Azerbaijan
- Political system: Republic
- Capital city: Baku
- Total area: 86 600 km²
- Population: 8.3 million
- Currency: Azerbaijani manat
Area: 86,600 sq km; 11.5% forests, 1.6% water, 50% agricultural land, 27% pasture, and 36.9% other. The country is situated at 44o and 52’ East longitude, and 38o and 42’ North latitude; Baku lies right on the 40th parallel.
Population of Azerbaijan: 8,347,300 (2005). 50.8% urban, 49.2% rural.
Capital of Azerbaijan: Baku
Major languages: Azeri is the official language. Other languages: Russian, Georgian, and Lezghi. Russian and Turkish are widely spoken.
Religion: Majority of the population is Muslim. Other religions include Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism.
Zone time: GMT + 4 hours
Azerbaijan currency: Manat (1 Manat = 100 Quapik)
Domain zone: .az
International dialing code: +994
Entry formalities: Valid passport is required. Entry visa required by all. Entry visa may be obtained upon arrival at Baku Airport.
Electric current: Voltage is 220v, 50 Hz.
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION:
Azerbaijan is a constitutional republic with a developing economy. Western-style amenities are found in the capital, Baku, but they are generally not available outside that city.
Geography
Location: South Caucasus; bordered by Russia to the north, the Caspian Sea to the east, Iran to the south, and Georgia and Armenia to the west.
Area: 33,774 sq. mi. (includes Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh); slightly smaller than Maine.
Cities: Capital–Baku.
Terrain: Caucasus Mountains to the north, lowland in the central area through which the Kura River flows.
Climate: Dry, subtropical with hot summers and mild winters; forests, meadows, and alpine tundra in the mountains.
People
Nationality: Noun–Azerbaijani(s), Azeri. Adjective–Azerbaijani, Azeri.
Population (January 2008): 8,629,900. (Government of Azerbaijan)
Ethnic groups (1999 census): Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9%. Note: the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region is populated almost entirely by ethnic Armenians.
Religion: Muslim 93.4% (majority Shi’a), Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox Church 2.3%, and other 1.8%.
Languages: Azerbaijani 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, and other 6%.
TOURISM
Azerbaijan is one of the most ancient sites of humankind. The humankind was present here at every stage of their historical development. There were living settlements in Azerbaijan even at the earliest stages of humankind.
The time kept a range of ancient archeological and architectural monuments for our generation. The ancient headstones, manuscripts and models of carpets, preserved to the present times from the ancient ages, can provide much information to those who can and want to read them. If you wish to understand Azerbaijan and to know everything about it, you need to look at this country and its people with a friend”s eyes.
The policy of “Open Doors” carried out by the Azerbaijan government as well as the social and economic reformation and democratization of the society realized in the Republic allowed much more citizens of independent Azerbaijan to expand the scope of their ideas about the world and to get opportunities to visit foreign countries. The visits of foreign tourists to Azerbaijan is also increasing from day to day.
Azerbaijan has a great potential for developing the tourism industry – ancient cities, palaces, fortresses, mausoleums, mosques. Azerbaijan has always been famous for its sources of eternal fires – the atashgehs. There is a place called Yanardag (blazing mountain) in Absheron and thermal springs in some parts of Nakhichivan, Kelbejar, Masali, Lenkoran, Babadag.
In Surakhani, there is an eternal fire place. From the ancient times the fire worshippers from remote places and even the Indian priests were coming to Absheron in search of fire and finding it here. They built their main temples here in Surakhani and Ateshgah.
There are more than 6 thousand historical monuments of architecture in the territory of Azerbaijan. The natural climatic conditions of Azerbaijan are also unique. As it is well known, 9 climatic zones out of 11 exist in Azerbaijan.
In Azerbaijan there a number of health-resorts with spas that gives an opportunity for treating of many illnesses yielding to natural therapy. Most resorts with mineral spas are also the tourist centres. Nakhchivan is especially rich with mineral sources; the only deposit of medical oil in the world – Naftalan – is completely unique.
Baku and Absheron peninsula, Nakhchivan, Guba-Khachmaz, Sheki-Zagatala, Lankaran-Astara regions, historical areas of Shirvan and Ganjabasar are most attractive for tourists in Azerbaijan. The lovely nature of these places, numerous ancient relics, wonderful ethnographical variety and astonishing skills of the local craftsmen will leave an unforgettable impression of Azerbaijan at its guests.
By plane
National air company AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) is the main carrier which flies to Ganja, Nakhchivan, Yevlakh, Lenkoran, Tbilisi, Aktau, Tehran, Tel-Aviv, Ankara, Istanbul, Trabzon, Antalya, Aleppo, Dubai, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kiev, Nizhniy Novgorod, Rostov-na-Donu, Urumqi, Mineralniye Vodi, Milan, London and Paris. BMI flies seven days a week to Baku. Lufthansa also has several flights a week to Baku. Turkish Airlines is another carrier connecting Baku with and via Istanbul. Also, there are several Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbek, Iranian, and Austrian airlines connecting Baku with several cities of the world.
Never pay more than 15 Manat for the taxi to the center. Negotiate in advance. Go out of the airport and ask the cabbies in the parking lot. Ignore all people offering a ride to you in the airport building. A normal price to the center is 10, 12 or 15 Manat. Don’t let cabbies renegotiate the price with you. Insist on the price agreed in advance.
For 5 Manat you can take a cab from the airport to Metro Azizbeyov. From there it’s four to six stations to the city center – but only from 6 am until midnight.
Climate
Azerbaijan is known for having nine of the 11 existing ecological zones, although a great deal of it is dry and semiarid steppe.
VISA/PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS:
A passport and visa are required. Travelers may obtain single-entry visas for USD 131 by mail or in person from either the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington, DC or any other Azerbaijani embassy offering consular services. Travelers may also obtain single-entry, 30-day visas at the airport upon arrival for USD 131. Visas are not available at the land borders with Georgia or Russia. Double-entry, 90-day visas (cost: USD 131) and one-year multiple-entry visas (cost: USD 250) are only available through an Azerbaijani embassy or through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A letter of invitation from a contact in Azerbaijan is required, and travelers who expect to travel in the region should request a one-year, multiple-entry visa. According to Azerbaijani law, foreign nationals intending to remain in Azerbaijan for more than 30 days must register with local police within three days of their arrival. Foreign citizens should approach the passport section of the local district police office and fill out an application form. The registration fee is AZN 9.90 (approximately USD 12).