Absheron Peninsula

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Absheron Peninsula Abşeron yarımadası
Satellite image of the peninsula taken during the ISS Expedition 57
Country	Azerbaijan
Seat	Baku City
Subdivisions	List Baku (city) Sumqayit (city) Absheron (rayon)
Area
• Total	2,110 km2 (810 sq mi)
Population  (2022)
• Total	4.6 million
• Rank	1st
• Density	3,070/km2 (8,000/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	AZ-AB

The Absheron Peninsula (Azerbaijani: Abşeron yarımadası) is a peninsula in Azerbaijan. It is the location of Baku, the biggest and the most populous city of the country, and the Baku Metropolitan Area, with its satellite cities Sumqayit and Khyrdalan. It extends 60 km (37 mi) eastward into the Caspian Sea, and reaches a maximum width of 30 km (19 mi). It is one of the most recognizable geographic features of Azerbaijan, as the country's territory is often compared to the shape of an eagle, with the Absheron Peninsula forming its beak as it extends into the Caspian Sea.^[1][2]

Though technically the easternmost extension of the Caucasus Mountains, the landscape is only mildly hilly, a gently undulating plain that ends in a long spit of sand dunes known as Shah Dili, also known as the Shah Spit which is the easternmost point of mainland Azerbaijan, now declared the Absheron National Park. In this part, the peninsula is dissected by ravines and characterized by frequent salt lakes. The peninsula also features four districts, of which two are urban (Baku and Sumqayit) while three are considered suburban (Absheron Rayon, Pirallahi Rayon, and the Khazar Rayon.)