Lankaran

**Lankaran** (; an aw, **Länkäran**, **Lencoran**, an **Lenkoran’**) is a ceety in Azerbaijan, on the coast o the Caspian Sea, near the soothren mairch wi Iran. It haes a population o 83,300 (2010 census). It is next tae, but independent o the  Lankaran Rayon. The ceety forms a destinct first-order diveesion o Azerbaijan.

## Etymology
The auld form o the name wis "Langarkanan" that in Persie means "the place o pullin up the anchor(s)" : "Langar" (, anchor) + "kan" (, tae pull) + "an"(, suffix o places). Housomeivver, some soorces state that Lankaran is said tae come frae the Talish wirds for 'Cane hoose', which soonds as 'Lan Karan'. Alternatively, frae Median **Lan(a)karan-*, whaur **karan-* means 'border, region, land' an *Lan* is probably a name o a Caspian tribe.

## Geography
Thare are sandy beaches near Lankaran. Thermal sulphide, chloride, sodium-calcium watters o Andjin (Upper an Lawer) mineral springs are situatit 12&nbsp;km wast o the toun. An aw tae the wast are the ruins o Ballabur castle, near the veelage wi the same name.

The region haes a vast aurie o naitional pairks, whaur a variety o fauna an flora are preservit. Gizil-Agach State Reserve hosts ower 250 kynds o plants, 30 species o fish an mair nor 220 kynds o birds. Lankaran is an aw kent for *[[Parrotia persica]]*, or ironwood. It is naturally grown in the region an coud be seen in Hirkan National Park. Local meeth haes it that it is the anerlie firth that sinks in watter, hence the name (ironwood). Historically it haes been uised for heatin, syne it burns for a lang time an is no easily extinguished. The Persie leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) subspecies o the leopard, lives in the naitional park as well. In 1937, members o the *[[Opilio lepidus]]* species o harvestman war steidit in the aurie.

## Climate
Lankaran haes a humid subtropical climate wi a maximum annual precipitation o 1,600 tae 1,800&nbsp;mm, an is the heichest precipitation in Azerbaijan.

### Sports

The ceety haes ane professional fitbaa team competin in the tap-flicht o Azerbaijani fitbaa - Khazar Lankaran, currently playin in the Azerbaijan Premier League.

15,000 capacity Lankaran City Stadium regularly hosts, apairt frae Azerbaijan Premier League gemmes, mony ither Lankaran-based teams an Azerbaijan naitional fitbaa team matches.

In 2012, the ceety wan tae host European Masters Weightlifting Championship.

## Transportation
Lankaran is servit bi naitional an internaitional flichts throu the Lankaran Internaitional Airport.

### Connection wi ither ceeties an kintras
***Air**:  The Lankaran International Airport is well servit wi connections tae Turkis an internaitional destinations. Its new internaitional terminal wis opened in September 2008 an the airport is set on its wey for becomin ane o the busiest hubs in Azerbaijan.
***Rail**:  The ceety haes rail service frae historic terminals in dountoun tae Baku in the east an Astara in the sooth.

## Internaitional relations
### Twin touns — Sister ceeties

* Monterey (2011)

## Notable natives
 
* Jahan Talyshinskaya — fowk sangster an theatre actress.
* Hazi Aslanov — twice Hero o the Soviet Union.
* Mikhail Pavlov — Hero o Socialist Labor.
* Pasha Tahmazov — Naitional Hero o Azerbaijan.
* Samedbey Mehmandarov — Roushie airmy general, Meenister o Defence o Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

## References

## External links

*Official city webpage  - (Inglis version)