Officially, Azerbaijan has only one language: Azerbaijani. However, Russian operates as a de facto second official language. Azerbaijan was a part of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union until it gained independence in 1991. During this long period of Azeri history, Russian was the lingua franca of the entire Empire then, later on, the Soviet Union. As such, most Azeris, no matter their age, speak Russian fluently, even if they don’t use it in their everyday lives.
The fact that Azerbaijan was a part of the Russian Empire whilst being heavily linked with Iran has influenced its culture. Colorful, vibrant, elaborate choreography, ancient throat singing and drums fashioned from natural materials are the norm in Azerbaijan. Azeris realize that their culture is unusual and so never miss an opportunity to show it off. Any time spent in Azerbaijan will mean throwing yourself into this ancient culture head-on.
As safe and as exotic as Azerbaijan is, it does still have a breakaway region: the area of Nagorno-Karabakh. A collection of provinces in the west of the country, the region broke away from Azerbaijan in 1988, leading to conflict. In 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought another war over the region. The war ended in a distinct Azeri advantage. Following a ceasefire signed in December 2020, Azerbaijan and its border regions quickly re-stabilized. As such, Azerbaijan is as safe as it’s ever been. If anything, it’s now less prone to outbursts of conflict.Still, don’t voice any support, no matter how tacit, for Armenia in your everyday life!
Azerbaijan is a Muslim country, but it’s also one of the most secular nations in the world. Only about 4% of Azeris practice any religion at all. Religion and state are completely separated and religion has no influence over Azeri law-making.
Despite being secular, Azerbaijan is a socially-conservative country. This is more due to its being an ex-Soviet state than to its religion - or lack of. LGBT rights are not discussed in Azeri society. This doesn’t make Azerbaijan dangerous for LGBT students, just don’t expect to see any Pride parades in Baku.
