There is a running joke among visitors to Azerbaijan – say that you are going to this country to the average Westerner and they will most likely respond with a ‘where’? Yet the inability to pinpoint Azerbaijan on a map has proved inconsequential. The recently deceased President Heydar Aliyev succeeded in transforming the country from a relative backwater to a pivotal power in Central Asia. Azerbaijan’s provision of airspace and intelligence to US forces after the September 2001 attacks greatly improved its standing in Washington and international affairs. Azerbaijan has expertly ridden the crest of the oil boom, and 5-star hotels have gradually emerged.

However, Azerbaijan has antithesis at its core: wealth mingles with poverty; Soviet blocks jostle with 10th-century mosques. Azerbaijan’s geographical status has made it a gateway between east and west, and the country was an important stop on the Silk Route. Over the centuries, Azerbaijan has been incorporated into most major regional empires. The process began with the Arabs establishing Islam in the seventh century. In the 11th century, the Seljuk Turks established a Turkish dialect as the main language. Iranians influenced the adherence to the Shia branch of Islam. Later, Azerbaijan would spend 40 years as a minor Soviet republic.

This mosaic of historical influence has arguably enriched Azerbaijan: Baku’s oldest building, the Synyk Kalah Minaret, dates from 1093; the Shirvanshah’s Palace and other fortresses are masterpieces of architecture from the 13th to 15th centuries; Gobustan’s rock paintings are some 10,000 years old; and Sheki is one of the oldest settlements in the Caucasus, dating back 2,500 years.

Azerbaijan is charming because of its quirks. Some nationals still practise Zoroastrianism. Nature throws up a few surprises, such as the plenitude of mud volcanoes, or the endless burning of fire on the hills of Ramana. It is difficult to know whether it is true when Azerbaijanis claim that their country produces some of the world’s longest-lived people. The country’s climate, way of life and beauty suggest that it might be.

86,600 sq km (33,400 sq miles).

8.4 million (UN estimate 2006).

97 per sq km.

Baku. Population: 1.9 million (2005).

Democratic Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Azerbaijani. Russian is widely spoken; English may be spoken in Baku and other main centres.

Mostly Shia Muslim although there are Russian Orthodox and Jewish communities.

GMT + 4.

Visitors to Azerbaijan may find themselves the recipients of an unexpected bounty in the form of gifts of flowers, food and souvenirs. It is therefore advisable to travel equipped with suitable items (consumables or souvenirs) with which to reciprocate. Local women, particularly in rural areas, tend to be extremely retiring. They will serve a meal, but seldom eat with foreign guests. Visitors may present women with flowers, but overenthusiastic attempts to engage them in conversation may cause offence and embarrassment. Foreign women are treated with elaborate courtesy which can develop into excessive attention. It is therefore advisable for women to dress modestly, especially in the rural areas, and cultivate a certain coolness of manner. Still, many local and foreign women dress in western-style clothes and this is seen as perfectly acceptable. Both men and women should, however, avoid wearing shorts as this will attract unwelcome attention. Although mostly Muslim in population, Azerbaijan is a largely secular society that views religion as a private matter. Handshaking is the normal form of greeting. Business cards are invariably exchanged at any kind of official meeting, and not infrequently on first meeting socially as well.

220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Prime Minister Artur Rasizada since 2003.

President Ilham Aliyev since 2003.