The Baku Archipelago is a group of coastal islands close to Baku

Baku

Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...

, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

. The waters surrounding the islands are shallow.
The archipelago is made up of the following islands, besides a few small sandbanks.

Islands

Islands located in the Bay of Baku

Bay of Baku

Bay of Baku is a natural harbour of the Baku port and local yacht club, on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan. It has an area of 50 km² and a coastline of 20 km. The bay is bordered by Sultan Cape in the east, Shikh Cape on the south-west and the islands of Qum,...

:

• Böyük Zirə or Nargin
• Daş Zirə or Vulf
  Vulf
  Vulf or Volf is an island also known as Dash Zira . The word "Zira" originated in the Arabic word "Jazīra", meaning "island". Vulf is tiny and uninhabited...
  
  
• Kiçik Zirə, Qum, or Sandy Island

Islands located SW off the bay detached from the main group:

• Səngi Muğan
• Zenbil
  Zenbil
  Zenbil or Zanbil, also spelled Zənbil, is a small island in the Caspian Sea off the Bay of Baku, Azerbaijan. This island is also known as Duvanni Island. The name Zenbil is Persian and means "a big basket"...
  
  
• Chikil
  Chikil
  Chikil, also known as Oblivnoy, is an uninhabited island off the Bay of Baku, Azerbaijan. This island is part of the Baku Archipelago, which consists of the following islands: Boyuk Zira, Dash Zira, Kichik Zira , Zenbil, Sangi-Mugan, Chikil, Qara Su, Khara Zira, Gil, Ignat Dash and a few smaller...
  
  
• Qara Su
  Qara Su
  Qara Su, Qarasu or Los Island, is an uninhabited sandy island off the Bay of Baku, Azerbaijan. This island is part of the Baku Archipelago, which consists of the following islands: Boyuk Zira or Nargin, Dash Zira, Kichik Zira , Zenbil, Sangi-Mugan, Chikil, Qara Su, Khara Zira, Gil, Ignat Dash and a...
  
  
• Xərə Zirə
• Daşlı ada
• Gil
  Gil Island (Azerbaijan)
  Gil Island also Glinyanii Island is an island of Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea.This island is part of the Baku Archipelago, which consists of the following islands: Boyuk Zira, Dash Zira, Kichik Zira , Zenbil, Sangi-Mugan or Svinoy, Chikil, Qara Su, Khara Zira, Gil, Ignat Dash and a few smaller ones...
  
  
• Kür Daşı is a little island . Lat. 39° 0' 45 N; Long. 49° 20' 8 E.

Ecology

The vegetation of the islands in the Baku Archipelago has been quite damaged by the pollution caused by the oil wells in the same bay, so that most islands are almost devoid of vegetation.
Formerly this archipelago provided an ideal ecosystem for the Caspian seal

Caspian Seal

Caspian seals , one of the smallest members of the earless seal family, are unique in that they are found exclusively in the brackish Caspian Sea. They can be found not only along the shorelines, but also on the many rocky islands and floating blocks of ice that dot the Caspian Sea...

. Sturgeon

Sturgeon

Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...

s are still found where the waters are not too polluted. Certain birds that visit Baku Bay, like teal ducks

Common Teal

The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range...

, Herring Gull

Herring Gull

The European Herring Gull is a large gull , and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of western Europe. It breeds across Northern Europe, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic states...

s, and grebes

Great Crested Grebe

The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations...

find refuge in these islands that are uninhabited except for gas-extraction installations and a lighthouse.
There is an automatic monitoring station for water pollution in the area located in Svinoy Island.