Basic information about Azerbaijan Azerbaijan is a country of Transcaucasia north of Iran. The region was settled by the Medes before the forth century B.C. and was a separate kingdom after the death of Alexander the Great. Ceded to Russia by Persia in 1813 and 1828, the territory was a constituent republic of the USSR from 1936 to 1991 (It joined the USSR Dec. 30, 1922). Azerbaijan declared independence Aug. 30, 1991, and became an independent state when the Soviet Union disbanded Dec. 26, 1......... more

Travel to Azerbaijan requires an entry visa, unless there is an agreement on visa free travel with the country of citizenship. / With effect from 15 October 2010 foreign nationals travelling to Azerbaijan are no longer able to obtain entry visas upon arrival. It doesn't affect Turkish & Russian nationals because their countries have agreements on visa free travel. / Azerbaijan consulates and embassies can issues single, double and multiple types of (tourist, business, transit) visas to Azerb......... more

In September 1988 Azerbaijan Republic had declared its national sovereignty, in October 1991 the formal independence was declared. Power in Azerbaijan is focused on the President and his team, but there is a Cabinet of Ministers headed by a Prime Minister and a Parliament ("Milli Mejlis") which acts as legislative body. Abulfez Elchibey was the first democratic elected non-communist President of Azerbaijan from 1992 to 1993. / Heydar Aliyev was elected in October 1993 and won in new presi......... more

Based on rich reserves of oil and natural gas, Azerbaijan was one of the first petroleum-producing regions of the world. In addition the country has a well-developed agricultural base (with cotton as the main cash crop), a large industrial sector, and an extensive transportation network. The economic downturn during the past 5 years affected all these sectors, with the highest declines occurring in industry. The industrial sector in Azerbaijan has been characterised by a strong dichotomy ......... more