city and port in northwestern Iran on the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea, beside the mouth of the Astara river on the border of the USSR. The population is approximately 15,000. Astara’seconomy depends upon fruit growing and fishing.

a city (since 1945) and the administrative center of Astara Raion, Azerbaijan SSR, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, at the mouth of the Astara River (along which runs the Iranian border). Astara is 3 km from the Astara railroad station. It is a terminal point on the Baku-Astara highway. Its population was 8,600 in 1968.

Astara is the center of a subtropical farming region (tea, citrus fruits); there is also rice cultivation, truck farming, and fishing. Its industry consists of enterprises which process agricultural produce (a tea factory, cannery, etc.), and a fish-processing plant.