Baku is the capital city known as the world’s lowest-lying national capital, at about 28 metres below sea level. It occupies the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula beside the Caspian Sea.
Baku’s unusual elevation is linked to the geography of the Caspian basin, whose water level lies below the world’s oceans. The city is not simply a coastal settlement at sea level: much of it sits in a broad, low-lying landscape around the Bay of Baku, with the surrounding Absheron Peninsula extending into the Caspian.
Baku is Azerbaijan’s capital and largest city, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea. Its location has helped make it a major regional centre for trade, transport, energy, and culture. The city’s historic core, Icherisheher, includes the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs.
Amsterdam is sometimes suggested because parts of the Netherlands lie below sea level, but it is not the lowest-lying national capital by this standard. Baku’s elevation is generally given as −28 metres, though local measurements can vary.