When did Azerbaijan exist?

Azerbaijan existed 1991–present. On this map it is drawn 1992–2024.

How large was Azerbaijan?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Azerbaijan covered about 83,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

Central Asia · The Soviet century and after

Azerbaijan

1991–present

The Republic of Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country in the South Caucasus, bounded by the Caspian Sea, Russia (Dagestan), Georgia, Armenia, Turkey (via the Nakhchivan exclave), and Iran. Area 86,600 km²; population about 10.35 million (2022); capital and largest city Baku.

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Existed: 1991–present
Shown on the map: 1992–2024
Peak area: 83k km²
Region: Central Asia

Overview

Historical background

The territory was home to Caucasian Albania in antiquity, fell under successive Persian empires, and was Islamized after the Arab conquest; Oghuz Turkic migration from the 11th century produced the Turkic Azerbaijani language. The Shirvanshahs ruled for centuries before Safavid Iran incorporated the region, converting the population to Shia Islam. The Russo-Persian wars ended with the Treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828), ceding the khanates north of the Aras to Russia. An Azerbaijani national identity emerged in the late 19th century. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920) was followed by the Azerbaijan SSR within the USSR; Baku's oil was strategically vital in World War II.

Independence and post-1991 politics

Amid glasnost-era unrest over Nagorno-Karabakh and the Black January 1990 Soviet crackdown in Baku, Azerbaijan declared independence on 18 October 1991 (confirmed by referendum in December). The early independence years were dominated by the First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988–1994), which ended with Armenian forces in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts, about 30,000 dead, and over a million displaced. President Abulfaz Elchibey was overthrown in 1993, bringing former Soviet leader Heydar Aliyev to power; his son Ilham Aliyev succeeded him in 2003 and has ruled since, with the New Azerbaijan Party dominant. International observers and organizations describe the government as authoritarian, citing election fraud, media restrictions, and corruption; the Aliyev family has faced sustained criticism on human rights grounds.

Territory, conflicts, and recent developments

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (September–November 2020) returned the seven districts and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control under a Russian-brokered ceasefire. An Azerbaijani offensive in September 2023 dissolved the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh (1 January 2024) and resulted in the exodus of nearly all ethnic Armenians from the region. On 8 August 2025, President Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan signed a joint declaration at the White House committing to a peace deal.

Economy, demographics, and international relations

The economy centers on oil and gas (Azeri–Chirag–Guneshli, Shah Deniz; the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline); nominal GDP was estimated at about $78 billion (2026). Ethnic Azerbaijanis form about 95% of the population, with Lezgin, Talysh, and Russian minorities. Azerbaijan is a member of the UN, Council of Europe, OSCE, CIS, OIC, and the Organization of Turkic States, and maintains close ties with Turkey, Israel, and Russia.

Common questions

What was Azerbaijan?: The Republic of Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country in the South Caucasus, bounded by the Caspian Sea, Russia (Dagestan), Georgia, Armenia, Turkey (via the Nakhchivan exclave), and Iran. Area 86,600 km²; population about 10.35 million (2022); capital and largest city Baku.
When did Azerbaijan exist?: Azerbaijan existed 1991–present. On this map it is drawn 1992–2024.
How large was Azerbaijan?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Azerbaijan covered about 83,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Where was Azerbaijan?: The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (September–November 2020) returned the seven districts and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control under a Russian-brokered ceasefire. An Azerbaijani offensive in September 2023 dissolved the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh (1 January 2024) and resulted in the exodus of nearly all ethnic Armenians from the region.
Who ruled Azerbaijan?: Amid glasnost-era unrest over Nagorno-Karabakh and the Black January 1990 Soviet crackdown in Baku, Azerbaijan declared independence on 18 October 1991 (confirmed by referendum in December). The early independence years were dominated by the First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988–1994), which ended with Armenian forces in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts, about 30,000 dead, and over a million displaced.
What did the economy and culture of Azerbaijan rest on?: The economy centers on oil and gas (Azeri–Chirag–Guneshli, Shah Deniz; the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline); nominal GDP was estimated at about $78 billion (2026). Ethnic Azerbaijanis form about 95% of the population, with Lezgin, Talysh, and Russian minorities.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Azerbaijan en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 27 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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