Sharur District | |
|---|---|
 Map ofAzerbaijan showing Sharur District | |
| Country |  Azerbaijan |
| Autonomous Republic | Nakhchivan |
| Established | 8 August 1930 |
| Capital | Sharur |
| Settlements[1] | 66 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Kəmal Jafarov |
| Area | |
• Total | 870 km2 (340 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 117,600 |
| • Density | 140/km2 (350/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (AZT) |
| Postal code | 6800 |
| Website | serur-ih |
Sharur District (Azerbaijani:Şərur rayonu) is one of the 7districts of theNakhchivan Autonomous Republic ofAzerbaijan. The district borders the districts ofKangarli,Sadarak, as well as theVayots Dzor andArarat provinces ofArmenia and theWest Azerbaijan Province ofIran. Its capital and largest city isSharur. As of 2020, the district had a population of 117,600.[2]
The district was known asNorashen from 1930 to 1964, thenIlich orIlichyovsk from 1964 to 1991 in honour ofVladimir Ilich Lenin. It was finally renamed to its original name Sharur upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the independence of Azerbaijan.
Following the disestablishment of theNakhichevan Khanate upon the region'sannexation into theRussian Empire in 1828, the Sharur area was included into theNakhichevan Uyezd of theArmenian Oblast, and later, theErivan Governorate. In 1870, the Sharur and Daralayazmahals of the Nakhichevan district were detached into a separate district, becoming known as theSharur-Daralayaz Uyezd. According to theRussian Empire Census of 1897, the area of Sharur Daralayaz district, the centre of which is nowJalilkend, is 29,723 sq.m. km, the population was 76,551 people. The population of Sharur-Daralayaz district, which bordersIran andTurkey, was mainly engaged in agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, cotton growing and beekeeping.
After the brief independence of Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1918–1920, the Sharur area—which was mostly under the control of the local Azerbaijanis—was assigned to theNakhichevan ASSR within theAzerbaijan SSR. On 8 August 1930, the Sharur Uyezd of Nakhichevan was reorganised into the Norashenraion. On 28 February 1991, the former name of the territory, Sharur, was restored to the district. In its current form, the Sharur District is bordered by the Vayots Dzor and Ararat provinces of Armenia to the northeast and the West Azerbaijan Province ofIran to the southwest. The administrative center of the district is the city of Sharur.
Sharur is one of the most ancient and the largest settlements of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. The favourable geographical position of Sharur created conditions for the settlement of people in ancient times. The researches showed that the people settled in the area in the late glacial period. The territory of Sharur with its full water rivers, fertile soils were favourable for the development of plant-growing. The historical researches defined the settlement of the people in Sharur before Christ. The archaeological excavations on the territory of Sharur which is mentioned asSharuk in the epos of "The Book of Dede Korkut" dating back to the period 1300 ago revealed the settlement and burial places of the Neolithic, Bronze Age as well as Antique period. The settlementOghlangaya covering an area of 40 hectares of the Garatepe Mountain of the region dates back to the 2-1st millenniums B.C. The region accounts for a number of archaeological monuments and settlements rich in the patterns of material culture reflecting the activity and lifestyle of ancient people. These are the ancient, settlement, towers, cemeteries, Kurgans and architectural monuments. The researches of 1980-1990 revealed the cultural remnants of the dug cave of the Stone Age including a great many instruments made of stone and wine-tree. The monuments of the midBronze Age was revealed in theAraz River, Arpachay and its branches (Shortepe, Kheledj mountain, Kultepe, Djennettepe and others).[3]
According to theState Statistics Committee, as of 2018, the population of city recorded 115,600 persons, which increased by 3,500 persons (about 3 percent) from 112,100 persons in 2000.[4] Of the population, 57,400 are men and 58,200 are women.[5] More than 27 percent of the population (about 31,500 persons) consists of young people and teenagers aged 14–29.[6]
| Region | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharur region | 112,1 | 113,5 | 114,5 | 115,6 | 96,7 | 97,3 | 98,5 | 99,6 | 100,9 | 102,1 | 103,3 | 105,4 | 107,4 | 109,4 | 111,2 | 112,3 | 113,4 | 114,6 | 115,6 |
| urban population | 6,7 | 6,7 | 6,7 | 6,7 | 6,7 | 6,7 | 6,8 | 6,7 | 6,8 | 6,7 | 6,7 | 6,7 | 6,9 | 7,0 | 7,1 | 7,2 | 7,2 | 7,3 | 7,3 |
| rural population | 105,4 | 106,8 | 107,8 | 108,9 | 90,0 | 90,6 | 91,7 | 92,9 | 94,1 | 95,4 | 96,6 | 98,7 | 100,5 | 102,4 | 104,1 | 105,1 | 106,2 | 107,3 | 108,3 |
