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Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country in the South Caucasus region, with a rich history and culture. Learn about its geography, politics, economy, society, and conflicts with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Demographics of Azerbaijan
This is a demography of the population of Azerbaijan...
- Azerbaijanis
Azerbaijan has benefited from the oil industry, but high...
- History of Azerbaijan
The history of Azerbaijan is understood as the history of...
- Emblem
The state emblem of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan...
- Languages of Azerbaijan
Ethnicities of Azerbaijan (2024, after the collapse of the...
- New Azerbaijan Party
The New Azerbaijan Party (Azerbaijani: Yeni Azərbaycan...
- Baku
Baku (US: / b ɑː ˈ k uː, ˈ b ɑː k uː /, UK: / b æ ˈ k uː, ˈ...
- Ilham Aliyev
Azerbaijan's oil wealth has made it possible for the regime...
- Politics of Azerbaijan
The politics of Azerbaijan take place in an authoritarian...
- Flag
The national flag of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan...
- Demographics of Azerbaijan
Learn about the history of the region now forming the Republic of Azerbaijan, from prehistory to modern times. Explore the influences of Iranian, Turkic, and Russian cultures, and the conflicts with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Overview
- Relief, drainage, and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Azerbaijan, landlocked 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. Azerbaijan includes within its borders the predominantly Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, which from 1988 was the focus of intense conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The capital of Azerbaijan is the ancient city of Baku (Bakı), whose harbor 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.
As a result of its broken relief, drainage patterns, climatic differences, and sharply defined altitudinal zoning of vegetation, Azerbaijan is characterized by a wide variety of landscapes. More than two-fifths of its territory is taken up by lowlands, about half lies at 1,300 to 4,900 feet (400 to 1,500 meters), and areas above 4,900 feet occupy a little more than one-tenth of the total area.
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The highest peaks are Bazardyuzyu (Bazardüzü; 14,652 feet [4,466 meters]), Shakhdag, and Tufan, all part of the Greater Caucasus range, the crest of which forms part of Azerbaijan’s northern boundary. Magnificent spurs and ridges, cut into by the deep gorges of mountain streams, make this part of Azerbaijan a region of great natural beauty. At the same time, it lies within a region characterized by a high degree of seismic activity.
The spurs of the Lesser Caucasus, in southwestern Azerbaijan, form the second important mountain system, which includes the Shakhdag, Murovdag, and Zangezur ranges, their summits rising to nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 meters), and also the Karabakh Upland. The large and scenic Lake Geygyol lies at an altitude of 5,138 feet (1,566 meters).
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The dry subtropical climate of central and eastern Azerbaijan is characterized by a mild winter and a long (four to five months) and very hot summer, with temperatures averaging about 81 °F (27 °C) and maximum temperatures reaching 109 °F (43 °C).
Southeastern Azerbaijan is characterized by a humid subtropical climate with the highest precipitation in the country, some 47 to 55 inches (1,200 to 1,400 mm) a year, most of it falling in the cold months.
Natural vegetation zones vary according to altitude. Steppe and semidesert conditions prevail in the lowlands and the foothills of the mountain regions. The slopes of the mountains are covered with beech, oak, and pine forests. Higher up there is a zone of alpine meadows. The Länkäran region of southern Azerbaijan has evergreen vegetation and thick beech and oak forests.
In the lowlands the animal life includes gazelles, jackals, and hyenas as well as reptile and rodent species. The mountain regions are inhabited by Caucasian deer, roe deer, wild boar, brown bear, lynx, European bison (wisent), chamois, and leopard, though the latter is rare. Mild winters draw many birds to the Caspian coast, and nature reserves provide a resting home for flamingos, swans, pelicans, herons, egrets, sandpipers, and partridges.
Learn about Azerbaijan, a landlocked country in eastern Transcaucasia, from Britannica. Explore its diverse landscapes, oil industry, conflict with Armenia, and more.
Learn about Azerbaijan, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, its history, geography, culture, and biodiversity. Find out facts about its capital, population, language, religion, and more.
Learn about the physical features, climate, and natural resources of Azerbaijan, a country in the Caucasus region. Find out how the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus, and the Kura-Aras Lowlands shape the country's geography and economy.
A portal to explore various aspects of Azerbaijan, a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and West Asia. Find selected articles, did you know facts, topics, images and more about Azerbaijan's history, culture, geography, politics and society.
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Learn about the population, ethnicity, language, religion and other aspects of the demography of Azerbaijan, a country in Western Asia. See historical and current data, charts and tables on population growth, density, urbanization and vital statistics.
