Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic

Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic nekhēchĬvän´ or Naxçivan Autonomous Republic näk&180;chĬvän´ , autonomous republic (1990 est. pop. 310,000), 2,124 sq mi (5,501 sq km), an exclave of Azerbaijan, bordered on the south by Iran and Turkey and on the north by Armenia, which separates Nakhichevan from the rest of Azerbaijan. Nakhichevan (the capital), Ordubad, and Dzhulfa are the main cities. The lowlands are irrigated and produce cotton, tobacco, rice, winter wheat, and fruits. In the foothills grapes are grown for the wine industry, and silkworms are raised. There are salt, molybdenum, lead, and zinc deposits. The republic's industries include food processing, cotton cleaning, and the bottling of mineral water. The population consists mainly of Azeris (82%), with Russian and Armenian minorities. The republic was founded in 1924. It has a 110-member parliament.

Nakhichevan Autonomous republic of Azerbaijan, bounded n and e by Armenia, s and w by Iran, and w by Turkey; the capital is Nakhichevan. Under Persian domination from the 13th to the 19th century, it became part of Russia in 1828. In 1924, it was made an autonomous republic within the Soviet Union. In 1991, it became part of the independent republic of Azerbaijan, but was subsequently disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nakhichevan is mountainous and subject to earthquakes. Crops: grains, cotton, tobacco, fruit, grapes. Industries: mining, silk textile production, food processing. Area: 5500sq km (2120sq mi). Pop. (2002 est.) 366,500.

Nakhichevanʼ (Naxçivan), Azerbaijan Naxuna, Nagshijahan, Nakhuntevan, Arran An autonomous republic since 1990, geographically separated from the rest of Azerbaijan, and a city; at its narrowest point only 15 miles (25 km) of Armenian territory separate the republic from Azerbaijan proper. It is thus a predominantly Azeri‐populated enclave within Armenia. The name is said to be derived from Nukkhtchikhan ‘Colony of Noah’. Noah's ark is supposed to have grounded on Mount Ararat (now just over the border in Turkey). It might, however, be derived from the Armenian nakh ‘first’ and idzhevan ‘landing’, also a reference to the ark. A less appealing explanation is that the name derives from a personal name with the Armenian suffix ‐avan ‘settlement’ or ‘place’. Former names were Persian and Turkish. Arran was the name of the vilayet ‘province’ in the Arab caliphate. The subject of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1918–20, Nakhichevan was invaded by the Red Army in 1920. The following year it was confirmed by the Treaty of Moscow as being part of Azerbaijan. In 1924 it became an Autonomous Soviet Republic within Azerbaijan.