A view from space helps Azerbaijan plan for the future A view from space helps Azerbaijan plan for the future Landsat TM path 167 row 33 acquired 8 June 1998. Click on map to see larger version This satellite image shows an area just north of the district capital of Lenkoran, where the Vilascay River flows into the Caspian Sea at Gizilagac Bay. The Bay is home to a large nature reserve and is an important habitat for migratory birds. The Vilascay is located in the southern part of the Kura Basin, Azerbaijan's most important agricultural region.
Summers here are long, hot and dry, so irrigation is essential.
The fields that can be seen were part of a large cotton plantation. The satellite image shows that now only a few fields are under cultivation. These are the bright red rectangular areas. Whitish patches in some of these fields indicate the presence of highly saline soils. The reddish orange lines dividing the fields are irrigation canals.