List of rivers of Azerbaijan facts for kids

A map of the Caspian Sea drainage basin to which all rivers in Azerbaijan flow to.

The Kur and Aras are the longest rivers of Azerbaijan and their drainage basin covers most of the country.

The Aras River along the Iranian border with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is a country with many rivers, and almost all of them flow into the Caspian Sea. This sea is like a giant lake that doesn't connect to any ocean. It's called an endorheic basin, which means water flows in but doesn't flow out to the sea.

The longest river in Azerbaijan is the Kur. It starts in Turkey and flows through Georgia before reaching Azerbaijan. The Kur River then joins with the second longest river, the Aras. The Aras River also begins in Turkey and forms part of Azerbaijan's border with Iran.

Many smaller rivers flow into the Kur, like the Qanix, Qabirri, Turyan, Agstafa, Shekir, Terter and Khachin rivers. The Aras River has its own important rivers joining it, such as the Arpachay, Nakhchivan, Okhchu, Hekeri and Kondelenchay rivers. Some big rivers, like the Samur, Gudyal, Velvele, Vilesh and Lenkeran, flow directly into the Caspian Sea without joining the Kur or Aras.

Azerbaijan's Rivers: An Overview

Rivers are a very important part of Azerbaijan's water system. There are 8,359 rivers of different lengths in the country. Most of them, about 8,188, are shorter than 25 kilometers (about 15 miles). Only 24 rivers are longer than 100 kilometers (about 62 miles).

Here are some of the longest and most important rivers in Azerbaijan:

• Kür: This is the main water source for the country.
• Aras
• Qanıx
• Qabırlı (also known as Iori)
• Khrami
• Samur
• Pirsaatçay
• Bolgar-Chay (found in the Jalilabad District)
• Ağstafa
• Həkəriçay
• Kurekchay
• Tərtərçay
  • Ağdabançay
  • Levçay
  • Turağayçay
• Türyançay
• Vilesh
• Qarqarçay

How Rivers Are Grouped

The rivers in Azerbaijan can be put into three main groups based on where their water ends up:

1. Rivers that flow into the Kur River basin. These include the Qanix, Qabirri, Turyan, Agstafa, Shekir, Terter, and Khachin rivers.
2. Rivers that flow into the Aras River basin. Examples are the Arpachay, Nakhchivan, Okhchu, Hekeri, and Kondelenchay rivers.
3. Rivers that flow directly into the Caspian Sea. These include the Samur, Gudyal, Velvele, Vilesh, and Lenkeran rivers.

The way Azerbaijan's rivers are set up changes depending on things like the climate, the land, the types of rocks, and the plants growing there. In higher areas, there are more rivers close together. For example, in the Talysh region, rivers are very close to each other.

The Mighty Kura and Aras Rivers

Kura (Caspian Sea)|l1=Kura River|Aras River The Kura and Aras are the two longest and most important rivers in Azerbaijan. They flow through a large flat area called the Kur-Araz Lowland. Rivers that flow straight into the Caspian Sea usually start in the mountains, like the Greater Caucasus and Talysh Mountains.

Even though the Aras River basin (the area it collects water from) is larger than the Kur River basin, the river is still called the Kur when they join. This is because the Kur River carries twice as much water as the Aras River at that point!

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Ríos de Azerbaiyán para niños