Any acquaintance with a country begins with its history. The history of Azerbaijan is so ancient, so rich, that putting it in a few lines is like looking at the world with your eyes closed.
Judge yourself: the territory of Azerbaijan has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. Confirmation of this is the parking of primitive people, which scientists discovered in several places of the republic - found in the Azykh cave, Gobustan and other protected areas. Everyone can see and even "touch" the history, it is enough just to wish and come.

From the 2nd century BC. e. Until 705, the polyethnic kingdom of Caucasian Albania existed on the territory of modern Azerbaijan, while the southeastern regions were part of Atropatena. In the 8th century, the territory of Caucasian Albania and Atropatena were part of the Arab Caliphate with the spread of Islam and Islamic culture. But, as philosophers say, nothing is eternal on earth. The caliphate disintegrates, and instead of it the territory is divided into a number of feudal states (Shirvanshahs, Salarids, Sajids, Sheddadids and Ravvadids). And this period of history also left its "traces" in Azerbaijan, which can be traversed now to learn more about the country.
In the 11th century, the Seljuk Empire conquered the territories of the feudal states. As a result of the migration of Turkic tribes, the Turkicization of the ancient population of the region (Albanian and Iranian tribes) begins, which leads to the beginning of the formation of the Azerbaijani ethnos, which ends mainly by the end of the 15th century.
In the 13th century, the Mongol invasion began. At that time, the territory of modern Azerbaijan fell under the rule of the Hulaguids and Timurids, after the weakening of which the power of the Turkoman states of Kara-Koyunlu and Ak-Koyunlu spreads in the region.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the territory of Azerbaijan was part of the Safavid state. Mono-ethnic semi-independent Azerbaijani khanates existed from 1747 to the beginning of the 19th century.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the territories once occupied by the khanates became part of the Russian Empire. The power of the Russian emperor divides the annexed territories into provinces and districts, sending their governors to them.

In 1918, after the collapse of the empire on the territory of the Eastern Transcaucasia, the independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was declared. In April 1920, the Azerbaijan SSR was formed, which has been part of the USSR since 1936. In 1991, the Republic of Azerbaijan declares independence and secedes from the USSR. And for 30 years now, Azerbaijan, an independent republic and a secular state, has been building its policy based on international integration, but taking into account the national interests, requirements and wishes of its own people.
The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was restored 30 years later. During the hostilities, the national army liberated the Fizuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan and Gubadli regions, parts of the Terter, Khojavend, Khojaly and Shusha regions, occupied by Armenia, together with the city of Shusha, which is considered the heart of Azerbaijani culture.

In terms of area and population, Azerbaijan is the largest of the Transcaucasian republics. The territory of the republic is 86.6 thousand sq. km. The population, as of November 2020, is more than 10 million people.

There are many mountainous areas in Azerbaijan - almost half of the territory. In the north - the ridge of the Caucasus, in the middle part - the Kura-Arak lowland, in the southeast - the Talysh mountains and the Lankaran lowland, in the west - the Karabakh highland.

Rarely does a country boast such a diverse climate. Azerbaijan - maybe because this country holds the record for the number of natural and climatic zones: there are as many as nine out of 11 types here.
The warm subtropics of the Lenkoran lowland, the snowy peaks of the Caucasus, the warm waves of the Caspian Sea, healing water resorts, all of these you can find in Azerbaijan. If you walk through the woods you will see rare species of plants - iron tree (Damir agach), Iberian oak, chestnut oak, persimmon, or if you sit on a bench in the city you can smell the aromas of Japanese sophora, blooming jasmine and admire the white and pink oleander, looking at the woven crowns of veteran olive trees.