Azerbaijani scholars make proposal on Europe-Asia boundary
By Nazrin Gadimova
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Institute of Geography has put forward a proposal regarding the boundary strip that separates Europe and Asia, ANAS said on August 8.
If the proposal is accepted, Azerbaijan will relate to the European continent from the point of view of geography, according to ANAS.
The boundary that separates Europe and Asia originates in the Black Sea, flows through the watershed of the Greater Caucasus, Dubrar mountains, the northern part of the Absheron Peninsula and beyond -- across the Caspian Sea, connecting with the line which was proposed by Russian and Kazakh scientists. Then it crosses the Magistau Peninsula in Kazakhstan, along the eastern foothills of the Ural Mountains and then links to the border in the Arctic Ocean.
The border land, which is proposed to pass through Azerbaijan, was defined jointly with the Geographical Society, in accordance with international rules.
According to the report, when the southern border between Europe and Asia was determined in 1964 the international scientific and geographical rules were not taken into account. In particular, the watershed of the Greater Caucasus Mountains and other natural and geographical factors were not considered and the border was arbitrarily drawn through the center of the Kuma-Manych Depression, the head of the Institute of Geography Ramiz Mammadov said.
Experts from the institute have set symbolic pointers of the border separating Europe and Asia near the villages of Fatmayi and Altiagaj.