Located in the Caucasus Mountains, Azerbaijan is a country often associated with the Middle East. Also known as the Republic of Azerbaijan, the country is situated in a way where it is sometimes considered part of Asia, and other times, it is dubbed a European country. This toss up is due to Azerbaijan’s positioning in the Southern Caucasus Region of Eurasia, which is a geographical area between Europe and Asia.
No matter which continent Azerbaijan is thought to belong to, the country is surrounded by four countries and one body of water. The Caspian Sea lies along the coast of Azerbaijan’s eastern border. In the north, Azerbaijan shares a border with Russia, while Iran encompasses Azerbaijan in the south. Armenia is west of Azerbaijan and Georgia is along the country’s northwestern border.
The GPS coordinates of Azerbaijan are made up of two points: a latitude and a longitude. The latitude of Azerbaijan is 40.1431° N. The cardinal direction associated with the latitudinal coordinate is N, or north, meaning Azerbaijan is located in the northern hemisphere. The longitude of the country is 47.5769° E, showing that Azerbaijan is positioned in the eastern hemisphere.
In the north of Azerbaijan, the country's boundaries extend as far as a latitude of 41°53' N. This point is positioned on the border between Azerbaijan and the Eurasian country of Georgia. To the south, Azerbaijan's furthest point is on the border that Azerbaijan shares with Iran. The latitudinal coordinate of the country's southernmost point is 38°24' N.
The easternmost point of Azerbaijan is on an island called Çilov. More specifically, this point is in a region of Azerbaijan by the name of the Çilov-Neft Daşlari Region. Many people remember this island as the Jiloy Island, but in 1999, the island's name was formally changed and it is now officially recognized as Çilov Island. This point sits at a longitudinal coordinate of 50°33' E.
With a longitude of 44°46' E, the westernmost point of the country is located in the Sədərək municipality of Azerbaijan's Sadarak District. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a territory in the western part of Azerbaijan and it is home to the country's westernmost point as well.
The population of Azerbaijan is about 9,970,274 people, as of 2019. The country's total area comes to 33,437 square miles. The population density is roughly 299 people per square mile.