ABSTRACT
Azerbaijan is perhaps the most strategically situated of some Transcaucasus republics, fronting on the Caspian Sea and connecting Russia with Iran. As an independent nation, Azerbaijan will need to move swiftly to address the bproblems, but unfortunately in 1993 armed conflict with Armenia was placing a heavy drain on available resources. In the 13th century the region was conquered by the Mongols, but soon the waning Mongol influence led to the division of the territory of Azerbaijan. The implementation of land development projects and massive amounts of agricultural pesticides and weed killers have limited natural habitats and reduced the number of wild animals in Azerbaijan. The salination of irrigated soil in the Republic of Azerbaijan has had the most detrimental effects on agricultural production. Pollution and inefficient usage of water resources, both from freshwater sources and the Caspian Sea, are central to the environmental problems of Azerbaijan.
