The Southern slope of Great Caucasus siretching to the East of Girdimanchay vallcy fonns Shamakhi - Gobusian area. The thick sedimentary rock complexes of Cretaceous, Paleogen, Neocene and Neogene are spread over the Western part of the territory. The main elements of Shamakhi-Gobustan barrow are wide plateaus in the West (from Girdimanchay to Maraza) and low crests (Gurchuvan. Shamakhi. Maraza platcaus). Gizmcydan plateau(1000 - 1400 m) was cut by broad and lcrraced river vallcys localcd in thc Northem part o f Shamakhi platcau. Gobustan blocks arc siluaied in thc East o f ıhc area (Gayiblar, Shayiblav, Aiyol> Boyuk Siyaki, Bayanata ctc.). The circular shaped plaieaus (Kichcli, Donuzlug. Boyukdash ctc.), ihroughs (Jcyrankechmaz. Pirsaaı. Garaibad ctc.) and numeıous mud volcano mountains locate in thc area. Shamakhi highland expands from the Wesl o f Girdiman to thc East o f Gijcki plateau. Mcysari platcau and Sundu Gurbachi plateau İn thc North and Langabiz bracc in the South arc bordcrs of the rcgion. The mud volcanoes are widely spread in the area. Thc plains occupy large arca. Thc foothill and middle mountain zone mainiy covcr the large part of Ismayilli region, Aghsu and Shamakhi regions and the main North and Northern - West parts of Gobustan region. Thc high mountainous zone covers the Northern parts of Ismayilii region. Thc highest peak of the region is Babadagh with 3629 m iıcight. The region is rich wilh mineral waters as Zargaran, Chagan, Galcybughurl and Chukhuryurd.

Climate and climatic resources: Thc typical climates o f the region are semi desert and dry slcppe (Gobustan), mlld warm climate with dry summers (Gurjuvan '* Shamakhi - Maraza plateau), moderate wam ı climate with dry winters (the areas with 1000 - 1200 m altitudes in the North - Eastern slopes of Great Caucasus Mountains), temperate climate with cqual distribution of precipitations during thc year (the Northem part of Ismayilli region and North - Western part o f Shamakhi) and mountain tundra climate (Babadagh peak zone over 3000 m altilude).

Water resources: T hc rivcv nctw ork dcnsiıy o f ihc rcgion is significantly varicd in som c arcas. The miniınal inclicalor o f rivcr dcnsity is in thc South and East parts o f thc rcgion. T hc South arcas o f G obusian is thc m ost vulncrablc parts with thc low dcnsity. T hc m ain rivcrs o f the rcgion arc G irdim an, A ghsu. Pirsaat and Jeirankcchm az. T hc Rivcr Jcirankechm az is m ainly dry in all seasons. T hc origin o f thc rivcr Girdimanchay staris from 3000 m altitude o f 13abadagh p ea k and flow s to thc shorc o f K ur R ivcr w ilh 9 m hcight. T hc sourcc o f thc Rivcr A ghsuchay begins from Lahij m ountain system w ith 1750 m hcighl. M orcovcr, Pirsaat R ivcr siarts from 2400 m altilude in Lahij m ountain systcm . The w ater o f the R ivcr Pirsaat oftcn dissapcars n e a r A lat and could not rcach the C aspian Sea. Jeirankcchm az is m ainly thirsty in particular seasons o f thc year. T hc w atcr o f this river vçry rarcly flows into Caspian Sea.

Biodiversity: Steppe and semidesert vegetations are mainly spread in lüwiand and highland zones of the region. The semidesert vegetations have been found up to 200 m altitude in the Shirvan steppe zone (the Southem lowlands o f Shamakhi and Aghsu regions). The semidesert vegetations are found along throughs and brood river valleys up 10 400 - 500 m heights. The upper borders o f the sam e vegetation along crests reach 300 - 4 00 metcrs. Sparse foothills and bushes have spread in barrow s and foothill zones. Low mountain zonc strctches as narrow belt at 500 - 9C 0 m height. The forests consist o f oak and oak - hom -beam forests. Iberian oak, hom bcam - oak and oak - lim e forests arc observed in the area. T here are chestnut
forests in the Ismayilli forests. Sm all trees and bushcs with com -pound contain have spread widely under oak and oak nom bcam forests. Haw thom (Crataegus sp.), ınedlar (Mespilus germanica), dog-rose (Rosa sp.), honcysuckle (Lonicera sp.), com el (Cornus mas), chcrry plum (Prunus divaricata), Smoke bush (Cotinus sp.) sumach (Rhus coriaria), buckthorns (Rhamnus sp.) and etc. are characteristic bush trees distributed widely in the area. Middle mountain forest zone have been spread in 1200 - 1400 meters allitudes as beech and beech-hom beam forests (Ismayilli) and in the East part in 1600 m eters altitude (mainly in Shamakhi). The lower borders of high mountain zone go beyond 1300 - 1400 m in the West an d 1400 -2300 m in the East. The forest form ing tree species o f chc zone is oak, oriental oak» irautvetter birclı, birch and etc. Forest subalpine, m eadow shrub, subalpinc meadow s with high grasscs spread in the upper zonc and rhododendron bushes are feasibie in the West part of the region. Subalpinc and alpine meadow s are located in the upper borders o f high-mountain zone. Subalpine meadow zone locatуs in 1800 - 2500 meters height. Alpine meadows cover mountain slopуs of subalpine meadow s up to 3000 m eters locating in Ismayilli and Babadagh pcak o f thc area. Parts of Ismayilli and Shahdagh State Reserves locate in this territory. The fauna o f the area is also very rich. More than 100 species o f insects and w ebs, nearly 50 species o f mammals, more than 20 species o f reptiles, nearly 10 species o f amphibians and more than 100 bird species are distributed in the region.