Azerbaijan Azarbaycan Respublikasi

Area: 86,600 sq km

 

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

Geography—note: landlocked

 

Population: 7,908,224 (July 1999 est.)

Ethnic groups: Azeri 90%, Dagestani Peoples 3.2%, Russian 2.5%, Armenian 2%, other 2.3% (1998 est.) note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region

Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.) note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower

Languages: Azeri 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.)


    Médecins Sans Frontières give medical support to people in Azerbaijan and are helping to improve the medical infrastructure. See the link to the MSF-website for more information on MSF's activities in Azerbaijan.


Route notes of the rally:

…coming from Georgia.

Monday 15 th May - Day 15 — Tbilisi to Baku 580km

The Route heads to the Azerbaijan border via the town of Sagarejo. Cross the border to Azerbaijan and the day is spent skirting the towns of Seki and Ansu in the foothills of the Caucasus and river valleys with a lot of traditional rural life to be seen and on to Baku and the ferry across the Caspian. Baku is a surprisingly attractive city so we hope we can arrive with a couple of hours to see something of it before boarding the ferry in the evening for the 14-hour crossing.

…moving on to Turkmenistan.