Azerbaijan officially known as the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental nation located on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is a part of the South Caucasus region, and is bounded by Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Azerbaijan declared independence from Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic in 1918 to become muslim-majority secular democratic state.
Azerbaijan in 1920, became part of Soviet Union as Azerbaijan SSR. The modern Republic of Azerbaijan gained independence on 30 August 1991, just before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Baku is the capital and largest city of the country which in September 1991, got into loggerheads with Armenia, when Armenian majority Nagorno Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts proclaimed independence.
The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, saw Azerbaijan wrest control of 7 districts and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan is one of six independent Turkic states and an active member of the Organization of Turkic States and TÜRKSOY community. Azerbaijan as developing country ranks 88th on the global Human Development Index. Azerbaijan has high literacy, economic development, and so, a low rate of unemployment.
According to a modern etymology, the term Azerbaijan derives from Atropates, a Persian satrap under the Achaemenid Empire, who was later reinstated as the satrap of Media under Alexander the Great. The etymology of Azerbaijan name is thought to have its roots in Zoroastrianism. Over the millennium, the country’s name evolved from Āturpātākān to Ādharbādhagān, Ādharbāyagān, Āzarbāydjān, and finally to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan name was adopted for present-day Republic of Azerbaijan by the government of Musavat in 1918, after Czar ruled Russian Empire collapsed. In the Soviet era, Azerbaijan was also spelled in Latin from the Russian transliteration as Azerbaydzhan. Azerbaijan is known for wide variety of its landscapes. More than half of Azerbaijan’s landmass consists of mountain ridges, crests, highlands, and plateaus.
Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country’s center. There are three mountain ranges, covering around 40% of the country. The highest peak of Azerbaijan is Mount Bazardüzü at 4,466 mtrs, while the lowest point lies in the Caspian Sea. Almost half of all the mud volcanoes found in the world, are found in Azerbaijan. The main source of water are surface waters of rivers that drain into the Caspian Sea.
The largest lake is Sarysu at 67 sq.km, and the longest river is Kur at 1,515 kms, which acts as boundary with Armenia. Azerbaijan has several islands along the Caspian Sea, mostly located in the Baku Archipelago. In Azerbaijan, there are 106 species of mammals, 97 species of fish, 363 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians, and 52 species of reptiles. Azerbaijan is also home to more than 4,500 plant species.
Due to unique climate in Azerbaijan, the flora is much richer in the number of species than other republics of the South Caucasus. Since independence in 1991, the Azerbaijan government has taken measures to preserve its environment and accelerated it after 2001. The Azerbaijan government has established seven large nature reserves and recently has almost doubled the budget earmarked for environmental protection.
Azerbaijan is rich in crude oil and natural gas supplies that generates most of its revenues. Azerbaijan ranks 57 in the Global Competitiveness Report of 2010–2011. By the end of 2012; Azerbaijan GDP had increased 20-fold from its 1995 level. The history of crude oil industry of Azerbaijan dates back to ancient period. Azerbaijan is known for its gas pipelines.
The goal of the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects the giant Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan to Europe, is to reduce European Union’s dependency on Russian natural gas. Azerbaijan has one of the largest agricultural basins in the region with half of its agricultural land focused on meadows, pastures, and horticulture. The country is known for its subtropical crops, cotton growing, green vegetables, viticulture and wine-making, and medicinal plants.
Some areas of Azerbaijan are known for growing grain, potatoes, tobacco, livestock, sugar beets, cotton, dairy products, wine and spirits. The Caspian fishing industry concentrates on sturgeon and beluga fish varieties. Tourism plays an important part in Azerbaijan’s the economy. The country became a well-known tourist spot in the 1980s itself. The fall of Soviet Union, and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War during 1990s, damaged Azerbaijan tourism industry and as a tourist destination; which was revived only in late 2000s. In recent years,
Azerbaijan has gained popularity for its religious, and medical tourism. During winter, the Shahdag Mountain Resort offers state of the art skiing facilities. Azerbaijan is set to develop the nation as an elite tourist destination as a top priority. 63 countries have a visa-free entry while E-visa needed for a visit of foreigners of visa-required countries to the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to World Travel and Tourism Council, Azerbaijan was among the top ten countries showing the strongest growth in visitor exports between 2010 and 2016.
Well connected by air, road, rail, and sea the culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences; that’s why Azerbaijanis are, in many ways, bi-cultural. One of Azerbaijan’s most famous tourist places is Yanar Dağ or “Burning Mountain“, a natural glowing fire burning on a hillside along the Caspian Sea. The mountain has been burning for at least 65 years, when accidentally lit by a shepherd in the 1950s. The music, art, dance and literature scene is varied with opera and ballet being widely attended.
The traditional Azerbaijanis cuisine is famous for an abundance of vegetables and greens used seasonally in the dishes. Sports and cinema also have long standing tradition in the country, Formula 1 has started recently. Alcohol is freely available, despite the country being a predominantly Muslim nation. There are numerous hotels and resorts that offer luxurious, mid range and budget accommodation. Restaurants offer delicious Azerbaijani cuisine at reasonable prices.
Known for its unique architecture, there are numerous places worth visiting in the country including Maiden Tower, Baku; Gobustan open air rock art preserve and modern museum in Gobustan National Park. There are numerous theatres, museums, and public libraries, are located in Baku, capital and hub of all activities in the country devoted to the art, history, and literature of Azerbaijan. Many were setup after World War II.
In Nagorno-Karabakh there is a museum with material on the history and archaeology of the Armenian people of the region. There are numerous other places worth visiting in Azerbaijan, including Flag Square, Baku Crystal Hall; Caspian Sea from Martyr’s Alley; Old Town, Baku; Palace of the Shirvan shahs; taste Azeri wine; buy local souvenirs and carpets; and Petroglyphs at Gobustan. There are numerous museums that are also worth visiting. There are numerous shopping malls especially in Baku to go on shopping trip. Azerbaijan is an ideal place to visit for tourists on an extended weekend visit.
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