Azerbaijan – An Amazing Holiday

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia (Republic of Dagestan) to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Baku is the capital and largest city.

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 Azykh Cave. Early settlements included the Scythians during the 9th century BC. Following the Scythians, Iranian Medes came to dominate the area to the south of the Aras river. The Medes forged a vast empire between 900 and 700 BC, which was integrated into the Achaemenid Empire around 550 BC. The area was conquered by the Achaemenids leading to the spread of Zoroastrianism.

Geographically, Azerbaijan is located 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 miles), of which 1,007 km (626 miles) are with Armenia, 756 km (470 miles) with Iran, 480 kilometers with Georgia, 390 km (242 miles) with Russia and 15 km (9 miles) with Turkey. The coastline stretches for 800 km (497 miles), and the length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea is 456 km (283 miles). The country has a landlocked exclave, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

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% of the country. The highest peak of Azerbaijan is Mount Bazardüzü 4,466 meters (14,652 feet), while the lowest point lies in the Caspian Sea −28 meters (−92 feet). Nearly half of all the mud volcanoes on Earth are concentrated in Azerbaijan, these volcanoes were also among nominees for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The main water sources are surface waters. Only 24 of the 8,350 rivers are greater than 100 km (62 miles) in length. All the rivers drain into the Caspian Sea in the east of the country. The largest lake is Sarysu 67 square km (26 square miles), and the longest river is Kur 1,515 km (941 miles), which is transboundary with Armenia. Azerbaijan has several islands along the Caspian Sea, mostly located in the Baku Archipelago.

Azerbaijan is home to a wide variety of landscapes. Over half of Azerbaijan’s landmass consists of mountain ridges, crests, highlands, 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 consists 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)

In this tour of Azerbaijan organized by The Vacation Studio, we are covering Baku, Gabala, Gobustan, which takes you through, Mud Volcanoes, Fire Mountain, the extravagant Baku City and some of the most amazing landscapes which offer awe-inspiring views making it a perfect holiday destination for those who wish to relax and for those who wish to enjoy lot of adventures.