Source: Wikipedia
Flag of Azerbaijan
Capital: Baku 40°22′N 49°53′E Official language: Azerbaijani Government: Republic
President: Ilham Aliyev
Prime Minister: Artur Rasizade

Independence from the Soviet Union :
- Declared August 30, 1991
- Completed December 25, 1991

Area :
- Total 86,600 km² (114th) 33,436 sq mi
- Water (%) negligible

Population :
- 2005 estimate 8,411,000 (90th)
- 1999 census 7,953,438
- Density 97/km² (100th) 251/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate :
- Total $38.71 billion (88th)
- Per capita $4,601 (106th)

HDI (2003): 0.729 (medium) (101st)

Currency: Manat (AZN)

Time zone: (UTC+4)
- Summer (DST) (UTC+5)

Internet TLD: .az

Calling code: +994

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azə rbaycan Respublikası), is a country in the South Caucasus . Located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia , it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (an exclave of Azerbaijan ) borders Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest. The Nagorno-Karabakh region in the southwest of Azerbaijan Proper declared itself independent from Azerbaijan in 1991, but it is not recognized by any nation.

 

Azerbaijan is a secular state, and has been a member of the Council of Europe since 2001. The Azerbaijani people (or simply Azeris) are the majority population, most of whom are traditionally adherents of Shi'a Islam. The country is formally an emerging democracy, however with strong authoritarian rule.