HIV/AIDS in Azerbaijan

Abstract

The Republic of Azerbaijan is situated between the continents of Europe and Asia, in the southeast part of the Caucasus region on the western shores of the Caspian Sea. It is the largest country in the South Caucasus, covering a territory of 86,000 square kilometers. Azerbaijan borders the Russian Federation and Georgia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union for 70 years until it gained independence on October 18, 1991. After independence, Azerbaijan faced unprecedented political, institutional, juridical, economic, social, and psychological challenges. The situation was exacerbated by a military conflict with neighboring Armenia over the territory of the Nagorno—Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. This conflict had a significant impact on the country: 20 percent of its land occupied, much of its infrastructure destroyed, and many thousands of people displaced. Living standards declined sharply, and poverty, uncertainty, and hardship became permanent features of citizens’ lives.