CULTURE
Hirkan National Park

Baku, March 28, AZERTAC
Hirkan Park is one of Azerbaijan`s truly unique protected areas. Ninety percent of the park`s is covered by deciduous forests. The region`s subtropical climate makes for a lush green landscape. There are over 150 tree and shrub species, including chestnut oak and ironwood trees, as well as Hyrcanian figs and pears in the lowlands. Oriental beech trees and box trees dominate in the higher elevations.
The Hirkan National Park protects the humid subtropical and humid temperate forests in the area of the Lankaran Lowland and the Talysh Mountains, sheltering many endemic plant and animal species, including the Caucasian leopard.
The Hirkan National Park normally has very high humidity and precipitation throughout the year, averaging from 1,400 mm to 1,600 mm per year in the lowlands to 1,800 mm per year in the mountains. The maximum annual precipitation is the highest precipitation in Azerbaijan. The Hirkan National Park has a humid subtropical climate in the lowlands, an oceanic climate in the middle elevations and a humid continental climate on the mountain peaks.
The variety of elevations, the abundant rainfall, and the presence of old growth forests give the park an unusual richness of biota.