40 Facts About Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia.

Azerbaijan has an area of 86,600 square km.

Azerbaijan's capital and largest city is Baku. 

Azerbaijani is the official language of Azerbaijan. 

Manat (AZN) is official currency of Azerbaijan. 

Georgia, Russia, Iran, and Armenia are Azerbaijan's four land bordering countries.

Azerbaijani are the natives or inhabitants of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan was the first secular democratic republic in the Muslim world, established in 1918 with a parliamentary system and universal suffrage.

It was also the first Muslim-majority country to introduce Western-style opera and theater. The first opera in the Islamic world, *Leyli and Majnun*, was performed in Baku in 1908.

Azerbaijan has a long and rich cultural history shaped by Turkic, Persian, Caucasian, and Russian influences.

The name Azerbaijan is often linked to ancient fire-worship traditions and the region’s natural gas flames. Because of this heritage, the country is widely known as the “Land of Fire.”

The population is mainly Turkic (Azeri) and predominantly Shia Muslim, with Sunni and other religious minorities also present.

Azerbaijan has produced many notable figures in science, literature, philosophy, music, and architecture who have contributed to both Eastern and Western intellectual traditions.

World-famous chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov was born in Baku, and Teimour Radjabov is one of Azerbaijan’s leading modern chess players.

The Kura River valley is the country’s main agricultural region, supporting farming and settlement.

Mountains cover much of Azerbaijan’s territory, especially in the Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges, while lowlands lie mainly along the Caspian coast and river valleys.

Mount Bazardüzü, in the Greater Caucasus range, is Azerbaijan’s highest peak.

Azerbaijan is rich in mineral waters, with famous springs such as Istisu, Sirab, and Badamlı, and hundreds of known sources across the country.

The country has thousands of rivers, though only a small number are long enough to be considered major waterways.

Baku, the capital, is the largest port on the Caspian Sea and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the region. Its name is often interpreted as meaning “windy city,” reflecting the strong coastal winds.

Near Baku is Oil Rocks (Neft Daşları), recognized as the world’s first offshore oil platform city, built in the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan is a member of major international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund, and maintains diplomatic relations with many countries.

Hospitality is a deeply rooted cultural value, and guests are traditionally treated with great respect and generosity.

Azerbaijan has long been known for producing cotton and silk, especially during the medieval and early modern periods.

The Kura River is the country’s longest river and one of the most important in the South Caucasus.

The climate varies widely, from hot lowlands near the Caspian Sea to cold mountain regions in winter.

Tea plays an important role in Azerbaijani daily life and social customs and is often served with jam, lemon, or herbs.

The horse is the national animal, and the Karabakh horse is especially famous for its beauty, endurance, and agility.

Azerbaijan is one of the major oil-producing countries of the Caspian region, and petroleum has shaped its economy since the nineteenth century.

Novruz, celebrated in March, is one of Azerbaijan’s oldest and most important national holidays, marking the arrival of spring.

Music is central to Azerbaijani culture, especially mugham, a traditional musical style recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Azerbaijan is renowned for its traditional carpets, which are highly valued worldwide for their craftsmanship and symbolic patterns.

Artisans in Azerbaijan produce decorative works in wood, silk, metal, and ceramics, many of which are displayed in international museums.

Baku is home to a unique Carpet Museum, designed in the shape of a rolled carpet and opened in the twenty-first century.

Russian remains widely understood as a second language, alongside Azerbaijani.

One of the world’s major oil pipelines, the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, connects the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean through Georgia and Turkey.

Azerbaijan has the world’s greatest concentration of mud volcanoes, with hundreds located across the country. Unlike lava volcanoes, these erupt cold mud and gas instead of molten rock.

Some mud volcano eruptions in Azerbaijan have been powerful enough to send flames and mud high into the air and be seen from many kilometers away.

Mud volcanoes are also known as sedimentary volcanoes and can grow to impressive heights and widths over time.

Baku is home to the Miniature Books Museum, which contains thousands of tiny books, including rare religious and literary texts.