Azerbaijan Travel Guide

Full Name

Republic of Azerbaijan

Former Name

Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital City

Baku (Baki)

Government Type

republic

Area Size

total: 86,600 sq km

Time Zone

UTC/GMT +4 hours

Climate

The formation of climate in Azerbaijan is influenced particularly by cold artic air masses of Scandinavian anticyclone, temperate of Siberian anticyclone), and Central Asian anticyclone. Regarding landscape diversity, air masses have different ways to enter the country. The Greater Caucasus protects the country from direct influences of cold air masses, coming from the north. That leads to the formation of subtropical climate on most foothills and plains of the country. Meanwhile plains and foothills are characterized by high solar radiation rates. Eight out of eleven existing climate zones are present in Azerbaijan. Both the absolute minimum temperature (-33 °C) and the absolute maximum temperature (+46 °C) were observed in Julfa and Ordubad. The maximum annual precipitation falls in Lankaran (1,600 to 1,800 mm) and the minimum in Absheron (200 to 350 mm).

Geography

The total length of Azerbaijani land borders is 2,648 km, of which Armenia constitutes 1007, Iran 756, Georgia 480, Russia - 390 and Turkey - 15. The coastline stretches for 800 km and the length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of Caspian Sea is 456 km. The territory of Azerbaijan extends 400 km from north to south, and 500 km from west to east. The three mountain ranges are 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 m), while the lowest point lies in the Caspian Sea (-28 m). Near a half of all the mud volcanoes on Earth is concentrated in Azerbaijan. The main water sources are the surface waters. However, only 24 of the 8,350 rivers are greater than 100 km in length. All the rivers drain into the Caspian Sea in the east of the country. The largest lake is Sarısu (67 km²) and the longest river is Kur (1,515 km), which is transboundary.

Languages

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

Culture

Culture of Azerbaijan roots in ancient times, as documented by petroglyphs on the rocks of Gobustan, Gamigaya in Nakhchivan, on the mountain Dalidag in Kalbajar; archaic ceramics of neolith and epoch of bronze, bronze ornaments and utensils, products from gold and silver found in numerous barrows, burials and settlements.

History

Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population - 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 571,000 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.

Travel Information

The national airline is Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) (J2), which operates regular flights to Ankara, London, Kiev, Dubai, Tehran and Tel Aviv. Baku Bina (BAK)Airport is 25km east of Baku (journey time – 40 minutes). Taxis and buses are available to the centre. Airport facilities are Car hire, bank/bureau de change, left luggage facilities and a VIP lounge. Baku offers a range of shipping services across the Caspian Sea, including regular trips to Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan, and to Bandar Anzali and Bandar Nowshar in Iran. Azerbaijan is connected with Tbilisi in Georgia and Makhachkala in Dagestan (Russian Federation), as well as Moscow and other major cities in the CIS. There is a railway connecting the autonomous republic of Nakhichevan with Tabriz in Iran but there are not yet any connections to the main part of Azerbaijan. Rail travel is slow, and there have been reports of robbery by bandits on some routes. There are routes from Azerbaijan to Iran, Georgia and the Russian Federation. It may be quicker to use public transport than to drive, owing to lengthy delays at the borders. There are regular bus services on the following routes: Baku–Tehran, Baku–Tblisi and Baku–Derbent (Russian Federation).

Accommodation

Most hotels are now private and standards of hygiene, service and catering have improved a great deal. Most hotels have satellite connection facilities, telephone and fax services. Many major hotel chains, including Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Park and Grand Hotel Europe, are now represented in Azerbaijan.

Visa Requirements

Citizens of most of the countries of the CIS do not need a visa to enter Azerbaijan. Citizens of other countries can get a visa at an Azerbaijan Embassy abroad and/or in the Heydar Aliyev airport on a basis of an invitation from a private person or tourist agency. Consular fee applies.

Getting Around

Traffic drives on the right. Azerbaijan’s road network totals around 57,770km. Road conditions are often pretty poor and 4-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended for journeys into the mountains, eg west of Kuba. Roads are badly lit. Visitors should note that many local drivers do not adhere to traffic regulations and that cars are badly maintained. International car hire firms are available in Baku. An International Driving Permit is required or licence issued by an EU country. Taxi fares should always be negotiated before starting a journey, and visitors should be aware that rates proposed initially are likely to be unreasonably high. There is an underground system totalling 28km but most visitors use taxis or private cars. Baku Metro is poorly maintained and the system is often inadequately safe and overcrowded. Buses run from central Baku to the suburbs but they tend to be overcrowded.

Health & Safety

Travellers need to take special precautions regarding; Tetanus,Typhoid and at times Malaria, Rabies. Inoculation regulations can change at short notice. Please take medical advice in the case of doubt. All water should be regarded as being a potential health risk. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. Vaccinations against hepatitis B and tuberculosis are sometimes advised. There may be some risk of meningitis, tick-borne encephalitis and leishmaniasis. Rabies is present in some areas. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. The health service provides free medical treatment for all citizens. However, state-run services in Azerbaijan are limited. Reciprocal health agreements exist between the UK and Azerbaijan, enabling travellers to receive free or low-cost emergency care. All visitors, including those from the UK, are advised to take out comprehensive travel insurance. It is advisable to take a supply of those medicines that are likely to be required (but check first that they may be legally imported). Travellers are advised to take out an insurance policy which includes emergency repatriation in case of serious illness or accident. Travel to Nagorno-Karabakh, and to the militarily-occupied area around it, is advised against. For further advice, visitors should contact their local government travel advice department.

National Holidays

1 Jan - New Year's Day. 20 Jan - Day of the Martyrs. 8 Mar - Women's Day. 21 Mar - Novruz Bayramy (Persian New Year). 6 Apr - Good Friday. 9 Apr - Easter Monday. 9 May - Victory Day. 28 May - Republic Day. 15 Jun - Day of National Salvation. 26 Jun - Army and Navy Day. 13 Oct - End of Ramadan. 18 Oct - Day of Independence. 12 Nov - Constitution Day. 17 Nov - Day of National Revival. 20 Dec - Feast of Sacrifice. 31 Dec - Day of Azeri Solidarity.

Currency

Azerbaijani Manat (AZM)

Electricity

220V AC

Working Hours

Banking hours: 09.00 - 18.00 Monday to Saturday.

Emergency Numbers

03(Ambulance) 01(Fire) 02(Police)