Azerbaijan is a country at the crossroads between east and west and located on the old trans-Caucasus and Silk Road trading routes. It was the centre of the Zoroastrian religion attracting fire worshippers before adopting Islam. Its complex history stretches back millennia and signs of it can be seen in the beautiful Old City in the capital Baku and in the northern town of Sheki. Azerbaijan attracts few tourists so a trip here, either directly to the country or as part of a Silk Road trip, will take you well off the beaten track. Explore in depth highlights of Azerbaijan.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT +4 (Azerbaijan standard time) |
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| Daylight savings: | GMT +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
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| Main languages: | Azerbaijani |
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| Other languages: | Armenian, Lezgi, Russian |
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| Currency: |
Azerbaijani manats (AZN) €1 = mah1.82, $1 = mah0.00, £1 = mah2.17 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .az | International Dialling Code: 994 |
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For help planning your trip to Azerbaijan including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Azerbaijan trip planning page.
Further information on Azerbaijan
Discover more about Azerbaijan - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 86,600 sq km (500 sq km under water)
Coastline: 713 km (Caspian Sea)
Neighbours (border lengths): Armenia (787km), Georgia (322km), Iran (611km), Russia (284km), Turkey (9km)
Climate: Hot summers and mild winters but can be cold with heavy snowfalls at high altitude. April to October is the best time to visit.
Highest mountain: Bazarduzu Dagi (4,485m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Azerbaijan from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Not Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Authoritarian regime | 148/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Moderately Free | 85/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Very serious situation | 160/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | Limited rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | High corruption | 126/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 158/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Republic of Azerbaijan Status: Independent Country
Population: 9,686,210 (rank: 91/196) Density: 111.8 people/sq km (rank: 72/196)
Ethnic groups: Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census)
Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
GDP (PPP): $102.7 billion GDP per capita: $10,800 (rank: 90/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.