Azerbaijan has a population of around 10 million people. The overwhelming majority — roughly 91% — are ethnic Azerbaijanis, a Turkic people who share cultural and linguistic roots with Turkey and, to a lesser extent, Turkmenistan. The south of the country has a significant Talysh minority (an Iranian people), and the northeast has a large Lezgin population straddling the border with Dagestan in Russia. Small communities of mountain Jews, known locally as Qırmızı Qəsəbə or "Red Town" Jews, live near Quba.
The population is predominantly Muslim — Shia in the south and centre, Sunni in the north — but Azerbaijan is a secular state and Islamic observance is generally moderate. Alcohol is sold and consumed freely; fasting during Ramadan is practiced by some but not universally observed. The Soviet legacy left a strongly secular, educated society, and women participate fully in public and professional life.
The Azerbaijani language (Azeri) is closely related to Turkish. Since independence in 1991, the Cyrillic alphabet imposed in the Soviet era was replaced by a modified Latin script, aligning with Turkey. Many older Azerbaijanis, particularly outside Baku, still read and write in Cyrillic. Russian remains a widely understood second language among the older generation.
Azerbaijanis have a strong culture of hospitality. A guest — even an unexpected one — will typically be offered tea, food, and extended conversation. This is genuine, not performative. The tea culture is central: black tea served in the distinctive pear-shaped armudu glass is the social glue of daily life, drunk with sugar held between the teeth.