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Azerbaijan

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This article is about the country in Eurasia. For other uses, see Azerbaijan (disambiguation).

Republic of Azerbaijan Azərbaycan Respublikası  (Azerbaijani)
Flag Emblem
Anthem:  Azərbaycan marşı "March of Azerbaijan" Menu 0:00
Areas under Azerbaijani government control shown in dark green; areas outside of Azerbaijani control but claimed as part of its sovereign territory shown in light green.
Official languages		Azerbaijani
Demonym		Azerbaijani
Government		Unitary dominant-party semi-presidential republic
•	President	Ilham Aliyev
•	Prime Minister	Artur Rasizade
Legislature		National Assembly
Formation
•	Democratic Republic	28 May 1918
•	Soviet Socialist Republic	28 April 1920
•	Independence from the Soviet Union	30 August 1991 (declared) 18 October 1991 (independence)
•	Constitution adopted	12 November 1995
Area
•	Total	86,600 km2 (114th) 33,436 sq mi
•	Water (%)	1.6
Population
•	2014 estimate	9,574,000[1] (89th)
•	Density	110.6/km2 (103rd) 274.1/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2015 estimate
•	Total	$168.4 billion[2]
•	Per capita	$17,500[2]
GDP (nominal)		2015 estimate
•	Total	$63.983 billion[2]
•	Per capita	$6,794[2]
Gini (2008)		33.7[3] medium
HDI (2013)		0.751[4] high · 76th
Currency		Manat (₼) (AZN)
Time zone		AZT (UTC+04)
Drives on the		right
Calling code		994
ISO 3166 code		AZ
Internet TLD		.az
a.	The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is an unrecognised de facto sovereign state, widely considered de jure part of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and its main cities

Azerbaijan (ⁱ/ˌæzərbaɪˈdʒɑːn/ AZ-ər-by-JAHN; Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan [ɑzærbɑjdʒɑn]), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası), is a country in the Caucasus region, situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia.^[5] 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 exclave of Nakhchivan is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, while having a short border with Turkey in the southwest.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence in 1918 and became the first Muslim-majority democratic and secular republic.^[6] It was also the first Muslim-majority country to have operas, theaters and modern universities.^[7] The country was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920 as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.^[8][9] Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence on 30 August 1991,^[10] before the official dissolution of the USSR. In September 1991, the disputed Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh region re-affirmed its willingness to create a separate state as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.^[11] The region, effectively independent since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1991, is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan until a final solution to its status is found through negotiations facilitated by the OSCE.^{[12][13][14][15]}
Azerbaijan is a unitary semi-presidential republic. The country is a member state of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. It is one of the six independent Turkic states, being an active member of the Turkic Council and the TÜRKSOY community. Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 158 countries and holds membership in 38 international organizations.^[16] It is one of the founding members of GUAM, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)^[17] and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. A member of the United Nations since 1992, Azerbaijan was elected to membership in the newly established Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 May 2006 (the term of office began on 19 June 2006).^[18] Azerbaijan is also a member state of the Non-Aligned Movement, holds observer status in World Trade Organization and is a correspondent at the International Telecommunication Union.^[16][19]
The Constitution of Azerbaijan does not declare an official religion, and all major political forces in the country are secularist, but the majority of people and some opposition movements adhere to Shia Islam.^[20] Azerbaijan has a high level of human development which ranks on par with most Eastern European countries.^[21] It has a high rate of economic development^[22] and literacy,^[23] as well as a low rate of unemployment.^[24] However, corruption in Azerbaijan is widespread, especially in the public service.^[25][26] The ruling party, New Azerbaijan Party, has been accused of authoritarianism and human rights abuses.^[27][28]

Contents

• 1 Etymology
• 2 History
  • 2.1 Antiquity
  • 2.2 Feudal era
  • 2.3 Modern era
  • 2.4 Republic era
• 3 Geography
  • 3.1 Landscape
  • 3.2 Biodiversity
• 4 Politics
  • 4.1 Foreign relations
  • 4.2 Administrative divisions
• 5 Military
• 6 Economy
  • 6.1 Energy
  • 6.2 Agriculture
  • 6.3 Tourism
  • 6.4 Transportation
  • 6.5 Science and technology
• 7 Demographics
  • 7.1 Urbanization
  • 7.2 Language
  • 7.3 Religion
  • 7.4 Education
• 8 Culture
  • 8.1 Music and folk dances
  • 8.2 Literature
  • 8.3 Folk art
  • 8.4 Cuisine
  • 8.5 Architecture
  • 8.6 Visual art
  • 8.7 Cinema
  • 8.8 Media and media freedom
  • 8.9 Sports
• 9 See also
• 10 References
• 11 Further reading
• 12 External links

Etymology

According to a modern etymology, the name of Azerbaijan derives from that of Atropates,^[29][30] a Persian^[31][32][33] satrap under the Achaemenid Empire, who was later reinstated as the satrap of Media under Alexander the Great.^[34][35] The original etymology of this name is thought to have its roots in the once-dominant Zoroastrian religion. In the Avesta, Frawardin Yasht ("Hymn to the Guardian Angels"), there is a mention of âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide, which literally translates from Avestan as "we worship the Fravashi of the holy Atropatene."^[36]
Atropates ruled over the region of Atropatene (present Iranian Azerbaijan). The name "Atropates" itself is the Greek transliteration of an Old Iranian, probably Median, compounded name with the meaning "Protected by the (Holy) Fire" or "The Land of the (Holy) Fire."^[37] The Greek name is mentioned by Diodorus Siculus and Strabo. Over the span of millennia the name evolved to Āturpātākān (Middle Iranian) then to Ādharbādhagān, Ādharbāyagān, Āzarbāydjān (New Persian) and present-day Azerbaijan (in Armenia, the country is called Adrbejan, yet another archaic form). Ultimately, the name Azerbaijan comes from Azar-Payegan. This word is translatable as Guardian of Fire, "The Treasury" and "The Treasurer" of fire or "The Land of Fire"^[37] in Modern Persian.^[38] The name was changed to Azerbaijan following Arab conquest in the 7th century AD, where Arabic lacked the letters of G and P, thus the spelling of Azer-payegan was modified to reflect this.

History

Main article: History of Azerbaijan

Antiquity

Petroglyphs in Gobustan dating back to 10,000 BC indicating a thriving culture. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be of "outstanding universal value"

Further information: Atropatene and Caucasian Albania

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 the Azykh Cave.^[39] The Upper Paleolithic and late Bronze Age cultures are attested in the caves of Tağılar, Damcılı, Zar, Yataq-yeri and in the necropolises of Leylatepe and Saraytepe.
Early settlements included the Scythians in the 9th century BC.^[37] Following the Scythians, Iranian Medes came to dominate the area to the south of the Aras.^[35] The Medes forged a vast empire between 900–700 BC, which was integrated into the Achaemenids Empire around 550 BC. The area was conquered by the Achaemenids leading to the spread of Zoroastrianism.^[40] Later it became part of Alexander the Great's Empire and its successor, the Seleucid Empire. During this period, Zoroastrianism spread in the Caucasus and Atropatene. Caucasian Albanians, the original inhabitants of northeastern Azerbaijan, ruled that area from around the 4th century BC, and established an independent kingdom that came under the cultural influence of the Armenians.^[41]
In the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, following the overthrow of the Achaemenid Empire, the southwestern part of modern Azerbaijan was part of the Kingdom of Armenia ruled by the Orontid Dynasty; between the years 189 BC and 428 AD the western half of modern Azerbaijan, including the exclave of Nakhchivan, were included into the Kingdom of Greater Armenia ruled by Armenia's Artaxiad and Arsacid dynasties,^[42][43] the latter itself a branch of the eponymous Arsacid dynasty of Parthia.
After the partition of the Kingdom of Armenia by Persia and Byzantium in 387 AD, the provinces of Artsakh and Utik, which had an ethnically mixed population, passed to Caucasian Albania.^[44][45]

The Maiden Tower in Old Baku is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 11th–12th century.

Feudal era

The Persian Sassanids turned Caucasian Albania into a vassal state in AD 252, while King Urnayr officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in the 4th century. Despite Sassanid rule, Albania remained an entity in the region until the 9th century, while fully subordinate to Sassanid Persia, and retained its monarchy.^[34] In the first half of the 7th century AD, the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate repulsed both the Sassanids and Byzantines from the Caucasus region and turned Caucasian Albania into a vassal state after the Christian resistance, led by King Javanshir, was suppressed in 667. Caucasian Albania however, came already under nominal Muslim rule through the Muslim conquest of Persia, as it made up part of the Sassanid territory upon advent of the Muslim conquest. The power vacuum left by the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate was filled by numerous local dynasties such as the Sallarids, Sajids, Shaddadids, Rawadids and Buyids. At the beginning of the 11th century, the territory was gradually seized by waves of Turkic Oghuz tribes from Central Asia. The first of these Turkic dynasties established was the Seljuqs, which entered the area now known as Azerbaijan by 1067.
The pre-Turkic population that lived on the territory of modern Azerbaijani Republic spoke several Indo-European and Caucasian languages, among them – Armenian^{[46][47][48][49][50]} and an Iranian language called the Old Azari language, which was gradually replaced by a Turkic language, the early precursor of the Azerbaijani language of today.^[51] To distinguish it from the Turkic Azerbaijani or Azeri language, this Iranian language, is designated as the Azari language (or Old Azari language), because the Turkic language and people are also designated as "Azarbaijani" or "Azari" in the Persian language. However some linguists have also designated the Tati dialects of Iranian Azerbaijan and the Republic of Azerbaijan, like those spoken by the Tats, as a remnant of Azari.^[52][53] Locally, the possessions of the subsequent Seljuq Empire were ruled by Atabegs, who were technically vassals of the Seljuq sultans, being sometimes de facto rulers themselves. Under the Seljuq Turks, local poets such as Nizami Ganjavi and Khagani Shirvani gave rise to a blossoming of Persian literature on the territory of present-day Azerbaijan. The next ruling state of the Jalayirids was short-lived and fell under the conquests of Timur.
The local dynasty of the Shirvanshahs became a vassal state of Timur's Empire, and assisted him in his war with the ruler of the Golden Horde Tokhtamysh. Following Timur's death, two independent and rival states emerged: Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu. The Shirvanshahs returned, maintaining a high degree of autonomy as local rulers and vassals from 861 until 1539. During their conquest and persecution by the Iranian Safavids in 1501, the last dynasty imposed Shia Islam upon the formerly Sunni population,^[54][55][56] as it did over its territories in modern-day Iran, as it was battling against the Sunni Ottoman Empire.^[57] This, in combination with another series of events, the Safavids laid the foundation for the fact that both the contemporary Republic of Azerbaijan and Iran are the only Shia majority countries ever since.^[58] Despite efforts of the Safavids, the Ottomans briefly managed to occupy swaths of present-day Azerbaijan twice over the centuries. Also, Baku and its environs were briefly managed by the Russians in the early 18th century through the consequences of the Russo-Persian War (1722-1723). Despite these very brief intermissions by Safavid Iran's neighboring rivals, the land of what is nowadays Azerbaijan remained under intermittent Iranian rule from the earliest advent of the Safavids up to the course of the 19th century.

Modern era

Main articles: Russo-Persian Wars, Treaty of Gulistan and Treaty of Turkmenchay

See also: Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Azerbaijan SSR and Operation Edelweiss

Territories of the Northern and Southern Khanates (and Sultanates) within Iran in the 18th–19th centuries.^[59]

After the Safavids, the area was ruled by the Iranian dynasties of Afshar and Zand and briefly by the Qajars, until the latters forced ceding to Russia in the course of the 19th century. However de facto self-ruling khanates^{[60][61][62][63][64]} emerged in the area, especially following the collapse of the Zand dynasty and in the early Qajar era. These khanates, though often self-ruling, were vassals and subjects of the Iranian shah (King).^[65] The khanates exercised control over their affairs via international trade routes between Central Asia and the West.^[66] From the late 18th century and on, Imperial Russia changed to a more aggressive geo-political stance towards its two neighbors (and rivals) to the south, namely Iran and Turkey.^[67] Following a chain of events that started with the re-subjugation of Georgia into Iran in 1795, Russia would now actively contest and battle with the latter over possession of the Caucasus region which was, for most of its part, in the hands of Iran.^[68] The successful Russian campaigns in the later stages of the Russo-Persian War (1804–13) were concluded with the Treaty of Gulistan, in which the shah's claims to some of the Khanates of the Caucasus were dismissed by Russia on the ground that they had been de facto independent long before their Russian occupation.^[69]

The siege of Ganja Fortress in 1804 during the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813) by the Russian forces under leadership of general Pavel Tsitsianov.

Following Qajar Iran's loss in the 1804-1813 war, it was forced to concede suzerainty over most of the khanates (alongside Georgia and Dagestan) to the Russian Empire per the Gulistan treaty.^[70] The area to the north of the river Aras, amongst which the territory of the contemporary Republic of Azerbaijan, was Iranian territory until it was occupied by Russia in the course of the 19th century.^{[8][71][72][73][74][75]} Under the Treaty of Turkmenchay which finalised the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828), Qajar Iran was forced to recognize Russian sovereignty over the Erivan Khanate, the Nakhchivan Khanate and the remainder of the Lankaran Khanate,^[70] comprising the last parts of the soil of the contemporary Azerbaijani Republic that were still in Iranian hands. After incorporation of all Caucasian territories from Iran into Russia, the new border between the two was set at the Aras River, which, upon the Soviet Union's disintegration, subsequently became part of the border between Iran and the Azerbaijan Republic.
Qajar Iran was forced to cede its Caucasian territories to Russia in the 19th century, which thus included the territory of the modern-day Azerbaijan Republic, while as a result of that cession, the Azerbaijani ethnic group is nowadays parted between two nations: Iran and Azerbaijan.^[76] Furthermore, the number of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Iran far outnumber those in neighbouring Azerbaijan.
After the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I, Azerbaijan, together with Armenia and Georgia became part of the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic.
It was followed by the March Days massacres^[77][78][79] that took place between 30 March and 2 April 1918 in the city of Baku and adjacent areas of the Baku Governorate of the Russian Empire.^[80] When the republic dissolved in May 1918, Azerbaijan declared independence as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR). The ADR was the first modern parliamentary republic in the Muslim world.^[8][81][82] Among the important accomplishments of the Parliament was the extension of suffrage to women, making Azerbaijan the first Muslim nation to grant women equal political rights with men.^[81] Another important accomplishment of ADR was the establishment of Baku State University, which was the first modern-type university founded in Muslim East.^[81]

Map presented by delegation from Azerbaijan to Paris Peace Conference in 1919.

By March 1920, it was obvious that Soviet Russia would attack the much-needed Baku. Vladimir Lenin said that the invasion was justified as Soviet Russia could not survive without Baku's oil.^[83][84] Independent Azerbaijan lasted only 23 months until the Bolshevik 11th Soviet Red Army invaded it, establishing the Azerbaijan SSR on 28 April 1920. Although the bulk of the newly formed Azerbaijani army was engaged in putting down an Armenian revolt that had just broken out in Karabakh, Azeris did not surrender their brief independence of 1918–20 quickly or easily. As many as 20,000 Azerbaijani soldiers died resisting what was effectively a Russian reconquest.^[85]
On 13 October 1921, the Soviet republics of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia signed an agreement with Turkey known as the Treaty of Kars. The previously independent Naxicivan SSR would also become an autonomous ASSR within the Azerbaijan SSR by the treaty of Kars. On the other hand, Armenia was awarded the region of Zangezur and Turkey agreed to return Gyumri (then known as Alexandropol).
During World War II, Azerbaijan played a crucial role in the strategic energy policy of Soviet Union, with most of the Soviet Union's oil on the Eastern Front being supplied by Baku. By the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in February 1942, the commitment of more than 500 workers and employees of the oil industry of Azerbaijan was awarded orders and medals. Operation Edelweiss carried out by the German Wehrmacht targeted Baku because of its importance as the energy (petroleum) dynamo of the USSR.^[8] A fifth of all Azerbaijanis fought in the Second World War from 1941 to 1945. Approximately 681,000 people with over 100,000 of them women went to the front, while the total population of Azerbaijan was 3.4 million at the time.^[86] Some 250,000 people from Azerbaijan were killed on the front. More than 130 Azerbaijanis were named Heroes of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijani Major-General Azi Aslanov was twice awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union.^[87]

Republic era

Red Army paratroops during the Black January tragedy in 1990.

Following the politics of glasnost, initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev, civil unrest and ethnic strife grew in various regions of the Soviet Union, including Nagorno-Karabakh,^[88] an autonomous region of the Azerbaijan SSR. The disturbances in Azerbaijan, in response to Moscow's indifference to already heated conflict, resulted in calls for independence and secession, which culminated in Black January in Baku.^[89] Later in 1990, the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR dropped the words "Soviet Socialist" from the title, adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Azerbaijan Republic and restored flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as the state flag.^[90] On 18 October 1991, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration of Independence which was affirmed by a nationwide referendum in December 1991, when the Soviet Union was officially dissolved.^[90]
The early years of independence were overshadowed by the Nagorno-Karabakh War with the ethnic Armenian majority of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by Armenia.^[91] By the end of hostilities in 1994, Armenians controlled up to 14–16 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh itself.^[92][93] During the war many atrocities were committed including the massacre at Malibeyli and Gushchular, the Garadaghly, Agdaban and the Khojaly massacres.^[94][95] Furthermore, an estimated 30,000 people had been killed and more than a million people had been displaced.^[96] Four United Nations Security Council Resolutions (822, 853, 874, and 884) demand for "the immediate withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan."^[97] Many Russians and Armenians left Azerbaijan during the 1990s.^[98] According to the 1970 census, there were 510,000 ethnic Russians and 484,000 Armenians in Azerbaijan.^[99]
In 1993, democratically elected president Abulfaz Elchibey was overthrown by a military insurrection led by Colonel Surat Huseynov, which resulted in the rise to power of the former leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev.^[100] In 1994, Surat Huseynov, by that time a prime minister, attempted another military coup against Heydar Aliyev, but Huseynov was arrested and charged with treason.^[101] A year later, in 1995, another coup was attempted against Aliyev, this time by the commander of the OMON special unit, Rovshan Javadov. The coup was averted, resulting in the killing of the latter and disbanding of Azerbaijan's OMON units.^[102][103] At the same time, the country was tainted by rampant corruption in the governing bureaucracy.^[104] In October 1998, Aliyev was reelected for a second term. Despite the much improved economy, particularly with the exploitations of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field and Shah Deniz gas field, Aliyev's presidency was criticized due to suspected vote fraud and corruption.^[105]
Ilham Aliyev, the son of Heydar Aliyev, assumed as the chairmen of the New Azerbaijan Party as well as the office of presidency when his father died in 2003. He was reelected to a third term as president in October 2013. He then launched a crackdown on opposition elements. In November, he put two prominent opponents on trial for inciting riots ten months earlier: Ilgar Mammadov, the chairman of the opposition Republican Alternative (REAL); and Ilgar Mammadov, the deputy chairman of the New Equality Party (Musavat). In addition the dissident Islamic theologian Taleh Bagirzada was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. The opposition newspaper Azadiq was closed down. Three men were sentenced to life in prison on charges of plotting attacks in Baku in a conspiracy with Iran.^[106]

Geography

Azerbaijan map of Köppen climate classification.

Main articles: Geography of Azerbaijan, Environment of Azerbaijan, State reserves of Azerbaijan and National parks of Azerbaijan

See also: Extreme points of Azerbaijan

Caucasus Mountains in northern Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, straddling Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It lies between latitudes 38° and 42° N, and longitudes 44° and 51° E. The total length of Azerbaijan's land borders is 2,648 km (1,645 mi), of which 1007 kilometers are with Armenia, 756 kilometers with Iran, 480 kilometers with Georgia, 390 kilometers with Russia and 15 kilometers with Turkey.^[107] The 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).^[107] The territory of Azerbaijan extends 400 km (249 mi) from north to south, and 500 km (311 mi) from west to east.
Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country's center. There are also three mountain ranges, the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, and the Talysh Mountains, together covering approximately 40 percent of the country.^[108] The highest peak of Azerbaijan is mount Bazardüzü (4,466 m), while the lowest point lies in the Caspian Sea (−28 m). Nearly half of all the mud volcanoes on Earth are concentrated in Azerbaijan, these volcanoes were also among nominees for the New7Wonders of Nature.^[109]
The main water sources are surface waters. However, only 24 of the 8,350 rivers are greater than 100 km (62 mi) in length.^[108] All the rivers drain into the Caspian Sea in the east of the country.^[108] The largest lake is Sarysu (67 km²), and the longest river is Kur (1,515 km), which is transboundary. Azerbaijan's four main islands in the Caspian Sea have a combined area of over thirty square kilometers.
Since the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, the Azerbaijani government has taken drastic measures to preserve the environment of Azerbaijan. But national protection of the environment started to truly improve after 2001 when the state budget increased due to new revenues provided by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Within four years protected areas doubled and now make up eight percent of the country's territory. Since 2001 the government has set up seven large reserves and almost doubled the sector of the budget earmarked for environmental protection.^[110]

Landscape

Main articles: Orography of Azerbaijan, Climate of Azerbaijan and Water bodies of Azerbaijan

Mount Bazarduzu, the highest peak of Azerbaijan, as seen from Mount Shahdagh

The landscape of Khinalug valley.

Azerbaijan is home to a vast variety of landscapes. Over half of Azerbaijan's land mass consists of mountain ridges, crests, yailas, and plateaus which rise up to hypsometric levels of 400–1000 meters (including the Middle and Lower lowlands), in some places (Talis, Jeyranchol-Ajinohur and Langabiz-Alat foreranges) up to 100–120 meters, and others from 0–50 meters and up (Qobustan, Absheron). The rest of Azerbaijan's terrain consist of plains and lowlands. Hypsometric marks within the Caucasus region vary from about −28 meters at the Caspian Sea shoreline up to 4,466 meters (Bazardüzü peak).^[111]
The formation of climate in Azerbaijan is influenced particularly by cold arctic air masses of Scandinavian anticyclone, temperate of Siberian anticyclone, and Central Asian anticyclone.^[112] Azerbaijan's diverse landscape affects the ways air masses enter the country.^[112] The Greater Caucasus protects the country from direct influences of cold air masses coming from the north. That leads to the formation of subtropical climate on most foothills and plains of the country. Meanwhile, plains and foothills are characterized by high solar radiation rates.
9 out of 11 existing climate zones are present in Azerbaijan.^[113] Both the absolute minimum temperature ( −33 °C or −27.4 °F ) and the absolute maximum temperature ( 46 °C or 114.8 °F ) were observed in Julfa and Ordubad.^[113] The maximum annual precipitation falls in Lankaran (1,600 to 1,800 mm or 63 to 71 in) and the minimum in Absheron (200 to 350 mm or 7.9 to 13.8 in).^[113]

Murovdag is the highest mountain range in the Lesser Caucasus.

Rivers and lakes form the principal part of the water systems of Azerbaijan, they were formed over a long geological timeframe and changed significantly throughout that period. This is particularly evidenced by remnants of ancient rivers found throughout the country. The country's water systems are continually changing under the influence of natural forces and human introduced industrial activities. Artificial rivers (canals) and ponds are a part of Azerbaijan's water systems. In terms of water supply, Azerbaijan is below the average in the world with approximately 100,000 cubic metres (3,531,467 cubic feet) per year of water per square kilometer.^[113] All big water reservoirs are built on Kur. The hydrography of Azerbaijan basically belongs to the Caspian Sea basin.
There are 8,350 rivers of various lengths within Azerbaijan. Only 24 rivers are over 100 kilometers long.^[114] The Kura and Aras are the most popular rivers in Azerbaijan, they run through the Kura-Aras Lowland. The rivers that directly 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.
Yanar Dag, translated as "burning mountain", is a natural gas fire which blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea near Baku, which itself is known as the "land of fire." Flames jet out into the air from a thin, porous sandstone layer. It is a tourist attraction to visitors to the Baku area.

Biodiversity

Main article: Wildlife of Azerbaijan

Further information: Fauna of Azerbaijan and Flora of Azerbaijan

The Karabakh horse is the national animal of Azerbaijan.

The first reports on the richness and diversity of animal life in Azerbaijan can be found in travel notes of Eastern travelers. Animal carvings on architectural monuments, ancient rocks and stones survived up to the present times. The first information on the animal kingdom of Azerbaijan was collected during the visits of naturalists to Azerbaijan in the 17th century.^[108] Unlike fauna, the concept of animal kingdom covers not only the types of animals, but also the number of individual species.
There are 106 species of mammals, 97 species of fish, 363 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians and 52 species of reptiles which have been recorded and classified in Azerbaijan.^[108] The national animal of Azerbaijan is the Karabakh horse, a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse endemic to Azerbaijan. The Karabakh horse has a reputation for its good temper, speed, elegance and intelligence. It is one of the oldest breeds, with ancestry dating to the ancient world. However today the horse is an endangered species.^[115]
Azerbaijan's flora consists of more than 4,500 species of higher plants. Due the unique climate in Azerbaijan, the flora is much richer in the number of species than the flora of the other republics of the South Caucasus.^[116] About 67 percent of the species growing in the whole Caucasus can be found in Azerbaijan.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan