> What's the capital of Azerbaijan?And the answer: Baku. Photo courtesy: Attila Jandi - Dreamstime.comLocated on the Caspian Sea at thecrossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Azerbaijan shares borders withRussia, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran. The capital city of Baku is located 92 feetbelow sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world.Azerbaijan is sometimes known as the "Land of Fire" for its etymological originsin the name Atropatene, coming from Atropates. Atropates, the name of the rulingclass, comes from Greek for "The Land of the Holy Fire" or "The Protector of theHoly Fire," indicating the holy nature of the land and its jurisdiction underthe empire. It is also said that the symbolic nature of fire comes from the manyfire-related oddities and natural phenomenon that fill Azerbaijan, like theburning mountain of Yanar Dag or the Fire Temple of Ateshgah. Fire Mountain (Yanar Dag) does exactly that: its flames blaze continuously witha natural source of heat to feed the huge underground gas deposits. Themountain, not far from Baku, has entranced travelers and conquerors forcenturies – in the 13th century, explorer Marco Polo wrote of the mysteriousfires that burned all over on the peninsula. In addition to gas deposits,Azerbaijan is also known for its abundant volcanoes, with over 400 mud volcanoesfound in the region (though, with a scent of sulfur that intense, it'd be hardto ignore). Inhabitance in the region dates back to ancient times – in some remote caves,archaeologists have found tools and human remains dating back 1.5 million years.The early civilizations such as Mana, Scythia, Atropatena and Caucasian Albaniaappeared on the lands of Azerbaijan as early as 1st millennium BCE!To learn more about this ancient and fiery country, check out the video below. And, for a taste of the rich filmmaking culture of the nation, check out thetrailer from the Azerbaijan London Film Festival below.