GEOGRAPHY

The country is situated in South-Western Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range.  Azerbaijan covers an area of over 86,000 sq km, ranging from the flat Kura-Araz Lowland with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north to the Karabakh Upland in the west.  The climate is semi-arid, with cold winters and hot summers.