Shirak Plain ( ''Shiraki dašt'') is a large plain located in the Armenian plateau, in northwest

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. It roughly occupies almost the entire area of

Shirak Province Shirak (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province () of Armenia. It is located in the north-west of the country, bordering the provinces of Lori Province, Lori to the east and Aragatsotn Province, Aragatsotn to the south and southeast, and the cou ...

,Shirak Province, general information
/ref> the southwestern parts of

Lori Province Lori (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia (country), Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. ...

, as well as the northern parts of

Aragatsotn Province Aragatsotn (, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''Marz (country subdivision), marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Sta ...

Geography

The Shirak Plain stretches from the left bank of the

Akhuryan River The Akhuryan () or Arpachay () is a river in the South Caucasus. It originates in Armenia and flows from Lake Arpi, along the closed Armenia–Turkey border, border with Turkey, forming part of the geographic border between the two states, until ...

in the west to the Pambak Mountains in the east. The plain is dominated by the Shirak Mountains to the north, while the volcanoes of Shara and Aragats form the southern and southeastern borders of the plain. The Akhuryan River separates the Shirak Plain from the Kars volcanic plateau to the west, which is located on the right bank of the river in modern-day

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. The elevation of the plain ranges between 1,400 and 1,900 meters above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

Urban settlements

Gyumri Gyumri (, ) is an urban municipal community and the List of cities and towns in Armenia, second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th centur ...

, Artik, Maralik and Talin are the main urban settlements within the Shirak Plain.

Gallery

File:Շիրակի դաշտ, Մարմաշեն.jpg, Shirak plain at Marmashen File:Տափաստանային լանդշաֆտ.jpg, Steppes at the Shirak plateau around Anipemza File:«Փետրախոտային տափաստան».jpg, Steppes at the Shirak plateau northwest of Amasia File:Փետրախոտային տափաստան.jpg, Steppes at the Shirak plateau northwest of Amasia File:Իսահակյան գյուղ2.jpg, Shirak Plain near Isahakyan File:Buckwheat fields in Shirak Province, Armenia 7-15-16, 16 47 38.jpg, Buckwheat fields in Shirak File:Lake Azatan.jpg, Lake Azatan near the Azatan village, Shirak Plain

References

Landforms of Armenia {{Shirak-geo-stub