Unveiling Azerbaijan: Separating Facts From Fiction

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is a former Soviet republic with a rich history and diverse culture. However, one statement that is not true about Azerbaijan is that it is located on the Aral Sea. In fact, Azerbaijan is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, with its shoreline forming a natural boundary. This geographical detail is an important aspect of the country's landscape and a key point of differentiation from other regions.

Azerbaijan is not located on the Aral Sea

Azerbaijan, on the other hand, is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is situated in the Caucasus region, with the Caspian Sea forming its eastern boundary, Russia's Dagestan Republic to the north, Georgia and Armenia to the northwest and west, and Iran to the south.

Azerbaijan is characterized by three dominant physical features: the Caspian Sea shoreline, the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, and extensive flatlands at its center. The country has a diverse landscape, with nearly half considered mountainous, and a variety of climates ranging from subtropical and humid in the southeast to subtropical and dry in central and eastern regions.

In contrast, the Aral Sea region, once a prosperous fishing industry, has suffered economic hardship due to the shrinking of the sea, which has been described as "one of the planet's worst environmental disasters." The Aral Sea is now heavily polluted, impacting the health of the local population and resulting in high rates of certain cancers, respiratory illnesses, digestive disorders, and infectious diseases.

While Azerbaijan has its own environmental challenges, such as air and water pollution from oil refineries and industrial activities, its location is distinct from that of the Aral Sea.

Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country

The distinction between continents is somewhat arbitrary and subject to interpretation. The conventional boundary between Asia and Europe has varied over time, with several definitions remaining in use well into the 20th century. The modern convention, which has been prevalent since around 1850, follows the Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, and the Ural Mountains. This convention places several countries, including Azerbaijan, in a unique geographical position, straddling two continents.

The inclusion of a small part of Azerbaijan in Europe is due to the country's proximity to the Caucasus Mountains. These mountains form a natural boundary between the two continents and are considered part of Europe. As a result, the districts of Azerbaijan that lie north of the Greater Caucasus Watershed are technically located in Europe, while the rest of the country is in Asia.

The transcontinental status of Azerbaijan is significant because it highlights the country's unique geographical position and cultural diversity. With territory in both Asia and Europe, Azerbaijan serves as a bridge between the two continents, influencing its history, culture, and international relations. Additionally, the country's location has contributed to its diverse landscape, which includes both lowland and mountainous regions, as well as a variety of climates and ecosystems.

The distinction between continents can also have political and economic implications. For example, transcontinental countries may have access to resources and markets in multiple regions, and they may need to navigate different regulatory frameworks and policies when conducting business or establishing trade agreements. In the case of Azerbaijan, its transcontinental status has likely influenced its economic development and international relations, including its efforts to promote European energy security and expand bilateral trade.

The country is ruled by the Aliyev political family

Azerbaijan has been ruled by the Aliyev family since the 1960s, when Heydar Aliyev was head of the country's Security Committee (KGB) and then secretary-general of the Azerbaijani Communist Party. Heydar Aliyev served as president of Azerbaijan from 1993 until 2003, when his son, Ilham Aliyev, took over. Ilham Aliyev has been the country's president since 2003, and was allowed to run for an indefinite number of terms in 2013.

The Aliyev family has been accused of corruption and enriching themselves through their ties to state-run businesses. They have been linked to a vast network of offshore companies and have been implicated in a money-laundering scandal, using complex schemes to pay off European politicians to promote a positive image of the regime and deflect criticism. The family has been accused of owning significant parts of several major banks, construction firms, and telecommunications firms, as well as having partial ownership of the country's oil and gas industries.

Ilham Aliyev has been described by many observers as a dictator, ruling an authoritarian regime with rampant corruption and severe human rights violations. Elections are not considered free and fair, and political power is concentrated in the hands of Aliyev and his extended family. Azerbaijan has also faced criticism for its suppression of opposition parties and a free press, with journalists and non-governmental organizations facing harassment, arbitrary arrests, and torture.

Despite international criticism, the Aliyev regime has maintained friendly relations with successive U.S. administrations, with the United States spending hundreds of millions of dollars on military and security training in Azerbaijan. The country's strategic location bordering Russia and Iran, as well as its energy resources, have made the U.S. a reluctant critic of the regime.

Azerbaijan is a member of the Council of Europe

Azerbaijan has been a member of the Council of Europe since 25 January 2001. It was the 43rd country to join the Council, doing so on the same day as Armenia. The Council of Europe is an international organisation that focuses on strengthening democracy and human rights.

As a condition of its membership, Azerbaijan was required to sign the European Convention on Human Rights and release all political prisoners. However, since joining, Azerbaijan has not held an election deemed free and fair by international observers, and the country has been criticised for its human rights record, including the imprisonment of opposition politicians.

In 2017, the Committee of Ministers launched infringement proceedings against Azerbaijan after it refused to release opposition politician Ilgar Mammadov following a 2014 European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) verdict that his imprisonment was unlawful. As of 2021, Azerbaijan has the lowest rate of compliance of any Council of Europe member state with implementing leading judgements of the ECHR from the last 10 years. Only 4% of cases against Azerbaijan involving serious or systemic human rights violations led to a rectification of the underlying violation.

Azerbaijan's membership of the Council of Europe has attracted attention due to its holding of political prisoners, low implementation of ECHR verdicts, and bribing of Council of Europe parliamentarians to suppress negative information about its human rights record. Some critics argue that Azerbaijan's lack of human rights protection undermines the credibility of the Council of Europe.

The country has a rich wildlife

Azerbaijan has a rich and diverse animal kingdom, with a variety of climates and biomes that support a wide range of wildlife. The country's fauna includes around 106-107 species of mammals, 97 species of fish, 363 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians, and 52-67 species of reptiles.

The national symbol of Azerbaijan is the Karabakh horse, a mountain-steppe breed native to the country and dating back to the ancient world. Other notable mammals include the Caspian tiger, which became extinct in the 1950s; the Caucasian leopard, one of the rarest animals in the world; and the Pallas's cat, the rarest animal in the Nakhchevan region.

Azerbaijan is home to a variety of unique mammals, such as the jeyran gazelle, which is one of the rarest and fastest species in the Caucasus and can be found in the Shirvan natural preserve. The Caucasus goat, which has thick fur that adapts it to the low temperatures of the mountains, and the Caucasus mouflon, a wild sheep, are also native to the region.

The country's bird species include large birds like vultures, eagles, flamingos, and pelicans, as well as colourful little birds like bee-eaters and hoopoes. The golden eagle, which inhabits the mountainous areas of Nakhchivan, is a notable species that has been featured on stamps and cards in Azerbaijan.

The country's fresh water basins and the Caspian Sea are home to 97 species of fish, including valuable species like salmon, sturgeon, and beluga. The water basins also contain other species such as bream, sazan, and rutilus kutum.

Azerbaijan's flora consists of over 4,500 species of higher plants, with 66-67% of the species found in the whole Caucasus region. The country lies within four ecoregions: Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests, Caucasus mixed forests, Eastern Anatolian montane steppe, and Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe.

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