Azerbaijan - Azerbejdżan

Azerbaijan
Flag
location
Information
Capital city	Baku
System	republic
Currency	manatee (AZN)
Time zone	UTC 4 - winter UTC 5 - summer
Surface	86,600 km²
Population	10 127 874
Official language	Azerbaijani (Azerbaijani)
Dominant religion	Islam (Shi'ite)
Telephone code	994
Electric voltage	220V / 50Hz (European sockets)
Car code	UNTIL
Car traffic	right hand
Internet domain	.until

Azerbaijan - a frontier country Europe and Asia. In the northwest it borders with Georgia, in the north with Russia, in the west with Armeniaand to the south he is his neighbor Iran. On the eastern side, the border is marked by the Caspian Sea.

Part of Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is called "Little Land" and is separate from "Big Land" Armeniait borders on the northeast. From the south, it surrounds her Iran. In turn, in the west there is a section of the border with Turkey.

Characteristic

Geography

fauna and Flora

Climate

This small country does not have a uniform climate: in the west it is more continental and more humid by the sea; in the south it is subtropical and in the north it is temperate.

History

Culture and art

Policy

The state system tries to imitate European democracies, but in fact today it resembles quite authoritarian governments. There is a unicameral parliament of 125 people Milli Məclis, the cabinet of ministers headed by the prime minister, but still the most important thing is the president's opinion and his ordinance.

The president of the country is Ilham Aliyev, who "inherited" power from his father - Haidar Aliyev in 2003. In terms of clans, the Aliyevs come from Slouching, which led to the privileges of the local population and their assumption of important positions in the state. Both are visible on billboards across the country and are also cited in countless places.

Azerbaijan is from Armenia at war, Fr. Nagorno-Karabakh, but a ceasefire has been going on for over a dozen years. This situation has led to a huge exile - hundreds of thousands of Azeris are in "temporary" camps (railway carriages, dormitories, etc.). The OSCE Minsk Group is trying to find a way out of this stalemate, but still unsuccessfully. Democracy index: 148 Azerbaijan 2.65 Authoritarian regime Presidential system

Economy

Society

Traditions

Preparations

Guides

• Azerbaijan with excursions to Georgia - Mark Elliott. English-language guide of the publishing house TrailblazerPart 9 is devoted to Georgia and presents the most important places and routes on 32 pages. ISBN 1-873756-79-8.
• Guide to Azerbaijan - Marek Lech. Europa Publishing House, Baku 2007. A guide in English, but by a Polish author. Attached CD with photos of tourist attractions and accommodation.
• Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan - Richard Plunkett, Tom Masters. Guide Lonely Planet is in English and contains information on three countries Transcaucasia, in Azerbaijan not welcome, because the authors allocated a separate place in it to the rebel autonomous republic Nagorno-Karabakh. ISBN 978-1740591386.

Maps

There is one Azerbaijani map in the scale of 1: 500,000 in two variants: road and physical (the first one is better: Avtomobil Yolları). This map is relatively easy to obtain in the capital city. In addition to this you can get Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan 1:100 000 – freytag & berndt.

Unfortunately, mountain maps do not exist.

Travel time selection

In summer, it is hotter than 30 degrees, so unless you are planning mountain hiking, it is better to avoid the period from June to August. Winter is short, snow falls in and south of the capital in January and it is at most a week. This time of year is more like Polish autumn.

The best times to visit Azerbaijan are spring and autumn.

Visas

Poles need a visa to enter Azerbaijan. You can apply for it at the Embassy in in Warsaw. Until recently, it could be obtained upon arrival at the International Airport. Heydar Aliyev in Baku, but unfortunately this is no longer possible. The cost of obtaining a 30-day visa is EUR 60, 2 photos are also required en face. Transit visas are currently issued for only 6 hours. The cost of obtaining a visa through the portal https://evisa.gov.az 23 USD in regular mode, waiting time max. 3 working days.

Customs regulations

When exporting carpets, antiquarian items, works of art and jewelery, it is necessary to present their certificates (issued by the Ministry of Culture, assistance in obtaining the certificate is provided by specialized showrooms) and bills. It is allowed to export up to 0.6 kg of black caviar (in one original package - in practice, packages weighing up to 0.5 kg are available). Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Currency exchange

Dollars, euros, rubles and maybe a bit more difficult pounds can be exchanged for manatees in many exchange offices and banks. There is no commission.

Exchange rates (November 4, 2008): EUR 1 = AZN 1.01 USD 1 = AZN 0.81

1 AZN = PLN 3.51

Insurance

Equipment

If you are not used to Asian toilets, it is a good idea to carry toilet paper with you all the time.

Phrase book

Look Azerbaijani phrasebook.

Drive

By plane

There are no direct air connections with Poland. The cheapest flights are offered by carriers from the former USSR: AirBaltic with a change in Riga, Aeroflot with a change in Moscow and AeroSvit with a change in Kiev.

Of course, you can also use the services of airlines such as: Lufthansa (via Frankfurt), Turk Hava Yollari (via Istanbul), Austrian Airlines (via Vienna) or bmi (via London).

By train

Rail connections can only be considered with Georgia. Every day there is a train from Tbilisi down Baku. Of course, there are also trains from Russia and Ukraine, but Polish citizens cannot cross Azerbaijan's northern border with Russia (Look Border crossings). The night train departs Baku at 10:00 PM and arrives in Tbilisi around 10:00 PM. 12.00, depending on the duration of the border control. The first class ticket (kupe) costs 25 manats (June 10, 2009).

Tickets in Azerbaijan can be purchased on the day of departure or up to 2 days before departure, it is not possible to purchase tickets in advance. The rolling stock is in a satisfactory condition - clean, but very old. The main railway station in Baku is being rebuilt, the station facilities are in terrible condition (toilets!). There is no one queue to the ticket offices, and you should boldly fight the locals with your elbows to get to the ticket office.

By car

Azerbaijan can be reached by car driving through the Balkans, Turkey and Georgia. You can also choose a trail through Ukraine and Russia with a ferry crossing from Odessa or Sochi down Poti or Batumi in Georgia due to difficulties in border traffic for non-nationals CIS (Look Border crossings).

By bus

Buses from the following 4 locations run regularly:

• Istanbul (and other Turkish cities on the way) - 48 hours, approx. USD 60, the number of courses depends on the season,
• Tbilisi - 14 hours, $ 10, everyday except Sunday,
• Tehran - 24 hours, $ 15, everyday except Friday
• Tabriz - 20h, $ 15, everyday except Friday.

Connections from Russia (Look Border crossings).

By ship

There are basically only 2 options for arriving in Azerbaijan:

• With Aktau in Kazakhstan (approx. 18 hours, more or less once a week),
• With Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan (approx. 15 hours, actually every day).

Prices vary depending on the type of cabin from $ 50 to $ 100. There is no strict timetable for these ferries to travel - it all depends on whether the ship is loaded enough.

Border crossings

• Krasnyj Most - the main road and rail crossing from Georgia
• Balakən - road with Georgia
• Astara - road with Iran
• Samur - road with Russia (closed to non-citizens CIS)

Regions

Separated cities

9. Baku Sideburns

20. Ganja Gəncə

30. Lenkoran Lənkəran

33. Mingachevir Mingəçevir

4. Nakhichevan Naxçivan (part of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic)

34. Naftalan

47. Şəki

7. Şirvan

53. Sumgait Sumqayıt

55. Şuşa (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)

60. Stepanakert Xankindi (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)

67. Yevlax

Regions

(Alphabetic order)

1. Abşeron district Abşeron rayonu
2. Ağcabədi area Ağcabədi rayonu
3. Ağdam area Ağdam rayonu (partly under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
4. Ağdaş district Ağdaş rayonu
5. Ağstafa area Ağstafa rayonu
6. Ağsu district Ağsu rayonu
7. Astara area Astara rayon
8. Babək district Babək rayonu (part of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic)
9. Balakən district Balakən rayonu
10. Bårdə area Bərdə rayonu
11. Beyləqan district Beyləqan rayonu
12. Biləsuvar district Biləsuvar rayonu
13. Cəbrayıl area Cəbrayıl rayonu (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
14. Cəlilabad division Cəlilabad rayonu
15. Culf's area Culf rayon (part of Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic)
16. Daşkəsən district Daşkəsən rayonu
17. Dəvəçi area Dəvəçi rayonu
18. Füzula district Füzuli rayonu (partly under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
19. Gədəbəy district Gədəbəy rayonu
20. Goranboy area Goranboy rayon
21. Göyçay area Göyçay rayonu
22. Göygöl area Göygöl rayonu
23. Hacıqabul area Hacıqabul rayonu
24. İmişli district İmişli rayonu
25. İsmayıllı Area İsmayıllı rayonu
26. Kəlbəcər district Kəlbəcər rayonu (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
27. Kəngərli district Kəngərli rayonu (part of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic)
28. Kürdəmir area Kürdəmir rayonu
29. Laçın area Laçın rayonu (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
30. Lenkoran area Lənkəran rayonu
31. Lerik district Rayon Lerik
32. Masallı area Masallı rayonu
33. Neftçal area Neftçal rayon
34. Oğuz district Oğuz rayonu
35. Ordubad area Ordubad rayon (part of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic)
36. Qax area Rayon qax
37. Qazax district Qazax rayon
38. Qəbələ area Qəbələ rayonu
39. Qobustan area Qobustan rayon
40. Quba area Quba rayon
41. Qubadlı area Qubadlı rayonu (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
42. Qusar district Qusar rayonu
43. Saatlı area Saatlı rayonu
44. Sabirabad area Sabirabad rayonu
45. Şahbuz district Şahbuz rayonu (part of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic)
46. Salyan district Salyan rayon
47. Şamaxı area Şamaxı rayonu
48. Samux area Samux rayon
49. Sədərək district Sədərək rayonu (part of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic)
50. Şəki area Rayon ki
51. Şəmkir district Şəmkir rayonu
52. Şərur region Rayon tubes (part of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic)
53. Siyəzən district Siyəzən rayonu
54. Şuşa district Şuşa rayonu (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
55. Tərtər area Tərtər rayonu (partly under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
56. Tovuz district Tovuz rayonu
57. Ucar area Ucar rayon
58. Xaçmaz area Xaçmaz rayonu
59. Xızı area Xızı rayonu
60. Xocalı area Xocalı rayonu (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
61. Xocavənd district Xocavənd rayonu (partly under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
62. Yardımlı area Yardımlı rayonu
63. Yevlax area Yevlax rayon
64. Zaqatala district Zaqatala rayonu
65. Zəngilan district Rayonu Zəngilan (remains under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh)
66. Zərdab area Rayonu Zərdab

Cities

According to official data from 2011, Azerbaijan had over 70 cities with a population of over 5,000. residents. The capital of the country Baku was the only city with over half a million inhabitants; 2 cities with a population of 100,000 ÷ 500,000; 11 cities with a population of 50,000 ÷ 100,000, 22 cities with a population of 25,000 ÷ 50,000 and the rest of the cities below 25,000 residents. For comparison, the urban population in 1995 accounted for 56% of the country's population.

• Baku (Sideburns)
• Ganja (Gəncə)
• Sumgait (Sumqayıt)
• Şəki
• Lenkoran (Lənkəran)
• Quba
• Şamaxı
• Şuşa
• Stepanakert (Xankindi)
• Laçın

Interesting places

• Mud volcanoes near the village Qobustan, approx. 50 km south of the capital
• Petroglyphs therein Qobust
• Khan's Palace in Şəki
• Albanian church in Kish, circle Şəki
• Old Town (İçəri Şəhər) in Baku
• Yanar Dağ - a flaming hill in the Absheronian Peninsula
• village Xınalıq in the mountains of the Caucasus, not far away Qubs
• village Lahıç famous for the production of decorated copper vessels

Transport

The roads are not of the best quality, many of them require immediate overhaul. There are also well-asphalted ones - usually a sign that the president has recently visited these sites. There are practically no highways, the best road is from Baku to a suburban airport.

The use of minibuses (marshrutkas), which connect almost all towns in the country. If no bus is available, you can count on taxis - the route and price should be agreed before setting off. In remote areas, drivers can still quote prices in shirvansi.e. they may mean double charge as 1 shirvana are the current 2 manatees.

Trains usually run at night, arriving in the early hours of the morning. Railway stations outside Baku are located away from city centers and you need to take a taxi to get to them.

Trip

You can extend your trip by seeing Georgiafor which Poles do not need a visa. WITH Baku down Tbilisi Planes, trains and buses run regularly.

Another possibility is to go south to Iranwhere more than 20 million Azeris live. Their informal capital is Tabriz. However, it is necessary to apply for an Iranian visa in advance, because at the airport in Tehran it is possible to obtain consent for a 7-day stay on the basis of an exit ticket, which cannot be extended.

Apart from the above 2 options, it is even more complicated - to take the ferry to Turkmenbashi, seaport in Turkmenistan and a visit Ashgabat. (Turkmen visa needed and invitation for 60 €).

Tongue

Azerbaijani (also called Azerbaijani, but this is not a politically correct term) is the official language. On the streets Baku however, you hear Russian quite often, and foreigners who are attracted to the crude oil naturally speak English, which is becoming better known, especially among young people.

In the provinces, knowledge of other languages ​​is reduced to the local Caucasian languages: Lezgin, Avar, etc. in the north and Talysh (related to Persian) in the south. The closer to the border with Russia, the easier it is to communicate in the language of this country.

Shopping

Popular ideas for shopping in Azerbaijan are caviar (look for in the bazaars, preferably original-packed cans) and cognac (the one from Tovuzu). You can buy other souvenirs on the promenade in Baku Targowyj, right next to the Fountain Square.

Gastronomy

Azerbaijani cuisine is based mainly on rice and meat. Pilaf (az. aş, ros. fawn) is probably the most important dish, the real king on the local table. It is difficult to imagine a wedding or a banquet without this dish. There are a few different variations: milk, fruity, herbal, meat, nut, etc.

There are also known "lovebirds" dolma - they may be stuffed peppers and tomatoes or wrapped in grapevine leaves. In the south of Azerbaijan it is a specialty ləvəngi, ie chicken or fish stuffed with nut and navy blue stuffing. In turn, the north, especially the region Shekas is famous for piti - soup cooked in an earthenware vessel, consisting of mutton, peas, potatoes and onions.

Turkish food - incl kebabs and doners - is treated as yours. Lentil soup (mercimek çorbası) and ayranwhich is sipped with dinner, meals are perfectly on the spot. The number of Turkish bars and restaurants throughout Azerbaijan is really big. In addition to local specialties, cuisines from other nations are available. Georgian cuisine with its own deserves special attention Chaczapuri or khinkali. IN Baku you can easily find Ukrainian, Indian or Chinese restaurants.

Accommodation

In the case of a stay in Baku, it is recommended to rent an apartment through the "Bakurent" office, which also offers additional services (transfer, purchase of tickets), service in English and Russian, among others.

Science

Many students study at Azerbaijani universities (mainly in Baku) Turkey, China and others It is difficult to assess the level of education obtained here, because the teaching process - like every area of ​​life in this country - is gripped by terrible corruption, which makes the diplomas and degrees obtained unreliable.

work

The rich oil reserves in the Caspian Sea have caused a production rush. Many people from developed countries find employment in Azerbaijan primarily in the oil industry, its branches and servicing foreigners who came here. The construction boom that accompanies this phenomenon allows you to quickly find a job on numerous construction sites, but it is often "illegal" and without even basic benefits.

The Azeris themselves struggle to find a job. Most often they pay lavish bribes to get it, unless they have a highly placed "uncle" ... Their average monthly satisfactory wage is at the level of several hundred manatees. Public sector positions are low paid - around 100 AZN. The situation of old age and disability pensioners is even worse.

Security

Despite the endless military conflict with Armenia about Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan is perhaps the safest country in the Transcaucasus. There is practically no petty crime in Azerbaijan, and you don't need to be afraid of anything when walking through the streets of cities at night.

The biggest threat in Azerbaijan is traffic. There is a rule that pedestrians have no rights in Azerbaijan, and on the road the driver is only interested in what is in front of him, so he does not have to look into the rearview mirror too much.

Health

contact

Telephone

Telephone calls within one city are free. Vending machines can also be easily found on the outskirts.

There are 3 mobile phone networks in the country:

• Azercell (SimSim - numbers starting with 050 and 051),
• Bakcell (CinKart - numbers: 055),
• Nar Mobile (numbers: 070).

The first one is the oldest and the most extensive - including the metro line service in Baku. The last one is the youngest and does not cover all regions.

Internet

post

There are practically no postcards. The few that are commercially available show winter landscapes or views of forested hills.

Tourist information

Diplomatic representations

Diplomatic missions accredited in Azerbaijan

The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Baku

Azerbaijan, AZ-1000, Baku, ul. Kiczik Gala 2, Iczeri Szeher (Old Town)

Phone: 994 12 492 01 14

Fax: 994 12 492 02 14

Web page: https://baku.msz.gov.pl/pl/

E-mail: [email protected]

Diplomatic representations accredited in Poland

Azerbaijan Embassy in Warsaw

Address: ul. Zwycięzców 12, 03-941 Warsaw

e-mail: [email protected]

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