Azerbaijan is a small country that straddles the line between Europe and Asia and has been an independent republic since 1991.
Azerbaijan Basics
Azerbaijan is part of the south Caucasus region and is bordered by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Iran and the Caspian Sea.
It’s capital is Baku, which is also the nation’s largest city. The nation is 33,400 square miles, or 86,600 square kilometers, with a population of about 10.3 million people. Almost all the people in Azerbaijan are ethnically Azerbaijani, and their official language is also Azerbaijani.
The nation is 97 percent Islamic. The nation’s name is said to come from a word in Old Iranian that means protected by the holy fire (or land of the holy fire).
The land is dominated by coastal areas, mountains and flatlands in the center of the country.
Azerbaijan National Symbols
The Azerbaijan flag features three horizontal bands of color, with blue at the top, red in the middle and green at the bottom, with a white crescent and eight-pointed star in the center of the red stripe. The flag was first adopted in 1918 and reinstated with some variations when the nation gained its independence in 1991.
The blue stands for the nation’s Turkik identity, while red is for progress and green represents Islam.
The national anthem is “Azərbaycan marşı,” or “Azerbaijan March,” which was originally adopted in 1920 and also restored after independence.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXnDub9JCfI?si=rLCoJvavobwV3myX]
While maybe not official symbols, there are some things that are special and important to the people of Azerbaijan. For example, pomegranates are grown in the country and the fruit is often associated with it. There’s also an annual pomegranate festival in Goychay.
The karbakh horse is a breed that originated in Azerbaijan. It’s apparently pretty average in size, chestnut or bay with a golden tint, and with soft and gleaming hair. The number of karbakh horses in existence is small, but there are breeding programs underway to help preserve them.
Azerbaijani rug making is a longstanding traditional handcraft, and they are often decorated with buta, a paisley style pattern that can be found in a variety of motifs and colors with different meanings.
Azerbaijan Activities for Kids
KidsKonnect has Azerbaijan facts and worksheets you can download, while Activity Village has flag printables and other pages that can be downloaded by members.
Learn how to seed a pomegranate so you can enjoy this treat, or try pomegranate juice if you don’t want all that work.
One of the classic dishes of Azerbaijan cooking is plov, a rice pilaf that can be made with many different kinds of meats, fruits and vegetables. Learn more about plov and make your own with this recipe from Explore Azerbaijan.
Learn about Maiden Tower, a 12-century monument featured on Azerbaijan currency, which is an example of pre-Islamic architecture in the region (and a bit of a mystery as to why it exists).
Learn about the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, which includes more than 6,000 rock engravings as well as caves and settlements from the people who lived there some 40,000 years ago. Make your own cave and cave art with this activity from the Smithsonian.
Check out mugham, a traditional, improvisational musical form from Azerbaijan. The linked post has information about the instruments used, famous musical artists and video.
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