What are the capitals of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, respectively?

The capitals of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, respectively, are Baku and Astana.

Baku is Azerbaijan’s capital and largest city, situated on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. It has been a major port, oil center, and political hub in the South Caucasus. The city’s historic core, Icherisheher, includes landmarks such as the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs.

Astana is Kazakhstan’s capital, located in the country’s north-central steppe region along the Ishim River. It became the capital in 1997, replacing Almaty, and was developed as a purpose-built administrative center with prominent modern architecture. The city was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019, then restored to Astana in 2022.

The word “respectively” matters: the first answer corresponds to Azerbaijan and the second to Kazakhstan. A frequent error is giving Almaty for Kazakhstan; Almaty remains the country’s largest city and cultural and commercial center, but Astana is the national capital.