Which peninsula contains Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku?

Which peninsula contains Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku? Baku stands on the Absheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan.

The peninsula extends about 60 kilometres eastward into the Caspian Sea from eastern Azerbaijan and reaches a maximum width of roughly 30 kilometres. It contains Baku, the country’s capital and most populous city, as well as the nearby cities of Sumqayit and Khyrdalan.

Absheron has long been associated with petroleum. Large-scale exploitation expanded from the 1870s, helping drive Baku’s transformation into a major industrial city and attracting workers from across the Russian Empire and neighbouring regions. Oil derricks and drilling sites remain characteristic features of parts of the landscape.

The name Absheron comes from Persian āb šuran, meaning “salty waters,” an apt reference to the peninsula’s saline environment. The region is dry and windy, with annual precipitation around or below 200 millimetres. A frequent mix-up is confusing the Absheron Peninsula with Absheron Rayon: the rayon is an administrative district, while the peninsula is the larger geographic landform that includes Baku.