| Zagatala District | |
| Type: | District |
| Parts Type: | Settlements[1] |
| Parts: | 63 |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 8 August 1930 |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Azerbaijan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Shaki-Zagatala |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 129800 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Timezone: | AZT |
| Utc Offset: | +4 |
| Area Total Km2: | 1350 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Mübariz Əhmədzadə |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 62 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Zagatala |
Zagatala District (Azerbaijani: Zaqatala rayonu; Avaric: Закатала мухъ|translit=Zakatala muq̇; Tsakhur: Закаталайни район / Zakatalayni rayon) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the north of the country and belongs to the Shaki-Zagatala Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Balakan, Qakh, as well as the Kakheti region of Georgia and the Russian Republic of Dagestan. Its capital and largest city is Zagatala. As of 2020, the district had a population of 129,800.
The Zagatala district has not suffered the intense environmental damage of other, nearby areas. Zagatala is famous for its hazelnuts and walnuts. Mulberry trees are well adapted to the area, allowing Zaqatala to preserve the ancient tradition of silkworm breeding, brought with the hordes of Timur.
North of the town there is an important wildlife and nature preserve, the Zagatala Nature Reserve, which is home to brown bears, boars and west Caucasian tur. The Caucasus Mountains provide it with natural protection from the north winds. The wooded mountainsides, with frequent waterfalls, offer great hiking opportunities. Due to its climate, the town became a mountain health resort.
The Zagatala District is also of historic interest, particularly around the main city, built in the 1830s by the Russians, which only became famous in the early-20th century. The villages of Aliabad and Mosul have interesting 19th-century mosques. Ancient fortifications are to be found in the villages of Kebeloba, Matsekh, Ekhedi Chardakh, Shaitan-kala and Jar.
The economy of Zagatala District has an agricultural base - mainly cash crops and sheep. There is a tea factory, a tobacco transformation plant, a large food combine and a silk cocoon drying plant. The local honey is known across Azerbaijan.
Zagatala newspaper is published in the region.
Zagatala district is situated in the north-west of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Ganykh Ayrichay valley of the southern slopes of the Major Caucasus. It borders Kakheti, Georgia in the south, Dagestan, Russia in the north and Balaken and Gakh districts in the west and east. Zagatala city is the centre of the district. The city is located at a height of 535 meters above sea level, 445 kilometres away from the capital of Azerbaijan.
Zagatala has 31 municipalities. Zagatala municipality embraces Zagatala, Aliabad municipality covers Aliabad settlement. A number of municipalities embrace more than one villageFor example: Makov municipality includes Makov, Yolayrydj, Pashan, Vohtala, and Abaali villages;
Goyem municipality comprises Goyem, Chokek, Sumayly, Dardoggaz villages;
Dombabina municipality includes Dombabina, Mamgabina, Bozbina, Mudjagbina, Musgarabina, Gasanbina, Khanmamedbina villages;
Chobankol municipality comprises Chobankol, Gymyr and Bazar villages and others. On the whole 31 municipalities include a city, a settlement and 59 villages.
The district accounted for 110,830 people as of January 1, 2004, including 83,297 people living in rural areas.
Azerbaijanis, Avars, Tsakhurs and Georgians inhabit both Zagatala city and the surrounding district.[3]
According to the State Statistics Committee, the total number of population in 2010 is 108,3 thousand. In 2018, this indicator increased by 19.5 and reached 127.8 thousand.[4]
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||
| Zagatala region | 108,3 | 109,2 | 110,2 | 111,2 | 112,1 | 113,2 | 114,4 | 115,7 | 116,8 | 118 | 119 | 120,3 | 121,3 | 122,4 | 123,4 | 124,7 | 125,8 | 126,9 | 127,8 | 128,7 | 129,8 | 130,5 | |
| urban population | 27,0 | 27,2 | 27,5 | 27,9 | 28,9 | 29,2 | 29,6 | 30,0 | 30,7 | 31,0 | 31,2 | 31,4 | 31,6 | 31,7 | 31,9 | 32,1 | 32,4 | 32,6 | 32,7 | 32,8 | 32,9 | 33,0 | |
| rural population | 81,3 | 82,0 | 82,7 | 83,3 | 83,2 | 84,0 | 84,8 | 85,7 | 86,1 | 87,0 | 87,8 | 88,9 | 89,7 | 90,7 | 91,5 | 92,6 | 93,4 | 94,3 | 95,1 | 95,9 | 96,9 | 97,5 |
There are 48 secondary, 14 basic, 4 primary schools, 1 humanitarian subjects, 39 pre-school children's educational institutions, 6 out-of-school establishments, branches of two high schools (Azerbaijan Teachers' Institute and Baku Islamic University), 1 college, 1 vocational school, 81 libraries, 36 clubs, 27 cultural houses, 1 theater, historical and architectural reserve, historical and ethnographical museum, 1 musical school, sports school for children, chess school, creative center for children, 10 hospitals, 21 village clinics, 23 mosques, 1 inn and 4 hotels.[5]
As the district is contributing mostly to the hazelnut production in Azerbaijan, Zagatala started to host annual Hazelnut Festival since 2017. During the festival, a wide range of activities such as displaying various species of hazelnut, walnut and chestnut, as well as numerous products made of them, moreover, handicrafts exhibitions and contests, field trips to hazelnut garden and walnut processing plant take place.[15] [16] [17]
Minority Eastern Orthodox.