Exploring Azerbaijan's Geographical Location Outside Africa

Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is not in Africa. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia's republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. The country has a rich history and culture, with influences from both East and West.

Azerbaijan's location and borders

Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia's republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. The country includes the Azeri autonomous republic of Nakhchivan, which forms an enclave within the Republic of Armenia.

Azerbaijan is a landlocked country with a total land area of 86,600 square kilometres, making it slightly larger than Austria or slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maine. The country has a coastline that stretches for 800 kilometres along the Caspian Sea, and the length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of the sea is 456 kilometres. The perimeter of Azerbaijan's land borders is 2,648 kilometres, with Armenia sharing the longest border at 1,007 kilometres, followed by Iran at 756 kilometres, Georgia at 480 kilometres, Russia at 390 kilometres, and Turkey at 15 kilometres.

Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, and the extensive flatlands at the country's centre. There are three mountain ranges in total—the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, and the Talysh Mountains—together covering approximately 40% of the country. The highest peak is Mount Bazarduzu at 4,466 metres, while the lowest point lies in the Caspian Sea at 28 metres below sea level.

Azerbaijan has a diverse landscape, with over half of its land consisting of mountain ridges, crests, highlands, and plateaus. The rest of the terrain consists of plains and lowlands, with elevations within the Caucasus region varying from 28 metres below sea level at the Caspian Sea shoreline up to 4,466 metres at Mount Bazarduzu. The country's climate is influenced by cold arctic air masses from Scandinavia and Siberia, as well as temperate air masses from Central Asia. The Greater Caucasus mountains protect the country from the direct influence of cold air masses coming from the north, leading to the formation of a subtropical climate on most foothills and plains.

The Kura and Aras are the major rivers in Azerbaijan, running through the Kura-Aras lowland. The rivers that flow into the Caspian Sea originate mainly from the north-eastern slope of the Major Caucasus and Talysh Mountains and run along the Samur–Devechi and Lankaran lowlands.

Azerbaijan's history

Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is not in Africa. Here is a history of the country:

Ancient History

The territory of what is now Azerbaijan was first ruled by Caucasian Albania and later various Persian empires. Until the 19th century, it remained part of Qajar Iran. The earliest evidence of human settlement in the territory of Azerbaijan dates back to the late Stone Age and is related to the Guruchay culture of Azykh Cave.

Medieval History

From the Sasanid period to the Safavid period, Azerbaijan was ruled by various empires and dynasties, including the Sasanian Empire, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the Seljuk Empire. During this time, the region experienced a building boom, and the unique Seljuk architecture is exemplified by the 12th-century fortress walls, mosques, schools, mausoleums, and bridges of Baku, Ganja, and the Absheron Peninsula.

Early Modern History

In the early 16th century, the Safavid dynasty of Iran subdued the Shirvanshahs and gained control of the region. The Safavids converted the formerly Sunni population to Shia Islam and established a feudal theocracy. During this time, the Azerbaijani national identity began to emerge.

Modern History

In the 19th century, the Russo-Persian Wars forced Qajar Iran to cede its Caucasian territories to the Russian Empire. This marked the beginning of Russian rule in the region, which lasted until the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I.

Contemporary History

After the collapse of the Russian Empire, the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was formed, comprising present-day Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. However, this federation dissolved, and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed on May 28, 1918. This was the first secular democratic Muslim-majority state. The country was then invaded by Soviet forces in 1920, leading to the establishment of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.

During World War II, Azerbaijan played a crucial role in the strategic energy policy of the Soviet Union, supplying 80% of the Soviet Union's oil on the Eastern Front.

In 1991, Azerbaijan regained its independence from the Soviet Union. However, the early years of independence were overshadowed by the First Nagorno-Karabakh War with Armenia. This conflict resulted in the creation of the self-declared separatist Republic of Artsakh, which persisted until 2023.

Since independence, Azerbaijan has been governed by the Aliyev political family and the New Azerbaijan Party. The country has experienced economic growth, particularly with the exploitation of its oil and gas fields. However, the Aliyev family has also been criticized for election fraud, economic inequality, and domestic corruption.

Azerbaijan's government and politics

Azerbaijan is a unitary semi-presidential republic with a president and prime minister. The country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and its politics have been dominated by the Aliyev family since 1969. Heydar Aliyev was the leader of Soviet Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982, and then again from 1993 to 2003, when he was succeeded by his son, Ilham Aliyev, who is the current president.

Azerbaijan's government functions as an authoritarian regime, with power concentrated in the hands of the Aliyev family and the New Azerbaijan Party, which has been in power since 1993. The country holds elections, but these are marred by fraud and other unfair practices, and the government has been accused of worsening the country's human rights record, including increasing restrictions on civil liberties and press freedom.

The constitution of Azerbaijan states that it is a presidential republic with three branches of power: executive, legislative, and judicial. The legislative power is held by the unicameral National Assembly, whose 125 deputies are elected for five-year terms. The executive power is held by the president, who is elected for a seven-year term, and the prime minister. The president does not have the right to dissolve the National Assembly, but they do have the right to veto its decisions. The judicial power is vested in the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and the Economic Court, with the president nominating the judges.

Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 158 countries and holds membership in 38 international organizations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership for Peace program.

Azerbaijan's economy

Azerbaijan has the largest agricultural basin in the region, with about 54.9% of the country being agricultural land. The country's other economic sectors include mining, hydrocarbon industries, manufacturing, and tourism. However, the private sector is weak, and the economy is dominated by state-owned enterprises. More than half of the formal labour force works for the government.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has been trying to develop its non-oil sector and reduce its dependence on oil exports. The country has applied to join BRICS, a political-economic grouping of major developing economies, which would provide preferential access to global markets. Additionally, the European Union has prepared a program aimed at supporting the economic diversification of Azerbaijan.

Despite the country's wealth, poverty and corruption continue to overshadow Azerbaijan's development. As of 2017, 5.4% of the population lived below the poverty line, according to the Asian Development Bank.

Azerbaijan's military

Azerbaijan is not in Africa. It is a transcontinental country at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces are the military of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The armed forces consist of the Land Forces, the Air and Air Defence Force, and the Navy. The country's military was re-established in 1991 following its independence from the Soviet Union.

Azerbaijan has been trying to develop its armed forces into a professional, well-trained, and mobile military. The country has been undergoing extensive modernisation and capacity-expanding programs, with the military budget increasing from around $300 million in 2005 to $2.46 billion in 2009.

The total number of active personnel in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces is around 126,000, with 17,000 paramilitary troops and 330,000 reserve personnel. The Land Forces consist of five army corps, and the Air and Air Defence Force has around 106 aircraft and 35 helicopters. The Navy has a personnel force of about 2,200 and a Petya-class light frigate, patrol craft, and landing craft.

The Azerbaijani military has acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state and participates in NATO's Partnership for Peace. The country has sent peacekeeping forces to Iraq, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.

Azerbaijan's defence budget has seen a rise in recent years, increasing to $2.24 billion in 2020, which amounted to 5.4% of its total GDP. The country's defence industry manufactures small arms, artillery systems, tanks, armoured vehicles, aviation bombs, UAVs, military vehicles, and military planes and helicopters.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has been accused of committing war crimes and using indiscriminate shelling of Armenian civilians during the Second Karabakh War in 2020.

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