Full country name | Republic of Azerbaijan |
Capital | Baku |
Area |
86,600 km2 |
Administrative divisions |
10 economic regions; 66 rayons and 77 cities |
Population |
10,130,100 (2021 census) |
Ethnic groups |
91.6% Azerbaijani 2.0% Talysh 2.0% Lezgin 1.3% Russian 2.4% others |
Religion |
96.9% Islam 3.0% Christianity 0.1% Other |
Language |
Azerbaijani |
Currency |
Manat (₼) (AZN) |
Government type |
Presidential republic |
President |
Ilham Aliyev |
Human Development Index |
0.756 | 88th |
View Full Source | Wikipedia |
Azerbaijan, also spelled Azerbaidzhan, officially Azerbaijani Republic, Azerbaijani Azärbayjan Respublikasi, country of eastern Transcaucasia. Occupying an area that fringes the southern flanks of the Caucasus Mountains, it is bounded on the north by Russia, on the east by the Caspian Sea, on the south by Iran, on the west by Armenia, and on the northwest by Georgia. The exclave of Naxçıvan (Nakhichevan) is located southwest of Azerbaijan proper, bounded by Armenia, Iran, and Turkey. The capital of Azerbaijan is the ancient city of Baku (Bakı), whose harbour is the best on the Caspian Sea.
In addition to its variegated and often beautiful terrain, Azerbaijan offers a blend of traditions and modern development. The people of its remoter areas retain many distinctive folk traditions, but the lives of its inhabitants have been much influenced by accelerating modernization, characterized by industrialization, the development of power resources, and the growth of the cities, in which more than half the people now live. Industry dominates the economy, and more-diversified pursuits have supplemented the exploitation of oil, of which Azerbaijan was the world’s leading producer at the beginning of the 20th century. Fine horses and caviar continue as some of the more distinctive traditional exports of the republic.
Azerbaijan was an independent nation from 1918 to 1920 but was then incorporated into the Soviet Union. On October 18, 1991, Azerbaijan regained its independence to declare itself the political and legal successor of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
Source : Britannica