Azerbaijan Neighbouring Countries on the Map
Azerbaijan’s Bordering Countries
Azerbaijan, nestled in the heart of the South Caucasus in Eurasia, rubs shoulders with a handful of nations, bringing a medley of geographical and cultural vibes. Let’s take a peek at who’s cozied up next to Azerbaijan and the borders they share.
Azerbaijan’s Neighbors
Azerbaijan lives next door to:
- Russia to the north
- Georgia to the northwest
- Armenia to the west and southwest
- Iran to the south
- Turkey, but just around the edges via the Nakhchivan exclave
- And not to forget, the Caspian Sea washing its shores to the east
These lines not only chart Azerbaijan’s map but also shape its chats and deals on the political, economic, and cultural fronts.
Russia and the Caspian Conundrum
Russia’s stuck to Azerbaijan’s north with a stretch of about 338 kilometers. It’s like a corridor for strategic and economic mingling, although Kazakhstan skips out on the land border dance due to the Caspian Sea playing spoilsport as a buffer in between.
| Border | Length (km) |
|---|---|
| Russia | 338 |
Wanna get the lowdown on how these borders tie into political buddy-buddy systems? Check out our guide on political and military relations.
Georgia and Nakhchivan Detour
Swinging over to the northwest, Georgia pals around with Azerbaijan along a 428-kilometer stretch, paving the road for a currency of culture and commerce between the two.
Now, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a bit of an odd duck. It’s Azerbaijan’s little slice, bordered by Armenia to the north and east, Iran down south, and Turkey peek-a-booing from the northwest. This off-the-wall geography throws another layer into Azerbaijan’s geopolitical puzzle Britannica.
| Border | Length (km) |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 428 |
| Turkey (Nakhchivan) | 17 |
Wanna geek out more on Nakhchivan’s role in Azerbaijan? Pop by Nakhchivan-Kars Railway or East-West Transport Corridor.
Iran and Armenia Showdown
Down south, Iran lines up with Azerbaijan for 765 kilometers, setting the stage for trade chats and cultural tea parties, albeit with the odd spat, simmering down in our Caspian Sea and Bordering States section.
Westward, there’s Armenia, wrapped in a 1007-kilometer-long border, the hotbed of historical and current drama—cue Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
| Border | Length (km) |
|---|---|
| Iran | 765 |
| Armenia | 1007 |
Keep tabs on these border tensions by visiting our Nagorno-Karabakh Region piece.
In the end, Azerbaijan’s tangled web of borders etches its strategy on home turf and worldwide. Fancy diving deeper into neighborhood politics or sibling nations like Armenia, Iran, or Turkey? We got you covered!
Nagorno-Karabakh Region
Disputed Territory Status
Nagorno-Karabakh sits in a tough spot, technically part of Azerbaijan but hotly claimed by Armenia and folks of Armenian descent. This tug-of-war has been bubbling for years, leading to clashes and a real messy situation down in the South Caucasus.
Impact on Azerbaijani Borders
The tug-of-war over Nagorno-Karabakh stirs up serious trouble for Azerbaijan’s borders. This squabble affects military moves and what kind of deals Azerbaijan can cut with other countries. Ain’t easy to move stuff or even people across when there’s a storm brewin’ in the neighborhood. Looking to dive deeper into countries with quirky borders, check out our corner on armenia neighboring countries.
Conflict and Resolution Attempts
Nagorno-Karabakh is no stranger to fireworks—it’s seen its fair share of punches thrown. In September 2022, Azerbaijan went big, launching an intense offensive against Armenia, one of the nail-biting moments in this ongoing saga. Even when the dust settles with ceasefire talks and foreign bigwigs trying to chill things out, sparks fly from time to time.
| Year | Event | Notable Action |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Military Spending | Azerbaijan went all out with a USD $3 trillion splurge, easily overshadowing Armenia’s budget. |
| 2022 | Major Offensive | Azerbaijan’s bold push against Armenia hit headlines worldwide. |
| 2023 | Checkpoint Drama | Azerbaijan pulled a fast one with a roadblock on a major route to snag Armenian military gear. |
Truce talks aren’t exactly popping champagne. In April 2023, Armenia and Armenian parties were pretty ticked when Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on a key route to Nagorno-Karabakh. To add fuel to the fire, Azerbaijani protestors took over the Lachin highway in December 2022, waving their flags against eco-harm from dodgy mining.
For a wild read on how skirmishes affect borders, scope out pieces like afghanistan neighboring countries or iran neighboring countries.
Caspian Sea and Bordering States
Caspian Sea Geography
So, Azerbaijan’s got this prime spot right between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, just hangin’ out by the Caspian Sea. Call it a sea, call it a lake, it doesn’t matter—it’s the biggest closed body of water on this planet with no exit to the ocean. Azerbaijan can boast about a sprawling 713-kilometer (443-mile) coastline along the Caspian, which basically means they’ve got their hands in the cookie jar when it comes to marine resources and slick transport avenues.
The Caspian Sea’s kinda cozy with five neighbors around: Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. Russia and Kazakhstan have already done the politeness thing and set up their side of the boundaries. But that whole ‘let’s share nicely’ thing isn’t quite working out with Iran and Turkmenistan.
Border Disputes with Iran and Turkmenistan
Folks, talking about borders in that area is like discussing whose French fries are whose without a divider. Specifically, Iran and Turkmenistan haven’t really settled on who gets what. This unresolved drama has occasionally sparked tensions, with folks squabbling over fishing zones and those sweet resource exploration rights.
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Iran: Iran’s been on about splitting the Caspian evenly, meaning each country gets 20% of this watery pie. Buuuut that doesn’t jive with what Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have in mind—they think geography should do the talking, meaning each’s piece of the sea is based on their coastline length.
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Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan has a bone to pick too, especially over the Serdar (or if you ask them, Kyapaz) oil field right in the middle of things. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan both have their bags packed for ownership, leading to slight disagreements on who’s digging where.
All this bickering isn’t just small talk—it’s putting a dent in teamwork and stalling those big projects like pipelines that are super important for energy trade routes between East and West.
Impact on Azerbaijan’s Access
These never-ending border discussions? They’re kinda raining on Azerbaijan’s parade:
- Economic Impact: These territorial squabbles put a damper on Azerbaijan’s dive into underwater treasure chests of oil and gas. This means a whole bunch of potential moolah is left just swimming around.
- Strategic Access: Until folks can sit down and sort this out, Azerbaijan’s moves are pretty restricted when it comes to strategic shuffling in the region.
- Regional Cooperation: With frictions straining ties with Iran and Turkmenistan, smoothing things over could lead to open doors, handshakes, and contracts that say, “Hey, let’s work together.”
Curious about more geopolitical neighborly things? Check out what’s going on with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries and Armenia’s neighboring countries.
And here’s a little cheat sheet on who’s fighting over what in the Caspian Sea:
| Country | Border Status | Dispute Details |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | Settled | All good with Azerbaijan |
| Kazakhstan | Settled | All good with Azerbaijan |
| Iran | Disputed | The whole sharing dilemma |
| Turkmenistan | Disputed | The Serdar/Kyapaz field spat |
Sorting out these border quarrels could drastically impact Azerbaijan, letting them plot bigger moves in their maritime playbook and stabilize their spot in the region’s economy.
Recent Border Developments
COVID-19 Border Closures
Azerbaijan put its foot down with strict border rules when COVID-19 came knocking. Since March 2020, land borders have been locked tight and look to stay that way until at least July 1, 2024 (Wikipedia). Yet, wheels are still turning for cargo and essential goodies from places like Georgia, Russia, Iran, and Turkey — they’re allowed through with a nod and a wave.
Economic Impact of Border Restrictions
The shut borders in Azerbaijan have thrown a wrench in the economic works. Business and travel are out of sync, making life tough for many sectors. Goods are still rolling in, but people aren’t, adding layers to the logistical puzzle. The economic divide is already gaping, with the richest 10% hogging most of the wealth (BTI Project). These hitches particularly hit the 5% to 6% of households that are already struggling to stay afloat.
Health and Sanitation
Even with COVID-19 throwing curveballs, Azerbaijan’s keeping a steady hand on health and cleanliness for its folks. As of early April 2021, statutory health insurance blankets the whole population. In terms of clean essentials, about 96.1% have basic sanitation covered, and 88.3% sip on water that’s fresh and safe. These efforts are a lifeline, keeping public health on track and making sure no one’s left hanging when it comes to the basics.
For more bits and pieces on similar topics, you might want to check out our pieces on afghanistan neighboring countries, armenia neighboring countries, and angola neighboring countries.
Political and Military Relations
Historical Tensions with Armenia
The tug-of-war between Azerbaijan and Armenia is all about who gets the Nagorno-Karabakh region. This isn’t some new grudge—it’s like a really old argument that refuses to die down, affecting loads of folks who lived there. Back in the mid-’80s, Azerbaijan was home to around 350,000 Armenians (outside Nagorno-Karabakh), while about 200,000 Azerbaijanis were chilling in Armenia. Fast forward to the 1989 Soviet census, those numbers slipped to 84,860 Azerbaijanis in Armenia and 245,045 Armenians in Azerbaijan outside Nagorno-Karabakh. Funny how people ain’t numbers but here we are tossing them like coins (Wikipedia).
Fast-forwarding a bit, September 19, 2023, was more than just a manic Monday for Azerbaijan. They decided it was a good day to launch a military offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh. But just like a bad déjà vu, they agreed to put down the weapons the next day. Jumping back to September 2022, Azerbaijan had its eyes set on the Republic of Armenia, causing quite a stir and militarizing the borders. Looks like a game nobody wants to play, yet everyone gets caught in (Wikipedia).
Military Alliances with Turkey
Azerbaijan and Turkey are like peas in a pod when it comes to military buddies. “One nation, two states” they say. Their friendship got a big boost during the 2020 Karabakh war. Turkey backed Azerbaijan, even went so far as giving Armenia the cold shoulder (ISPI Online).
Their bond isn’t just about playing army games. They collaborate on a whole bunch of stuff, trying to shake things up from the South Caucasus all the way to the Middle East and Central Asia. They’ve kind of got this tag-team thing working for them, mixing military and strategic moves (ISPI Online).
Economic Partnership with Turkey
Beyond the tanks and helicopters, Azerbaijan and Turkey have quite the bromance in business too. They’re all about pumping up trade, energy, and infrastructure. It’s like a game of who can boost regional connectivity the most.
One of their crowning jewels is the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. It’s not just a bunch of pipes; it’s a lifeline stretching Caspian Sea oil to reach the rest of the world. This move has upped the chances of even more business deals and investments between them. They’re like that dynamic duo, always working on the next big thing.
For those curious cats wanting to know more about neighboring countries, check these links:
- afghanistan neighboring countries
- armenia neighboring countries
- turkey neighboring countries
Bilateral Projects and Geopolitics
Azerbaijan, hanging out with its neighbors, is involved in a bunch of projects and power plays that keep everything interesting around there. Let’s chat about a few hot topics like the East-West Transport Corridor, the Nakhchivan-Kars Railway, and the fuss over the Zangezur Corridor.
East-West Transport Corridor
Imagine a superhighway for goods between Azerbaijan and Turkey, part of the grand Belt and Road Initiative. This is the East-West Transport Corridor – a crucial project to rev up trade and economic flow. With this corridor, shipping times and costs drop, making way for a faster economy boost. Turkey and Azerbaijan buddying up on this one? That’s something to keep an eye on (ISPI Online).
| Project Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Route | Azerbaijan links up with Turkey and hops over to Europe |
| Purpose | To revamp trade and get economies humming |
| Partners | Azerbaijan, Turkey, and a few more buddies in the mix |
Nakhchivan-Kars Railway
If trains are your jam, the Nakhchivan-Kars Railway is the latest track talk. This is Turkey and Azerbaijan double-tracking their partnership, literally. It stretches from the Nakhchivan exclave straight to Turkey’s Kars, making it easier and quicker to move not just goods, but folks too. This project isn’t just rail talk; it’s about making big moves in regional cooperation (ISPI Online).
| Project Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Route | From Nakhchivan exclave straight into the Kars region |
| Purpose | Laying the tracks for better connections and trade |
| Partners | The usual suspects: Azerbaijan and Turkey |
Zangezur Corridor Controversy
This one’s a bit of a dust-up. The Zangezur Corridor aims to connect Azerbaijan directly to Nakhchivan, slicing through Armenia. Azerbaijan and Turkey are all for it, seeing it as expanding their reach. But Armenia’s given the side-eye, worrying about territorial integrity. Plus, don’t forget Iran’s interest in this whole deal, which could shake up the stability of the neighborhood (ISPI Online).
| Project Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Route | Aims for a direct line from Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan via Armenia |
| Purpose | To up the ante in geopolitical grasp for Azerbaijan and Turkey |
| Implications | Could ruffle Armenian sovereignty and regional peace |
There’s so much more to the geopolitical chess game in the South Caucasus: click through to check out more on Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, Albania’s neighboring countries, and Armenia’s nearby pals. Every one of these projects points to how strategic things are getting around this part of the world.
