Azerbaijan, country, Asia

CE5

Azerbaijan äˌzərbījänˈ, ăˌzər– [key], Azeri Azərbaycan, officially Republic of Azerbaijan, republic (2020 est. pop. 10,110,000), 33,428 sq mi (86,579 sq km), in Transcaucasia. Strategically situated at the gateway to SW Asia, Azerbaijan is bounded by Iran on the south, where the Aras (Araks) River divides it from Iranian Azerbaijan; by the Caspian Sea on the east; by Russia's Dagestan Republic on the north; and by Armenia on the west. Bakı (Baku) is the capital; other major cities include Ganja and Sumqayit.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• History
• Government
• Economy
• Land and People
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: CIS and Baltic Political Geography