Exploring Azerbaijan's Place In South Asia

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental country located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Azerbaijan is often associated with the Middle East and is sometimes considered part of Asia, while other times it is dubbed a European country. This ambiguity is due to its geographical positioning between Europe and Asia.

Azerbaijan's location in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia

Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. It 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 exclave of Nakhchivan is located southwest of Azerbaijan proper, bounded by Armenia, Iran, and Turkey. Azerbaijan is a landlocked country, but it has a coastline along the Caspian Sea.

The country is characterised by a diverse landscape, including the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, and extensive flatlands in the centre. The Greater Caucasus mountain range has been considered a natural barrier between Europe and Asia. Azerbaijan's location in the South Caucasus region has made it a point of contact between world powers and an arena for political, military, religious, and cultural rivalries.

The country's location at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia has influenced its culture and history. The territory of present-day Azerbaijan was ruled by various Persian empires until the 19th century, when it became part of the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union. In 1991, Azerbaijan regained its independence and is now a unitary semi-presidential republic.

The diverse landscape of Azerbaijan supports a variety of plant and animal life. The country's economy is dominated by the energy and agricultural sectors, with oil and natural gas being major exports. Azerbaijan's strategic location along the Caspian Sea and its energy resources have made it an important player in the region's energy transport corridors.

The Caspian Sea to the east

The Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water, lies to the east of Azerbaijan. It is often described as the world's largest lake and is sometimes referred to as a full-fledged sea. The Caspian Sea is bordered by five countries: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia.

The Caspian Sea is an endorheic basin, lying between Europe and Asia. It is east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia, south of the fertile plains of Southern Russia in Eastern Europe, and north of the mountainous Iranian Plateau. Covering a surface area of 371,000 sq km (143,000 sq mi), it has a volume of 78,200 cu km (19,000 cu mi). The sea stretches 1,200 km (750 mi) from north to south, with an average width of 320 km (200 mi).

The Caspian Sea is bordered by Azerbaijan to the southwest. Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, lies on the Caspian Sea's western shore. The country includes several islands along the Caspian Sea, mostly located in the Baku Archipelago. The country's coastline stretches for 800 km (497 mi), and the length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea is 456 km (283 mi).

The Caspian Sea is of exceptional scientific interest, offering clues to the complex geologic and climatic evolution of the region. The sea's name stems from the ancient Caspi people, who once lived in Transcaucasia to the southwest of the sea. The ancient inhabitants of the Caspian Sea's coast perceived it as an ocean, probably because of its salinity and large size.

The Caspian Sea is home to a wide range of species and is famous for its caviar and oil industries. It is the largest inland body of water in the world by area and accounts for 40-44% of the total lake waters on Earth. The Caspian Sea is divided into three distinct physical regions: the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian. Differences between these regions are dramatic. The Northern Caspian includes the Caspian shelf and is very shallow, with an average depth of only 5-6 m (16-20 ft). The Middle Caspian forms an irregular depression with an abrupt western slope and a gentler eastern gradient. The Southern Caspian is the deepest, with oceanic depths of over 1,000 m (3,300 ft).

Over 130 rivers provide inflow to the Caspian Sea, the largest of which is the Volga River. The Caspian Sea has several small islands, primarily located in the north, with a collective land area of roughly 2,000 sq km (770 sq mi). The largest islands are Chechen, Tyuleny, Morskoy, Kulaly, Zhiloy and Ogurchin.

The Caspian Sea's climate is variable, with cold desert, cold semi-arid, and humid continental climates present in the northern portions, while Mediterranean and humid subtropical climates are present in the southern portions.

The Caspian Sea has characteristics common to both seas and lakes. It is often listed as the world's largest lake, although it is not freshwater, with a salinity of about 1.2% (12 g/L). It contains about 3.5 times as much water, by volume, as all five of North America's Great Lakes combined. The Caspian Sea has no natural outflow other than by evaporation. Thus, the Caspian ecosystem is a closed basin, with its own sea level history that is independent of the eustatic level of the world's oceans.

Russia to the north

Azerbaijan is located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, with Russia to the north, the Caspian Sea to the east, Iran to the south, Georgia to the northwest, and Armenia and Turkey to the west. The country is bordered by Russia's republic of Dagestan to the north.

The Greater Caucasus mountain range forms a natural boundary to the north of Azerbaijan. The highest peak in Azerbaijan is Mount Bazarduzu, which rises to 4,466 m (14,652 ft) above sea level at the border with Russia. The Greater Caucasus range includes magnificent spurs and ridges, cut by deep gorges, making this region of Azerbaijan a place of great natural beauty.

Azerbaijan is slightly smaller than the US state of Maine and has a total land area of approximately 86,600 sq. km (33,436 sq. miles). The perimeter of its land borders is 2,648 km (1,645 mi), of which 390 km (242 mi) are shared with Russia.

The country's capital, Baku, is an ancient city with the largest and best harbour on the Caspian Sea. Baku is located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea and has long been the centre of the republic's oil industry.

Iran to the south

Azerbaijan is bounded by Iran to the south. The Azerbaijan–Iran border is 689 km (428 mi) in length and consists of two non-contiguous sections separated by the Armenia–Iran border. The border starts in the north-west at the tripoint with Turkey on the Aras river and continues along this river southeastwards. The border then leaves the river at a point south of Bəhramtəpə, turning sharply southwards and proceeding across the Mugan plain to the Bolgarchay river. The border then follows this river south, forming a broad S-shape. The river ends near Yardımlı, with the border then curving southeastwards, proceeding overland in that direction through the Talysh Mountains, then turning east along the Astarachay river, following its course all the way to the Caspian Sea.

There are crossings between mainland Azerbaijan and Iran at Bilasuvar and Astara. Crossings between Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakchivan are at Jolfa/Julfa and Poldasht–Shahtakhti. The name of the border towns, Astara, is the same in both countries. It is possible to walk from one town into the other. On the Iranian side, exchange offices offer much better rates than the money changers near the border. In Azeri Astara, the local market has money changers with good rates.

The relationship between Iran and Azerbaijan has been fraught with tension. Azerbaijani-Iranian relations have been strained since Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 war with Armenia. The situation dramatically worsened in late 2024, with Iran holding two large-scale drills near the border with Azerbaijan and accusing Baku of colluding with its enemies and interfering in its internal affairs. Iran also feels threatened by the potential realisation of the Zangezur overland transport corridor, which is pushed by Baku and would link Azerbaijan’s western provinces with the Nakhchivan exclave via southern Armenian territory. Iran fears that this corridor could cut off its access to Armenia and further separate it from the South Caucasus region, except through Azerbaijan. During the military drills in October 2024, Iranian forces practiced setting up pontoon bridges and crossing the Aras River, which forms part of the border between the two countries. This was the first time that Iranian forces had conducted such exercises.

In recent months, Iranian state media has started to openly question the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, a highly sensitive topic given that Azerbaijanis make up the largest ethnic minority in Iran. Both countries understand that casting a shadow over the legitimacy of the borders could be perceived as a threat to each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, with the potential to escalate into a military conflict. Nevertheless, this understanding has been increasingly challenged by Iran. In an interview aired on state TV in November 2024, members of Iran’s parliament who are of Azerbaijani ethnicity raised doubts about the validity of the established borders between the two countries. Iranian state media has also amplified disinformation campaigns on social media, claiming that residents of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan region had appealed to join Iran.

In response to Iranian assertiveness, Azerbaijan has taken strong measures to push back. In November 2024, Azerbaijan’s special forces held military exercises on the border with Iran. To drive the message home, Azerbaijan also held joint military exercises with Turkey in December 2024. The exercises, called Fraternal Fist, involved Azerbaijani tanks crossing pontoon bridges over the Aras River near the border with Iran, mirroring the Iranian maneuvers from October.

Armenia and Georgia to the west

Armenia and Georgia are both located to the west of Azerbaijan. Armenia and Georgia have a long history of cultural and political relations, with intermarriage between royal and noble families of both ethnicities in the Middle Ages. Both countries were former Soviet republics of the Soviet Union.

Georgia is a member of GUAM, which excludes Armenia from regional transportation and energy projects. Relations with Georgia are of particular importance for Armenia because, under the border blockades imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Georgia offers Armenia its only land connection with Europe, with access to its Black Sea ports.

The Javakheti Region in southern Georgia contains a large Armenian population, and there has been no violence between Armenians and Georgians in the area since the Georgian–Armenian War ended in 1919. However, there have been demonstrations against the destruction of Armenian churches by Georgian clergy. There are nearly 168,102 Armenians in Georgia, with 81,089 living in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region and 53,409 in Tbilisi.

In recent years, positive steps have been taken to strengthen ties between the two nations. In January 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated Georgia for obtaining EU candidate status, calling it a "historic event for Georgia and the entire region".

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