Azerbaijan Factbook

After a very long time, the Azerbaijani people officially have freedom of religion. However, Islam dominates the land and already threatens those freedoms in practice. Christians are few in number but have been growing. Those seeking Christian ministry opportunities face growing opposition.

Azerbaijan is one of the former Soviet republics. It is located in Asia on the western bank of the Caspian Sea. It borders on Iran and the former Soviet republics of Russia, Georgia, and Armenia. The country has a large flat lowland, much of it below sea level, and mountains in the north.

Nearly 8 million people live in Azerbaijan. The native Azerbaijani people are related to the Turks.

Azerbaijan is blessed with valuable natural resources. The most prominent products are oil, natural gas, and cotton. However, much of the land and water was polluted during the Soviet years. The country is still struggling to get the economy moving after independence. Rampant government corruption hampers progress.

Throughout its history, Azerbaijan has rarely known independence. The country split off from the Soviet Union in 1991. The government officially allows freedom of religion and religious activities. Unfortunately, such freedoms often don't exist in practice and may in the future also be taken away by law. The influence of Islam is growing and so is the pressure to implement Islamic law for the nation.

Under Soviet rule, a large portion of the people were classified as atheist. Since independence, many of them have joined the Muslims. Islam accounts for 80-90% of the population although many are nominal adherents. Christians are few, and nearly all of them are Russians or Armenians in Orthodox churches. Many have fled the country in the face of persecution. Only a tiny handful of evangelicals are known, but there is at least one Azerbaijani speaking Christian church.

During the early years after independence, there were many opportunities for Christians to minister as expatriates. Christian literature production is allowed but resources are limited. Christian radio also provides opportunities to spread the gospel, but few programs are broadcast in Azerbaijani.

Pray that Christians may be moved to take advantage of the opportunities that exist to reach this land. With growing pressure from the Muslim community, these freedoms may soon be gone. Pray that the walls of Islam would be broken down that large portions of the people would have an opportunity to hear the gospel.

Copyright 2006 by Brad Garrison

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