TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

The capital city of Azerbaijan- Baku- is home to one-fifth of the republic's population. This old and picturesque city is built around a harbour- Baku Bay, which is carved in the underside of the Apsheron Peninsula. The heart of Baku is Ichari Shahar- the Old Town with its historical buildings and tiny shops in a maze of narrow streets and dead ends- is very popular among tourists. Here you will also find a colorful bazaar where you can buy anything- from ancient carpets to all kinds of spices and herbs.
Colored ceramc tiles and stained-glass windows cover the Xan Sarayı (Khan's Palace) which was built in the 1760-s. The palace is a two-storey beautifully decorated building with a small rose garden in front of it.
There are several well-preserved medieval fortresses on the Apsheron Peninsula, at Ramana, Nardaran and two fortresses at Mardakyany. At Ramana you can also see the remains of 100-year old oil fields. Mardakyany has a botanic garden and a 15th century mosque with some information displays.
Ateşgah Fire Temple, also known as the Temple of the Fireworshippers is an architectural marvel built in the 17th century by Indian Shivaite pilgrims on the spot which had been a sacred place of worship to the Zoroastrians since the 6th century. Natural gas and oil spontaneously erupted from the ground and could be ignited gave the name of the temple, which means "the home of fire". Flames still burn from flues at corners of the roof. You can see the ancient Sanskrit and Hindi inscriptions and the onion dome toped with the trident of Hindu god Shiva.
If you have enough time, visit Gobustan - an open-air museum which has some 4000 Stone Age rock drawings, some of them dated as far back as 10,000 BC. You are provided with a guide to give you a quick tour of the museum. There are a few geysers (mud-volcanoes) in the area, only 10km (6mi) from Gobustan.

TRAVEL TIPS

Visitors to Azerbaijan are generally welcomed, but you should take sensible precautions: be vigilant, avoid showing large sums of money in public and don’t walk alone at night. Avoid dark and unlit streets and stairways, arrange to be picked up or dropped off as close to your hotel or apartment entrance as possible. You should be aware that some muggings have been carried out at night by taxi drivers in collusion with pre-positioned gangs. Take a private or company driver, or a taxi and driver known personally to you, or one accredited to the hotel you are staying in. You should arrange for your driver to pick you up at the end of the evening and take you back to your hotel or home. Do not share a taxi with strangers. Carry a photocopy of your passport with you at all times and keep the original in a safe place.
Police conduct document checks throughout the day. Rogue police officers and impersonators use these operations to extort sums of money for alleged minor violations or through “drugs searches” – sometimes as little as US$2 but sometimes much more. If approached by the police, be co-operative, ask for their identification. If they insist on searching your wallet, remove all money, bank/credit cards and documents before handing it over. If you have documentation or money stolen in such circumstances or indeed if you are the victim of any crime you should report this to the police and your embassy. When making a report to the police, take someone can translate for you. Do not sign any documents you do not understand.
If you find yourself in the vicinity of a demonstration, we advise you to move away.
We advise against all travel to Nagorno-Karabakh, the military occupied area surrounding it as well as to the border areas with Russia. There are regular reports of gunfire, kidnappings and landmines in the aras.
You can drive in Azerbaijan using a licence issued by an EU country or by using an International Driving Licence. Care should be taken if driving at night. Many roads are badly lit and are of poor quality. Driving conditions are stressful, and often confusing. Many cars are poorly maintained, and the standard of driving is erratic. Most older taxis do not have seat belts. Drink driving laws are strict and there is a zero limit on drinking alcohol and driving. Should you travel by train, secure your valuables, do not leave the compartment unattended, and lock the door from the inside.
English is spoken in some places frequented by Westerners. Many people also speak Russian, especially in the capital city, Baku. Corruption is widespread. Carry some USD, be ready to give a bribe to keep you out of trouble.
We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling to Azerbaijan. Medical facilities outside Baku are very limited. Serious illness or injury may require evacuation to, Turkey or Western Europe. Seek medical advice about precautionary measures before travelling. There have been outbreaks of rabies in the remote rural areas of Azerbaijan. There is usually a small number of malaria cases during the summer months particularly in the southern part of Azerbaijan; you should promptly seek medical care in the event of a fever or flu-like illness in the first year following your return from travelling to a malaria risk country. You should not drink tap water as it may be unsafe but bottled water is readily available. You should be aware that contaminated, locally produced alcoholic spirits are sometimes sold in small local bars and restaurants.
Check the list of Embassies of Azerbaijan to the World or Embassies of Other Nations to Azerbaijan.

BRIEF HISTORY

The first kingdom in the territory of present-day Azerbaijan was Mannae in the 9th century BC, which later became part of the Persian Empire. Islam spread rapidly in Azerbaijan following the Arab conquests in the 7th–8th centuries. Azerbaijan was acquired by Russia through several treaties between the Russian emperor and the local khans in the first decade of the 19th century. In 1873, underground oil reserves were discovered in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan's future capita; but by the beginning of the 20th century almost half of the oil reserves in the world had been extracted in Baku. Azerbaijan was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 528,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the promise of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled.

GEOGRAPHY

Area: total: 86,600 sq km; land: 86,100 sq km; water: 500 sq km.
Boundaries: Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey.
Climate: dry, semiarid steppe.
Terrain: large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea.
Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina.
Natural Hazards: droughts.
Environmental Problems: the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) including Baku and Sumqayit and the Caspian Sea are the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton.

PEOPLE

Population: 8,000,000.
Median Age: total: 27.7 years; male: 26.3 years; female: 29.2 years.
Life Expectancy: male: 59.78 years, female: 68.13 years.
Fertility Rate: 2.46 children born per woman.
Major Ethnic Groups: Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9%.
Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8%.
Languages: Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6%.

GOVERNMENT

Type: republic (Republic of Azerbaijan).
Capital City: Baku (Baki, Baky).
Administrative Divisions: 59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika).
Time Difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time). Check current time.
National Holiday: Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918).
Chief of State: President.
Head of Government: Prime Minister .
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly.
Legislative Branch: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats).

ECONOMY

Azerbaijan's number one export is oil. Azerbaijan's oil production declined through 1997, but has registered an increase every year since. Negotiation of production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have thus far committed $60 billion to long-term oilfield development, should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997. A consortium of Western oil companies is scheduled to begin pumping 1 million barrels a day from a large offshore field in early 2006, through a $4 billion pipeline it built from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Economists estimate that by 2010 revenues from this project will double the country's current GDP. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector, the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and the pervasive corruption. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its oil wealth.
GDP: $42.99 billion, Growth Rate: 26.4%, GDP Per Capita: $5,400.
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
Agriculture Products: cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats.
Major Industries: petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles.
Export Commodities: oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs.
Export Partners: Italy 30.3%, France 9.4%, Russia 6.6%, Turkey 6.3%, Turkmenistan 6.3%, Georgia 4.8%, Israel 4.5%, Croatia 4.1%.
Import Commodities: machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals.
Import Partners: Russia 17%, UK 9.1%, Singapore 9.1%, Turkey 7.4%, Germany 6.1%, Turkmenistan 5.8%, Ukraine 5.4%, China 4.1%.
Currency: Azerbaijani manat (AZM). Check current rate of exchange.

TRANSPORT

Airports: 27
Roadways: 27,016 km
Railways: 2,957 km.
Major Ports and Terminals: Baku (Baki).