Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan Facts for Kids

Azerbaijan is a country located where Eastern Europe meets Western Asia. To help manage the country, Azerbaijan is divided into different areas. These areas are called administrative divisions. Think of them like states, provinces, or counties in other countries.

Azerbaijan has three main types of administrative divisions:

59 districts, also known as rayonlar
11 cities, called şəhərlər
1 autonomous republic, which is a special region that governs itself.

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a separate part of Azerbaijan. It has its own 7 districts and 1 city. Some districts are partly or fully in a region called Nagorno-Karabakh. This area is shown in green on the map. While not officially recognized as a country, it acts like one.

Each district is further divided into smaller areas called municipalities.

How Azerbaijan is Divided
- Mainland Azerbaijan's Divisions
- Nakhchivan: The Autonomous Republic
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How Azerbaijan is Divided

Mainland Azerbaijan's Divisions

The main part of Azerbaijan is divided into many districts and cities. Each of these areas has a capital city where its local government is located. For example, Baku is the capital city of Azerbaijan and is also one of the 11 main cities. It is made up of 11 smaller districts within itself.

Some districts have interesting notes:

Absheron District includes a small part of land (an exclave) inside Baku.
Shirvan city was known by a different name, Ali Bayramli, until 2008.
Shabran District was called Davachi until 2010.
Gadabay District and Tovuz District are next to small parts of Armenia that are separated from the main country.
Several districts like Kalbajar District, Shusha District, Tartar District, Khojali District, and Khojavend District are partly controlled by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Khankendi city, also known as Stepanakert, acts as the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Goygol District used to be called Khanlar.

Nakhchivan: The Autonomous Republic

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a special part of Azerbaijan. It is separated from the main part of the country by Armenia. This autonomous republic has its own districts and one city.

Here are some facts about its divisions:

Babek District was once called Nakhchivan. It was renamed in 1991 after a historical hero, Babak Khorramdin.
Kangarli District was created more recently in 2004, splitting off from Babek District.
Nakhchivan city became a separate city division in 1991.
Ordubad District and Shahbuz District were formed during the time of the Soviet Union.
Sadarak District was created in 1990. It includes a small piece of land called Karki which is actually inside Armenia.
Sharur District also had different names in the past, including Bash-Norashen and Ilyich.