Baku (Azerb. Bakı, Baki, IPA (Azerb.): [bɑˈcɯ]) is the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the largest industrial, economic, scientific and technological centre of Transcaucasia and also the largest port on the Caspian sea and the largest city in the Caucasus.
A modern Baku emerged as united under a single administrative control of the territory with population of 2 181,8 thousand inhabitants (1-st of January 2014), of which (as of 1 January 2014) includes 1 city (actually Baku) population 1 217,3 thousand people; and 59 towns (Azerb. qəsəbəsi) with a total population of 964,5 thousand.
The area of the territory, which is administrated by Baku, is 2,150 km2. Baku is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula. The city, its antiquity, size of territory and population is one of the oldest and largest cities of the East. The population of the Absheron Peninsula (Baku agglomeration) is 2 673,7 thousand inhabitants. Baku was awarded in 2010 by the UN environment programme (UNEP) is the title of one of the main cities for world environment day. Such city shall be elected annually. In 2010, along with the capital of Azerbaijan, these titles was awarded to Genoa (Italy) and Geneva (Switzerland)