Azerbaijan

Location of the Country

Azerbaijan is situated on the western shores of the Caspian Sea and is bordered by Georgia and Armenia to the west, Iran to the south and the Russian Federation to the north.

Baku

Baku, the capital city, with 2 million inhabitants is situated on the Apsheron Peninsula, which borders the Caspian Sea. The old city, Ischeri Shehar, dates from the 4th century and is a world heritage site. It contains many mosques, the Shirvan Palace, Maiden’s Tower and has several atmospheric restaurants and many places to shop for local carpets and antiques. The old medieval city sits on the edge of the harbour and is surrounded by large, ornate buildings from the turn of the century oil boom. European families like the Nobels and the Rothschilds, together with many Azeri entrepreneurs amassed great holdings of production wells and refineries. The wealth generated was invested in their homes and public buildings of the commercial district centered on Fountain Square. Here you will find the restaurants, the theatres, shops and boutiques that most expatriates frequent. Farther out are the Soviet-style apartment blocks and large residential districts. Developers are building villages or western-style homes just outside the city limits, while wealthy Azeris are putting up very large family villas. The general ambience is one of reconstruction and growth. The city is changing rapidly with the influx of foreign companies and new shops and businesses open (and close) all the time. Restaurants are varied and reasonably priced. There are now many Western style supermarkets with a good choice of products. Fresh produce can be bought from street vendors or in the open markets and is of high quality. Dried fruits and wide selections of nuts, from pistachios, almonds, walnuts are notable for their quantity and variety. Beer and Georgian or Turkish wines are inexpensive, with locally bottled champagne and caviar widely available. Clothes are plentiful in the shops, with the latest fashions imported from Turkey. In general prices are reasonable, given that there is a high VAT charge and import duties on products.

Climate

Azerbaijan has a varied climate; hot summers, warm autumns and cold winters. Air temperature ranges from -2 degrees C in January to 40 degrees C in August but wind-chill can result in colder temperatures. Baku literally means “City of Winds”. Infrequently there will be a snowstorm. If you are coming from a warm or tropical climate, save your purchase of a winter coat until you arrive. There is a wide selection of fur and leather coats available in attractive styles and designs. There are wide variations in terrain throughout the country, ranging from semi-arid desert lowlands to the deciduous woodlands of the Caucasus Mountains, the highest peak reaching 4,424 meters. Places to visit include mud volcanoes, ancient rock paintings, Caspian beaches, and cabins for hiking above the tree line in the Caucasus Mountains.

Languages

Soviet rule imposed the Cyrillic alphabet and Russian as the official language. Since independence, President Aliyev has emphasized the importance of Azeri as the first language of the country and it has been introduced in a modified Latin alphabet into the state schools. Many older people, educated in Russian, speak little Azeri, and have difficulty with the new alphabet. With the influx of foreign companies, there is enormous interest in learning English: it has been said that many Azerbaijanis will learn English more quickly than their own language. Getting around the city is not difficult with a smattering of either Russian or Azeri; taxi drivers like to practice their English.

Religion and Festivals

There is no official state religion although Azerbaijan would be considered part of the Muslim world. There are also significant communities of Russian Orthodox Christians and practicing Jews. Freedom of religious practice is guaranteed. Religious affiliations are nominal and the number of practicing adherents, especially Moslem, is low. There are few mosques and the major Moslem festivals are not celebrated. Men and women wear modern, western style clothes as in any European city and there are no religious restrictions on women’s participation in public life. Some of the old Soviet festivals are still celebrated, such as Army Day and International Women’s Day, as well as the traditional pre-Soviet celebrations for spring, for example.

Culture and Background

Azerbaijan’s historical links with Persia were developed by the proximity of the Silk Route, which provided commercial opportunities to merchants travelling both west and east. Persian influences also saw the growth of the Shiite version of the Muslim faith. However, by the 18th century, the Romanov dynasty of Russia was exerting an increased influence. During the 19th century, the importance of Azerbaijan became apparent as grain and oil were exported first to Russia and then to Europe. At this time, Baku turned into a highly cosmopolitan city but Azerbaijanis who lived in squalor in the city suburbs provided much of the unskilled labor. The oil industry in Baku began in the late 19th century and provided the wealth that gives the city its distinctive style of buildings and monuments. Stalin, working himself in the oil fields of Baku, identified these workers as “Marx’s proletariat, ripe for revolution”.

In April 1920, the Red Army invaded Azerbaijan, slaughtering thousands of Muslim Tatars and the region became a Trans-Caucasian republic, ruled directly from Moscow. Oil wealth made Baku central to Stalin’s industrial drive of the 1930’s but a legacy of resentment was passed down by generations of Azerbaijanis at the way in which Communists had treated their country.

Azerbaijan declared its independence on 30th April 1991. The longest serving President, Heidar Aliyev, was a high-ranking member of the Communist party under the Soviets and was elected in 1993. He showed a fierce nationalism and led the way to encourage foreign investment, principally by opening the country’s oil reserves to production sharing agreements with the world’s major oil companies. Azerbaijan’s first parliamentary elections were held in November 1995; although real efforts were made to carry out a democratic process, serious flaws were detected in the electoral process. Mr. Aliyev was re-elected by a clear majority in November of 1998 in the second set of elections that saw the beginnings of a political opposition. President Aliyev’s son, Ilham succeeded him as President in elections in October 2003.

A military conflict with Armenia has left a large section of Azerbaijan’s western territory under Armenian control. Peace talks have been stalemated, while a cease-fire operates along the border. Further military engagement seems unlikely, but the border remains closed. To the south Iran has a border that sees much traffic as goods and materials come up from Dubai transiting through Iran. Iran and Azerbaijan are in disagreement on the Caspian boundary for oil exploration rights and one major project has been interrupted by the dispute. Other trade comes across from Turkey through Georgia. Most goods imported from Europe come on this route. Azerbaijan has excellent relations with both Turkey and Georgia, having recently agreed to terms for the main export pipeline and the Shah Deniz gas export pipeline with both countries.

Azerbaijan is a Muslim country but is firmly in the western camp, depending on western investment for developments in the oil industry. American embassy officials work closely with local intelligence agencies to monitor and advise of the movement of identified groups. In the past years several arrests have been made and individuals extradited.

Azerbaijan Internet links