Azerbaijan - Tourism and Travel

The Republic of Azerbaijan is located partly in Europe and partly in Asia. It can be found on the Caspian Sea, southeast of the Caucasus mountains.

Azerbaijan has an area of 33,436 square miles (88,600 square kilometers) and a population of over 8 million.

The capital is Baku.

The region of Naxcivan in Azerbaijan is separated from the rest of the country by Armenia

Azerbaijan's landscape consists of a low coastal plain, mountains in the west and northeast and valleys in the center of the country.

There is a continental climate.

91% of Azerbaijanis belong to the Azeri ethnic group. There are also Lazs, Armenians and Russians.

Azeri is the official language. Russian is also spoken.

Most of the people are Muslim - 68% Shi'a and 26% Sunni .There are also some members of the Russian Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox Apostolic churches.

Azerbaijan has many natural resources. The main industry is oil production.

The main cash crops are tobacco and cotton.

Human being have lived in the land that is now Azerbaijan as far back as the Stone Age.

Azerbaijan became part of the Russian Empire in 1813. When the Russian Empire collapsed during World War I, it declared itself an independent country.

In 1920, it was invaded by the Soviet Red Army and became the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.

In 1991, when the Soviet Union was dissolved, Azerbaijan became an independent republic.

Armenia and Azerbaijan both claim the reguion of Nagorno-Karabkh and have been fighting over it.

See also: Azerbaijan Europe