The Republic of Azerbaijan Trivia Quiz

Answer: Turkey

I'm afraid the picture doesn't provide much of a clue to the answer here but, other than giving the answer away with a Turkish flag, what would have done so? In any event, I thought the spectacular photograph of sunset as seen from the Turkish city of Pamukkale was worth seeing.
Azerbaijan is bordered to the north by Russia and to the northwest by Georgia. Armenia lies to the west and Iran to the south. There is an exclave of Azerbaijan that does border Turkey, but perhaps more on that later.

Answer: Caspian Sea

The photograph gives a spectacular view of the Caspian Sea as seen from the orbiting Terra satellite in 2003. The small promontory that you can see sticking out on the western shore of the lake is where you will fine the Azerbaijan capital, Baku. You can clearly see the River Volga feeding into the sea from the north.
The Caspian is the world's largest enclosed body of water and is often classed as the world's largest lake. It is huge -- with a surface area of 143,000 square miles, it is slightly larger than Germany. (It would be the world's 63rd largest country.)

Answer: An ancient monastery

David (St. David Garejeli) was one of the thirteen 6th century Assyrian monks who established their monastery in the foothills along what is now the Georgia-Azerbaijan border. Situated on the half-desert slopes of Mount Gareja, the entire complex includes cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters, many of which were hollowed directly out of the rock face. Still an active monastery today, it is popular as both a tourist destination and with pilgrims.

It is interesting also to archaeologists, since the area also contains evidence of some of the oldest human habitation in Eurasia.

Answer: Caucasus Mountains

Azerbaijan is in the Caucasus mountain range and, specifically, in the Eastern Caucasus, which stretch from Mount Kazbek to the Caspian Sea. In all, the Caucasus Mountains stretch as far west as Sochi, on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea.
The photograph shows a panoramic view of the historic village of Lahic, on the slopes of the Caucasus in northern Azerbaijan, one of the most ancient settlements in the region. Today it is noted for its authentic handicrafts traditions and its carpets and rugs.
Of the alternatives, the Talysh Mountains lie mostly in Iran, stretching into the southwestern corner of Azerbaijan. The Sayan Mountains are in southern Siberia. The Ural Mountains run north-south through western Russia from the Arctic Ocean down into northwestern Kazakhstan.

Answer: South Carolina

Azerbaijan is very slightly larger than the 40th-largest U.S. state, South Carolina. New Jersey is tiny by comparison -- it would fit four times into Azerbaijan. Virginia is about 30% larger than Azerbaijan and Florida much larger -- Azerbaijan would fit twice into the Sunshine State.
For Europeans, Azerbaijan is just slightly larger than Austria.
The picture shows the flag of the Palmetto State, South Carolina.

Answer: It is renowned for its heavy rain storms

Located an average of 92 feet below sea-level, Baku is the world's lowest-lying capital city and the world's largest city located below sea level. Baku did indeed host the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, following victory by the Azerbaijan entry, sung by Ell & Nikki, at the 2011 contests in Düsseldorf, Germany. This was Azerbaijan's first ever win in the annual event.
Nicknamed "City of Winds", Baku is renowned for its harsh winds and NOT for its heavy rain storms.
According to rankings by 'Lonely Planet', Baku is one of the world's top ten destinations for urban nightlife.
The photograph shows Baku's lakefront skyline bathed in sunlight.

Answer: Shirvanshahs' Palace

The Shirvanshahs' Palace complex includes the 15th century palace itself, the burial vaults of the Shirvanshah dynasty, the shah's mosque, a mausoleum, a bath-house and even its own reservoir.
When a major earthquake devastated the national capital at Shemakha, Ibrahim I of Shirvan (reigned 1382-1418) moved the capital eastward to Baku and instigated the building of a new palace.
The alternatives are three more UNESCO World Heritage sites in Eurasia. The Mir Castle complex is in Karelichy in Belarus. Boyana Church is in Sofia in Bulgaria. Tugendhat Villa is in Brno in Czech Republic.

Answer: Noah

The region surrounding the city of Nakhchivan has been administered by the Persians, the Ottomans, the Russians, the British and the Soviets. It has been part of Armenia and is now officially a largely autonomous exclave of Azerbaijan.
"Nakhichavan" in Armenian literally means "the place of descent", believed to be a reference to the Biblical descent of Noah's Ark on the nearby dormant volcano of Mount Ararat, which lies just across the Turkish border. Tradition has it that the settlement here was founded by Noah, and archaeological evidence dates human habitation here back to the Neolithic Age (or New Stone Age) which began around 10,000 B.C. and lasted around 5,000 years.
Architectural evidence suggests that Noah's Mausoleum in Nakhchivan was begun in the 8th century, although some early Persian historians claim it was built more than two millennia earlier, in 1539 B.C.

Answer: Kur

There are a remarkable 8,359 rivers in Azerbaijan, although more than 8,000 of those are less than 16 miles in length. Only 24 are longer than 100km (62 miles) and the longest of those is the River Kur.
The River Kur crosses into northwest Azerbaijan and then flows southeastwards across the breadth of the country into the Caspian Sea. Once in Azerbaijan, the Kur first empties into the Mingachevir reservoir, the largest body of water in the country. At the eastern end of the reservoir, it emerges into Azerbaijan's fourth-largest city, Mingachevir. It then flows through the central cities of Zarbad and Sabirabad before discharging into the sea at the southern city of Neftçala.
The river rises in the region of Kartsakhi Lake, near the city of Kars in the extreme northeastern corner of Turkey, where it is called the River Kura. It then flows across Georgia (where it is also known as the Mt'k'vari). The major city on its journey as the Georgian capital of Tiblili, where it passed under the picturesque, bow-shaped "Bridge of Peace" seen in the photograph. The 490-foot long pedestrian bridge opened in 2010.

Answer: Manat

The "Azerbaijani Manat" was first introduced in 1919 but lasted only four years, until Azerbaijan was swallowed up by the Soviet Union. Re-introduced in 1992, there are 100 'qəpik' to 1 manat. After a period of rampant inflation, the currency was re-valued in 2006, and a new manat was unveiled (with 5,000 old manat worth 1 new manat).
The word 'manat' derives from the Russian word 'moneta', meaning "coin". The manat is also the unit of currency in nearby Turkmenistan.
The photograph shows the front side of the 50 manat note (with the word 'manat' blocked out), which depicts the outline of the country.
Of the alternatives, three more currencies of the region, the dram is used in Armenia, the lari in Georgia, and somoni in Tajikistan.