East Zangezur Economic Region Şərqi Zəngəzur iqtisadi rayonu (Azerbaijani) | |
|---|---|
 East Zangezur Economic Region in Azerbaijan | |
| Country | Azerbaijan |
| Established | 7 July 2021 |
| Area | |
• Total | 7,448 km2 (2,876 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 343,500 |
| • Density | 46.12/km2 (119.4/sq mi) |
| HDI (2022) | 0.706[2] high ·9th |
TheEast Zangezur Economic Region (Azerbaijani:Şərqi Zəngəzur iqtisadi rayonu) is one of the 14economic regions ofAzerbaijan. It bordersIran to the south andArmenia to the west, as well as the economic regions ofKarabakh, andGanja-Dashkasan. The region consists of the districts ofKalbajar,Lachin,Qubadli,Zangilan, andJabrayil.[3] It has an area of 7,448 square kilometres (2,876 sq mi). Its population (the refugees and IDPs living outside the economic region in Azerbaijan) was estimated to be at 343.5 thousand people in January 2021.[1]
East Zangezur Economic Region was established on 7 July 2021 as part of a reform of the economic region system of Azerbaijan. Its territory mostly corresponded to theKalbajar-Lachin Economic Region before 2021, which included the districts of all of its current districts, except Jabrayil.[4]
According to researcher Laurence Broers, the region's new name, East Zangezur, is motivated byAzerbaijani irredentism; it borders Armenia'sSyunik province, implying that there is a "WesternZangezur"—that is, Syunik itself.[5] A few days after the Eastern Zangezur Economic region was created, Azerbaijani presidentIlham Aliyev announced in a speech: "Western Zangezur is our ancestral land … we must return there, and we will return."[5]
39°39′33.6″N46°28′21.8″E / 39.659333°N 46.472722°E /39.659333; 46.472722
