Tovuz District | |
|---|---|
 Map of Azerbaijan showing Tovuz District | |
| Country |  Azerbaijan |
| Region | Gazakh-Tovuz |
| Established | 8 August 1930 |
| Capital | Tovuz |
| Settlements[1] | 104 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Mammad Mammadov |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,940 km2 (750 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 177,200 |
| • Density | 91.3/km2 (237/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (AZT) |
| Postal code | 6000 |
| Website | tovuz-ih |
Tovuz District (Azerbaijani:Tovuz rayonu) is one of the 66districts ofAzerbaijan. It is located in the north-west of the country and belongs to theGazakh-Tovuz Economic Region. The district borders the districts ofGadabay,Shamkir,Samukh,Agstafa, as well as theTavush Province ofArmenia andKakheti region ofGeorgia. Its capital and largest city isTovuz. As of 2020, the district had a population of 177,200.[2] A major train line runs through the center, stopping at Tovuz Station.
In July 2020, Tovuz became the main site for theclashes with Armenia.[3]
Tovuz covers 412 km2. The rayon is mountainous in the south, where it is crossed by theLesser Caucasus mountains.[4]
The region includes rich deposits of ores and precious metals, notablygold.[5]
The region is located in the north-west of the Republic, bordering Georgia to the north, Armenia to the west, Gadabay to the south and south-west, Shamkir to the east, Samukh from north-east to the north.[6]
The southern part of the district is located in the lowlands, the northern part lies in low mountainous and foothill zone, where positive and negative relief forms are shifted. There are three climate areas in the district:[6]
The river network:[6]
The Kur River divides the region into two parts. The left coast is used as the main pasture for cattle breeding. The right bank of the river is used for agriculture, occupies the forest fund of the region and the meadow grassland. The annual rainfall is 40–70 mm.[6]
There about 20 main villages in the district. They are Quşçu, Öysüzlü, Ayıblı, Alakol, Yuxarı Öysüzlü, Abulbəyli, Düz Qırıqlı, Düz Cırdaxan, Yanıqlı, Qəribli, Azaplı, Bozalqanlı, Dönük Qırıqlı, İbrahimhacılı, Dondar Quşçu, Kirən, Əlibəyli villages and Qovlar settlement. Qovlar settlement is more populated area among them.[7]
According to the statistics urbanization is low in the district. The population of the city is 26,968 and that of the village is 130,907. According to census of 2019, Tovuz has over 175.5 thousand people, out of which 1531 are war veterans.
Over 25536 are students and currently are in process of education.[8]
According to census of 2012 quantity of people from different nations were divided in this way:[9]
| Tovuz District | 157875 |
| Azerbaijanis | 157599 |
| Turkish | 157 |
| Russians | 76 |
| Talysh | 6 |
| Таtars | 4 |
| Armenians | 4 |
| Other nations | 21 |
In Tovuz district, there are 4 museums, 13 cultural centers, 6 libraries and a Photo Gallery.Mədəniyyət - TOVUZ RAYON Icra Hakimiyyəti. Museums include Heydar Aliyev Center, History and Local Lore Museum, Ozan Ashug Museum and State Symbols Museum.[10][11]
The ancient village of Goytepe (Göy Tepe) is one of the largest archaeological monuments in Tovuz District, and in Ganja – Gazakh region. It is located 2 km to the northeast from the village ofAşağı Quşçu, and well south of the current course ofKura river, but closer to Tovuz river which is flowing into Kura.
Starting in 2008, “Tovuz Archaeological expedition” conducted new archaeological investigations at Goytepe, and also at the Mentesh tepe ancient settlement nearby. This is a joint investigation of archaeologists from Azerbaijan, Japan and France.
In this same area of Azerbaijan are also located the ancient sites ofShomu Tepe,Soyuq Bulaq, andBoyuk Kesik. Shulaveris Gora is just across the border inGeorgia.
Mentesh tepe is located close to Zeyem river about 10km east of Goytepe.[12] The excavations of Neolithic levels at Mentesh Tepe have brought to light a material culture related to theShulaveri-Shomu culture, with some similarity to Baba-Dervish site. The earliest levels of Mentesh represent an advanced Neolitic culture with full domestication of cereals and animals. The pottery is also found, although in small numbers.
The occupation at Mentesh continued for a long period to the end of the Early Bronze Age. Local metallurgy here started already in the first half of the 6th millennium, and developed further during the second half of the 5th millennium.[13]
The region is dominated by agriculture. Wine, fruit, vegetables and grain crops are all produced along with cattle.[4]
Stock raising is one of the main revenue source of this region:[9]
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| The number of cattle | 38280 | 39993 | 40813 | 41558 | 41741 | 42275 |
| Number of cows and buffalos | 16185 | 16987 | 17330 | 17416 | 17420 | 17587 |
| Number of sheep and goat | 183429 | 192050 | 193543 | 195542 | 195749 | 196362 |
| Birds | 340033 | 347605 | 375607 | 385025 | 409252 | |
| Pigs | 200 | 210 | 215 | - | - | - |
| horses | 659 | 664 | 724 | 804 | 774 | |
| Donkeys | 3049 | 3051 | 3052 | 2986 | 2795 | |
| Meat(tons) | 23424 | 24852 | 25532 | 25839 | 27350 | 28225 |
| Eggs | 14628 | 14970 | 15140 | 15310 | 15840 | 16015 |
| Wool production(tons) | 295 | 331 | 340 | 344 | 351 | 358 |
There are 24 entities which operate in industrial and agricultural sphere:[9]
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Bread | 1844 | 1626 | 1840 | 2156 | 2686 |
| Building sand(,000 tons) | 5 | 6.7 | 7.8 | 13.4 | 5.9 |
| Flour(tons) | 1536 | 1504 | 1306 | 888 | 483 |
| Wheat bran(tons) | 497.6 | 349.4 | 190.7 | 148.7 | 131.6 |
| Wheat groats(tons) | 72.5 | 32.9 | 31.0 | 15.0 | 100 |
| Wine(,000 dal) | 17.1 | 26.2 | 17.0 | 13.7 | 25.3 |
| Fruit alcohol(,000 dal) | 63.0 | 36.3 | - | - | - |
| Cognac, thousand dal | 6.7 | 36.4 | 11.1 | 10.3 | 9.1 |
| Refined sugar,tons | 140.0 | 155.7 | 70.0 | 28.0 | -- |
| Asphalt, bituminous mixtures. | 0.4 | -- | 1.4 | -- | -- |
Where the sown areas for agricultural plants are:[9]
| Year | 2005 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Tovuz District | 27 182 | 26 868 | 26 927 | 26 827 | 22 659 | 21 839 |
According toAzerbaijani MOD, in the afternoon of July 12, Armenian Armed Forces started to fire on Azerbaijani State Border Service positions in Tovuz region using artillery mounds.[14] Thus, clashes between the Armenian Armed Forces andAzerbaijani Armed Forces broke out on July 12.The skirmishes resumed on 13 July and are ongoing with varying intensity, having resulted in at least 16 military and one civilian casualties. Among Azerbaijani military casualties were one major general (Polad Hashimov), one colonel (Ilgar Mirzayev) and two majors (Anar Novruzov and Namig Ahmadov).[15] However, the fighting has decreased, the situation in the region is still considered as volatile.[16]
...the border between Armenia's northern Tavush province and the Tovuz district in Azerbaijan, the scene of the clashes.
40°59′32″N45°37′44″E / 40.9922°N 45.6289°E /40.9922; 45.6289
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