NAKHICHEVAN, an autonomous republic of Russian Transcaucasia created in 1921, and linked administratively with the Azerbaijan S.S.R., from which it is, however, separated by a strip of Armenian territory. It is bordered on the south and south-west by Persia and on the north and east by the Armenian. S.S.R. Area 6,524 sq.km. Pop. (1926) 103,600. Though the re public is small, its relief is varied. In the south-west it consists of the valley on the left bank of the Araxes river, which here forms the boundary between Russia and Persia, and along the left bank of which goes the railway loop from Tiflis on the Black sea-Caspian line, which links Armenia and the south of Azer baijan with Baku, and from which a branch line goes to Tabriz from Dzhulpha in the Nakhichevan republic. The republic thus forms a centre for trade between Russia and Persia. From the valley of the Araxes the Armenian or Transcaucasian plateau rises to a height of about io,000 feet.
The industries of the region are mainly silk weaving, cotton cleaning and wine production. In 1926 of the 16 former silk factories in Ordubat only 6 were working. The numerous small cotton-cleaning enterprises were re-organised after the revolu tion into two large government factories which produce 16,000 tons of cotton per annum. The former brandy distilling industry has not revived. A jam factory is under construction at Ordubat which provides for an output of goo tons per annum. Of the mineral wealth in the republic, salt, lead, sulphur, arsenic, copper, sulphur pyrites and coal, only salt is exploited. In 1926 about
37,00o tons of salt were produced as against 43,000 in 1913. Cura tive arsenical and sulphur springs have been known to the native shepherds for centuries.
The population consists chiefly of Armenians and Azerbaijan Turks, with " some Russians in the towns of Nakhichevan (pop. and Ordubat (pop. 3,665). The number of schools and teachers has markedly increased, and there are Turkish, Armenian and Russian schools, but many children still receive no educa tion. Grants from the Central Government of the U.S.S.R. pro vided for the building of a school, hospital and electric station in the town of Nakhichevan, and a grant was also made for the repair and rebuilding of the small factories, and the irrigation canals, and the development of cotton, silk and salt production. The region was important at an early date because it lay on the route from Teheran and Tabriz to Caucasia. It was laid waste by the Persians in the 4th century, by the Seljuk Turks in the itth century and by the Mongols in the 13th century. From that time until 1828, when by the peace of Turkman-chai it passed under Russian rule, it was frequently devastated during the wars between Persia, Armenia, Turkey and Russia. Its importance for trade and its great fertility helped it to recover after each of these disasters and after the more recent 1917-20 period of disorder and struggle.