of the 12th century. In Ərcihan is the mosque Kərbəlayi Həmid Abdulla Hamamı. In place Isti -Su there are hot springs. Moreover, in the rayon are a caravanserai from the 7th century and stone-age sculptures at the places Siniyapert, Lomin and Pileken.