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Jim's avatar

Fantastic read, far more informative than anything else I’ve read about the country. I feel like I’ve been there now!

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javiero's avatar

"There was this weird tendency for businesses of the same kind to be located very close to each other in Baku. "

This is very common in Latin America and MENA. It gives the opportunity for buyers to compare and decide on price and conditions easily, by just asking for what they're looking for in one shop, and then the next, and then the next. Particularly in less car-centric countries.

"I also think nearly every street block in Baku had a pharmacy on it. Sometimes this led to a situation where two or three pharmacies were facing each other on the same intersection."

Again, this is usually a "third world" thing. Pills are cheaper (when high copayments) and faster (when there's health rationing) than a visit to the doctor. Also, not a 100% sure, but I've seen several indications that in some parts of the world doctors are more inclined to give prescriptions than they are in the West.

Great article!

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