The cultural heritage of Azerbaijan is grand and distinctive. Since Azerbaijan used to be a part of Persian and Turkic states its cultural development was greatly influenced by those. It is particularly noticeable in literature and music.
Azerbaijan's health care system was one of the least effective in the Soviet republics, and it deteriorated further after independence.
Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south.