Chilov is a small island.
It sits in the Caspian Sea. Many birds live there. You might see white swans. Some birds stay for the winter. It is a special place for them. Can you see the birds?
Chilov is an island in the Caspian Sea.
It is near a place called Baku. The island sits by a land strip called the Absheron Peninsula.
The island has a strange shape. It has many points and small bays. It is not very high.
Many birds live on the island. Some birds come to stay for the winter. You might see swans or ducks there.
People found oil near the island long ago. This helps us learn about the sea. It is a busy place for nature.
Chilov is an island in the Caspian Sea.
It sits near the Absheron Peninsula. The island is 25 km from the end of that land. It is 100 km from the city of Baku. Chilov belongs to the Khazar district of Baku.
The island has an irregular shape. This means its edges are not straight. It has many headlands and inlets. The island is 10 km across. Its area is about 6 km2. The highest part is only 8 metres tall.
Many birds live here. It is a special place for them. Some birds come to stay for the winter. You might see whooper swans or tufted ducks. Caspian gulls also live there to breed.
People found oil and gas near the island in 1781. A man named Agagurban Aliyev drilled the first oil well. In the 1950s, the USSR put a military unit there. They used a C75 missile system to protect Baku. Russian troops left the island in 1992.
Chilov is a small island in the Caspian Sea.
It sits near the Absheron Peninsula. The island is 25 km off the eastern end of that land. It is 100 km away from the city of Baku. Chilov is part of the Khazar district of Baku. This island is a special part of the Absheron archipelago.
The island has a very interesting shape. It is not a simple circle or square. Instead, it has an irregular shape with many headlands and inlets. A headland is a piece of land that sticks out into the water. An inlet is a small part of the sea that goes into the land. The island is 10 km across. Its total area is about 6 km2. The highest point on the island is only 8 metres tall.
Many different birds find a home on Chilov. It is known as an Important Bird Area. This means many living things depend on it. Some birds come to the island to stay for the winter. You might see whooper swans or common pochards there. Other birds like tufted ducks and great crested grebes visit too. Common coots also live there. Caspian gulls use the island as a place to breed.
People have found many things on and near the island. In 1781, a man named Count Mark Voynovich led an expedition. He was a Russian Rear Admiral. He discovered oil and gas deposits near Chilov. Later, in 1944, a group from the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences arrived. They began exploring the island more closely. A man named Agagurban Aliyev drilled the very first oil well there.
The island also has a history with the military. In the 1950s, the USSR kept a military unit on the island. They used it to help defend Baku from the east. They kept a C75 anti-aircraft missile system there. This was used for air defense. Later, things changed for the island. Russian troops completely withdrew from the island between 1992 and 1993.
Chilov is a small island located in the Caspian Sea.
It is situated off the Absheron Peninsula. The island sits 25 km from the eastern end of that peninsula. It is also 100 km away from the city of Baku. Administratively, the island belongs to the Khazar district of Baku.
This location makes it a significant part of the local geography in Azerbaijan.
The physical shape of Chilov is quite complex. It is not a perfect circle or a simple rectangle. Instead, the island has an irregular shape. It features many different headlands and inlets. A headland is a piece of land that sticks out into the sea. An inlet is a small area of water that reaches into the land. The island is about 10 km across. Its total area is approximately 6 km2. The highest elevation on the island is only 8 metres.
Chilov is a very important place for many types of birds. It is part of the Absheron archipelago Important Bird Area (IBA). BirdLife International designated this area because of its many bird populations. The island supports many birds that come to stay for the winter. These include whooper swans and common pochards. You can also find tufted ducks and great crested grebes there. Common coots are another species found on the island. Additionally, Caspian gulls use the island as a place for breeding.
The history of the island is closely tied to natural resources. In 1781, a Russian Rear Admiral named Count Mark Voynovich led an expedition. He was exploring the Caspian Sea at that time. During this expedition, he discovered oil and gas deposits near Chilov. These discoveries changed how people viewed the area. The presence of these resources made the island a place of great interest for scientists and workers.
Scientific exploration continued many years later. In 1944, a geological expedition was established by the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences. This group began conducting geological explorations on Chilov Island. This work helped people understand the ground and the resources beneath it. During this time, Agagurban Aliyev drilled the very first oil well on the island. This marked a major step in the industrial use of the island's resources.
Chilov also served a military purpose during the 20th century. In the 1950s, the USSR stationed an air defense military unit on the island. Their job was to organize the air defense of Baku from the eastern side. To do this, they deployed a C75 anti-aircraft missile system. This system was designed to protect the region from threats in the air. This period shows how the island's location was used for more than just science or oil.
The military presence on the island eventually came to an end. Between 1992 and 1993, Russian troops were completely withdrawn from the island. This change marked a new chapter in the history of Chilov. Today, the island remains a notable feature of the Caspian Sea. It connects the natural world of bird migration with a complex human history of industry and defense.
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