Astara (Talysh: Ostoro) is a city in and the capital of the Astara District of Azerbaijan. Astara is a short walk across the border from Astara, Iran.

Astara
Ostoro
Astara is located in Azerbaijan
Astara
Astara
Coordinates: 38°27′22″N 48°52′43″E / 38.45611°N 48.87861°E / 38.45611; 48.87861
CountryAzerbaijan
DistrictAstara
Elevation
−22 m (−72 ft)
Population
 (2008)
 • Total
16,130[1]
Time zoneUTC+4 (AZT)
Area code+994 195

Geography

edit

Climate

edit

Astara has a borderline humid subtropical (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) and hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). Astara has cool, wet winters and very warm, highly humid summers, nevertheless with lower precipitation. The annual precipitation of the city, however, is one of the highest in Azerbaijan.

Climate data for Astara (1971-1990 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.7
(45.9)
7.7
(45.9)
10.5
(50.9)
16.4
(61.5)
21.5
(70.7)
26.6
(79.9)
29.9
(85.8)
29.0
(84.2)
25.5
(77.9)
19.6
(67.3)
14.7
(58.5)
10.9
(51.6)
18.3
(65.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.5
(40.1)
4.7
(40.5)
6.4
(43.5)
11.4
(52.5)
16.6
(61.9)
21.2
(70.2)
24.2
(75.6)
23.3
(73.9)
20.3
(68.5)
15.4
(59.7)
10.7
(51.3)
6.8
(44.2)
13.8
(56.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.4
(36.3)
2.5
(36.5)
4.9
(40.8)
9.6
(49.3)
14.2
(57.6)
18.7
(65.7)
20.8
(69.4)
20.6
(69.1)
18.3
(64.9)
13.6
(56.5)
8.5
(47.3)
4.3
(39.7)
11.5
(52.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 85
(3.3)
89
(3.5)
99
(3.9)
54
(2.1)
56
(2.2)
35
(1.4)
34
(1.3)
64
(2.5)
190
(7.5)
288
(11.3)
167
(6.6)
103
(4.1)
1,264
(49.7)
Average rainy days 9 9 12 7 8 4 3 5 9 14 11 9 100
Mean monthly sunshine hours 113.3 99.4 110.9 152.4 208.9 268.3 284.9 248.5 185.9 127.3 101.5 110.9 2,012.2
Mean daily sunshine hours 3.7 3.5 3.6 5.1 6.7 8.9 9.2 8.0 6.2 4.1 3.4 3.6 5.5
Source: NOAA[2] DWD[3]
Climate data for Astara (records)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22.1
(71.8)
26.1
(79.0)
28.8
(83.8)
29.0
(84.2)
33.4
(92.1)
38.0
(100.4)
38.0
(100.4)
40.0
(104.0)
40.0
(104.0)
31.3
(88.3)
28.7
(83.7)
25.7
(78.3)
40.0
(104.0)
Record low °C (°F) −7.8
(18.0)
−13
(9)
−6.1
(21.0)
−3.9
(25.0)
−2.8
(27.0)
6.0
(42.8)
11.1
(52.0)
10.0
(50.0)
10.0
(50.0)
−2.8
(27.0)
−7.8
(18.0)
−15
(5)
−15
(5)
Source: climatebase.ru[4]

Attractions

edit
 

Caspian Sea

edit

The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. It is an endorheic basin (a basin without outflows) located between Europe and Asia, to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the broad steppe of Central Asia. The sea has a surface area of 371,000 km2 (143,000 sq mi) (excluding the detached lagoon of Garabogazköl) and a volume of 78,200 km3 (18,800 cu mi). It has a salinity of approximately 1.2% (12 g/L), about a third of the salinity of most seawater that is found in the region.

Astara TV Tower

edit

As the demand for television broadcasting and telecommunication grew in the early 1980s, the Astara TV Tower was built. The television tower was uniquely designed, as its pinnacle is guyed to a horizontal cross-like steel structure.[1][5]

Economy

edit

Located next to the Iranian border, Astara attracts numerous visitors from Iran, going to Azerbaijan to purchase goods and services that may not be as readily available in Iran.[6]

Transport

edit

Astara is currently served by a broad gauge railway only headed north. A standard gauge connection to the Iranian railway network along the shore of the Caspian Sea is planned. This break of gauge station is likely to be equipped with bogie exchange and SUW 2000 variable gauge axle track gauge changing facility.[citation needed]

Notable people

edit
  • Ziya Bunyadov (1923–1997), Azerbaijani historian and World War II veteran
  • Vagif Akhundov (born 1950), colonel-general
  • Kazim Azimov (born 1951), Azerbaijani historian of philosophy, culture, sociologist, Orientalist
edit

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b "Astara TV Tower - SkyscraperPage Forum". Forum.skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
  2. ^ "Astara Climate normals for 1971-1990 (WMO Station number: 37989)". ncei.noaa.gov (TXT). National Oceanic and Atmosoheric Administration.
  3. ^ Klimadaten ausgewählter Wetterstationen: Aserbaidschan (in German), Deutscher Wetterdienst, retrieved 22 February 2024
  4. ^ "Climatebase". Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  5. ^ "picture".
  6. ^ The Tijuana of the Caspian: At the border between Azerbaijan and Iran, everything’s for sale: sex, booze, tattoos—and maybe some revolutionary fervor. By Peter Savodnik, December 2009, ATLANTIC MAGAZINE

References

edit