BAKU

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Context

• Baku will host the next COP29.
• The Netherlands heads a joint ministerial statement on phasing out fossil fuel subsidies; massive global build-out of liquified natural gas flagged.

About Baku

• Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region.
• Baku is 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level, which makes it the lowest-lying national capital in the world and also the largest city in the world below sea level.
• Baku lies on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, on the Bay of Baku.
• Baku's urban population was estimated at two million people as of 2009.
• Baku is the primate city of Azerbaijan it is the sole metropolis in the country, and about 25% of all inhabitants of the country live in Baku's metropolitan area.
• The Old City, containing the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
• The city is the scientific, cultural, and industrial center of Azerbaijan.
• Many sizeable Azerbaijani institutions have their headquarters there.
• Baku is renowned for its harsh winds, reflected in its nickname, the "City of Winds".
• Traces of human settlement in the region of present-day Baku date back to the Stone Age.
• Bronze-age rock carvings have been discovered near Bayil and a bronze figure of a small fish in the territory of the Old City.

History

• Baku was the realm of the Shirvanshahs during the 8th century AD.
• The city frequently came under assault from the Khazars and (starting from the 10th century) from the Rus'.
• Shirvanshah Akhsitan I built a navy in Baku and successfully repelled a Rus' assault in 1170.
• After a devastating earthquake struck Shamakhi, the capital of Shirvan, Shirvanshah's court moved to Baku in 1191.

Geography

• Baku is situated on the western coast of the Caspian Sea.
• In the vicinity of the city, there are several mud volcanoes (Keyraki, Bogkh-bogkha, Lokbatan and others) and salt lakes (Boyukshor, Khodasan and so on).

Climate

• Baku has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk) with hot and humid summers, cool and occasionally wet winters, and strong winds all year long.
• However, unlike many other cities with such climate features, Baku does not see extremely hot summers and substantial sunshine hours.
• This is largely because of its northerly latitude and the fact that it is located on a peninsula on the shore of the Caspian Sea.
• Baku, and the Absheron Peninsula on which it is situated, is the most arid part of Azerbaijan.
• This is largely due to the rain shadow effect from the Caucasian Mountains, with corresponding latitudes on the Black Sea on average receiving 2,300 mm (91 in) or more.
• The majority of the light annual precipitation occurs in seasons other than summer, but none of these seasons is particularly wet.

Demographics

• Until 1988, Baku had very large Russian, Armenian, and Jewish populations which contributed to cultural diversity and added in various ways (music, literature, architecture and progressive outlook) to Baku's history.
• With the onset of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and the pogrom against Armenians starting in January 1990, the city's large Armenian population was expelled.
• Under Communism, the Soviets took over the majority of Jewish property in Baku and Kuba.

Ethnic Groups

• The vast majority of Baku's population is made up of ethnic Azerbaijanis, and the rest are Talysh, Russians, Lezgi, and others.

Religion

• The religion with the largest community of followers is
• The majority of the Muslims are Shia Muslims, and the Republic of Azerbaijan has the second-highest Shia population percentage in the world after Iran.
• The city's notable mosques include Juma Mosque, Bibi-Heybat Mosque, Muhammad Mosque, and Taza Pir Mosque.
• There are some other faiths practiced among the different ethnic groups within the country.
• By Article 48 of its Constitution, Azerbaijan is a secular state and ensures religious freedom.
• Religious minorities include Russian Orthodox Christians, Catholic Levantines, Georgian Orthodox Christians, Albanian-Udi Apostolic Christians, Lutherans, Ashkenazi Jews, and Sufi Muslims.
• Baku is the seat of the Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan.

Economy

• Baku's largest industry is petroleum, and its petroleum exports make it a large contributor to Azerbaijan's balance of payments.
• The Baku Stock Exchange is Azerbaijan's largest stock exchange, and largest in the Caucasian region by market capitalization.