Azerbaycan Kuzeyde Dağıstan bölgeleri, Batıdan Gürcistan ve Ermenistan, Doğudan Hazar Denizi ve Güneyden İran tarafından çevrelenmiştir. Azerbaycan 1991 yılına kadar eski Sovyetler Birliğine bağlı kalmış, yine bu yılda Sovyetler birliğinin parçalanmasından sonra tam özgürlüğüne kavuşmuştur.

Azerbaijan is bordered on the north by the Daghestan regions ; on tlıe west hy Georgia and Armenia; to tlıe east lies the Caspian Sea and to tlıe south, lran. Until 1 99 1 . Azerha!fan was one of the former Soviet republics. but a.fier the Soviet break-up. Azerhaijan gained its.fiı/I independence along witlı many other repub/ics. The area, known today as Azerbaijan. was known to the ancients as "A TROPA T" A TAR and PA TAR. "Atar" means fire and "Patar" nıeans nation in the ancient Pars (Farsi) langııage. When the words arejoined. they mean tlıe "Nation o/Fire ". This name was giveıı to the region, according to the we/I known Arab historian, Tabari, because of the great.fire tlıat was fed by natura/ gases coming out of the earth. Therefore. in remote antiqııi(v. Azerhaijan was the holy land of the worshippers (?f the eternal.fire, and the rich coast near Baku (the capital ci(v) was the place of pilgrinıage.fhr many helievers. (A/tstadt. Aııdrey L.,1 992.)