ADOPTION IN

Azerbaijan

A small country bordering the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan is sandwiched between Iran to the south, Russia to the north, and Georgia and Armenia to the west. The capital of the country, Baku, is a very picturesque harbor town on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Once a major stopping point on the ancient Grand Silk Route, the Azerbaijan of today is home to over 8 million people and many amazing sights such as Bronze Age petroglyphs, medieval minarets and mosques, and, of course, Azerbaijan’s famous textiles. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Azerbaijan declared its independence. However, Azerbaijan was subdued by the Red Army in 1920 and became a Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence from the Soviet Union. In 2003, Americans adopted 62 children from Azerbaijan. The children available for adoption from Azerbaijan are primarily Caucasian and are anywhere from 6 to 18 months old at the time of adoption. Older children and special needs children are also available for adoption from Azerbaijan. All the children available for adoption from Azerbaijan live in orphanages. Currently, Azerbaijan does not impose age limitations or marital status restrictions on adopting parents. (Note: Various adoption agencies sometimes have their own age restrictions for adopting parents, so be sure to ask the agencies you are considering.) Credits: The International Adoption Guidebook, © Mary M. Strickert