Azerbaijan is an Islamic former Soviet Republic on the Caspian Sea, an oil rich and strategically important nation that is the key geopolitical power in the
Caucasus. Azerbaijan’s location has always made it a gateway between east and west, and the country was an important stop on the
Silk Route. Over the centuries, Azerbaijan has been incorporated into most major regional empires, including the Russian, Turkish and Persian and has been an independent republic since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Taking in the stunning Caucasus Mountains to the north, the lush
green valleys of the south and large swathes of
arid semi-desert in between, Azerbaijan is a beautiful country with superb scenery, although it remains virtually unknown to the average traveller. Visitors usually base themselves in the capital
Baku, from where it is easy to visit most of the country’s biggest attractions.
GeographyAzerbaijan is bordered by the Russian Federation, Georgia, Iran and Armenia. Much of Southwestern Azerbaijan in the ethnically Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh is occupied by Armenian forces following the Armenia-Azerbaijan war (1988-1994). Azerbaijan also includes the exclave of Nakhchivan, which is located between Turkey, Iran and Armenia.
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