the caravan route was re-established within the TRACECA project initiated by Heydar Aliyev administration. Then Aghstafa gained importance when it became a transit route on the Baku-Tbilisi railroad built in 1881. A railroad junction at Aghstafa was built in 1914 thus creating leading to construction of Aghstafa city. In addition to the existing railway, the geostrategic importance of Aghstafa was enriched by Baku-Gazakh-Tbilisi gas pipeline, Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline. During the first nine months of 2013, the cost of total product output in Aghstafa region was AZN 90.9 million, an increase of 8.0 percent in comparison with the same period last year. During the first 9 months of 2017, total volume of total product output on the region of Aghstafa increased by 43.6 percent and reached 143.7 million manat. The total volume of industrial production increased by 38.3 percent, agriculture - by 0.9 percent, transport services - 3.3 percent, communication services - 4.3 percent, trade - 0.4 percent and construction - 3 times in comparison with the same period last year. The volume of investments directed to fixed assets increased 2.7 times and amounted to more than 68.7 million manat. Demography The population of Aghstafa district is 78,983. Mostly populated villages are Dağ Kəsəmən, Köçəsgər, Muğanlı and Aşağı Kəsəmən and the town of Aghstafa. Azerbaijanis - 98.7% Meskhetian Turks - 0.6% Other - 0.7% Population The territory of Aghstafa district is 1504 km2, with the population of 83.3 thousand people registered for 01.10.2013. According to the information on January 1, 2017, the population of the district was 86,529. 21,205 lived in the city, 65,0324 lived in the villages. The region lives in 21,205 mini-cities, 65,324 mini-villages. The population of the region is 42 651 thousand men and 43 878 thousand women. The number of people currently employed are 43481, as well as, the number of employees working in the agricultural sector are 17,856 people, employees working in the industry are 330 people, employees working in the education field are 3726. 77 families (223 people) from Nagorno-Karabakh and other territories temporarily settled in Aghstafa region. The total number of refugees settled in the region are 457 families, 1698 people. According to the State Statistics Committee, as of 2018, the population of city recorded 87,200 persons, which increased by 12,700 persons (about 17 percent) from 74,500 persons in 2000. 43,000 of total population are men, 44,200 are women. More than 26,4