A former Soviet Republic located in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan straddles eastern Europe and western Asia. Azerbaijan has a long history, with settlements in the region dating back to the Stone Age. Ties with the Soviet Union were dissolved in the early 1990s.
Azerbaijaini culture is lively thanks to blending of influences from neighboring regions. One popular facet is the nation’s form of classical music, mugam, which is improvisational and combines poetry and music. Although the tourism industry is extremely young in Azerbaijan, a plucky traveler can enjoy sites like the capital, Baku, with its walled Medieval old town and dynamic new developments, petroglyphs at Qobustan and mountain hiking and sightseeing.