The view from the Janapar tourist route - rock formations over the Karkar river canyon. Section between Karintak/Dashalty village and the city of Shushi/Shusha ,…
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This is a photo of a monument in Azerbaijan identified by the ID 4961
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Ski Lift in Shahdag
Photo: David Uriarte, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Did you know?
The territory of what is now Azerbaijan was ruled first by Caucasian Albania and later by various Persian empires. Until the 19th century, it remained part of Qajar Iran, but the Russo-Persian wars of 1804–1813 and 1826–1828 forced the Qajar Empire to cede its Caucasian territories to the Russian Empire; the treaties of Gulistan in 1813 and Turkmenchay in 1828 defined the border between Russia and Iran. The region north of the Aras was part of Iran until it was conquered by Russia in the 19th century, where it was administered as part of the Caucasus Viceroyalty.
Wikipedia: Azerbaijan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kamil Namazov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The view from the Janapar tourist route. Section between Karintak/Dashalty village and the city of Shushi/Shusha , Nagorno-Karabakh .
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This is a photo of a monument in Azerbaijan identified by the ID 93
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Etymology
The term Azerbaijan derives from Atropates, a Persian satrap under the Achaemenid Empire who was reinstated as the satrap of Media under Alexander the Great. The original etymology of this name is thought to have its roots in the once-dominant Zoroastrianism. In the Avesta's Frawardin Yasht ("Hymn to the Guardian Angels"), there is a mention of âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide, which translates from Avestan as "we worship the fravashi of the holy Atropatene".
Wikipedia: Azerbaijan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
The view from the Janapar tourist route. Section between Karintak/Dashalty village and the city of Shushi/Shusha , Nagorno-Karabakh .
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View of Baku , capital of Azerbaijan .
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The views from the Janapar tourist route. Section between the cities Shushi/Shusha and Stepanakert/Xankəndi , Nagorno-Karabakh .
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
History
The earliest evidence of human settlement in the territory of Azerbaijan dates back to the late Stone Age and is related to the Guruchay culture of Azykh Cave. Early settlements included the Scythians during the 9th century BC. Following the Scythians, Iranian Medes came to dominate the area to the south of the Aras river. The Medes forged a vast empire between 900 and 700 BC, which was integrated into the Achaemenid Empire around 550 BC. The area was conquered by the Achaemenids leading to the spread of Zoroastrianism.
Wikipedia: Azerbaijan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fountain in the Old City of Baku , capital of Azerbaijan .
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This is a photo of a monument in Azerbaijan identified by the ID 10
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This is a photo of a monument in Azerbaijan identified by the ID 10
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Geography
Azerbaijan is located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, straddling West Asia and Eastern Europe. It lies between latitudes 38° and 42° N, and longitudes 44° and 51° E. The perimeter of Azerbaijan's land borders is 2,648 km (1,645 mi), of which 1,007 km (626 mi) are with Armenia, 756 km (470 mi) with Iran, 480 kilometres with Georgia, 390 km (242 mi) with Russia and 15 km (9 mi) with Turkey. The coastline stretches for 800 km (497 mi), and the length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea is 456 km (283 mi). The country has a landlocked exclave, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Wikipedia: Azerbaijan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Government and politics
Azerbaijan's government functions as an authoritarian regime in practice; although it regularly holds elections, these are marred by electoral fraud and other unfair election practices. The government has been ruled by the Aliyev political family and the New Azerbaijan Party (Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyası, YAP) established by Heydar Aliyev continuously since 1993. It is categorised as "not free" by Freedom House, who ranked it 7/100 on Global Freedom Score in 2024, calling its regime authoritarian.
Wikipedia: Azerbaijan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Economy
After gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan became a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. The banking system consists of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, commercial banks, and non-banking credit organizations. The National (now Central) Bank was created in 1992 based on the Azerbaijan State Savings Bank, an affiliate of the former State Savings Bank of the USSR.
Wikipedia: Azerbaijan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Demographics
As of March 2022, 52.9% of the population of 10,164,464 is urban, with the remaining 47.1% being rural. In January 2019, 50.1% of the total population was female. The sex ratio in the same year was 0.99 males per female. The 2011 population growth-rate was 0.85%, compared to 1.09% worldwide. A significant factor restricting population growth is a high level of migration. In 2011 Azerbaijan saw a migration of −1.14/1,000 people.
Wikipedia: Azerbaijan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Culture
The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences; that is why Azerbaijanis are, in many ways, bi-cultural. National traditions are preserved despite Western influences, including globalized consumer culture. For example, Novruz Bayram is a family holiday derived from the traditional celebration of the New Year in Zoroastrianism.
Azerbaijani national and traditional dresses are the chokha and papakhi. There are radio broadcasts in Russian, Georgian, Kurdish, Lezgian and Talysh languages, which are financed from the state budget.
Wikipedia: Azerbaijan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0