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Azerbaijan

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
Countries

   SOS Children works in Azerbaijan. For more information see SOS Children
   in Azerbaijan
                 Azərbaycan Respublikası
   Republic of Azerbaijan

   Flag of Azerbaijan Coat of arms of Azerbaijan
   Flag               Coat of arms
   Motto: none
   Anthem: Azərbaycan Respublikasının Dövlət Himni
   (March of Azerbaijan)
   Location of Azerbaijan
        Capital       Baku
                      40°22′N 49°53′E
      Largest city    Baku
   Official languages Azerbaijani
   Government         Republic
    - President       Ilham Aliyev
    - Prime Minister  Artur Rasizade
      Independence    from the Soviet Union
    - Declared        August 30, 1991
    - Completed       December 25, 1991
                            Area
    - Total           86,600 km² ( 114th)
                      33,436 sq mi
    - Water (%)       negligible
                         Population
    - 2005 estimate   8,411,000 ( 90th)
    - 1999 census     7,953,438
    - Density         97/km² ( 100th)
                      251/sq mi
       GDP ( PPP)     2005 estimate
    - Total           $38.71 billion ( 88th)
    - Per capita      $4,601 ( 106th)
      HDI  (2003)     0.729 (medium) ( 101st)
        Currency      Manat ( AZN)
       Time zone      ( UTC+4)
    - Summer ( DST)   ( UTC+5)
      Internet TLD    .az
      Calling code    +994

   Azerbaijan ( IPA: [ɑ:zəbai'ʤɑ:n]; Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan), officially
   the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası), is a
   country in the South Caucasus. Located at the crossroads of Eastern
   Europe and Southwest Asia, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the
   east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the
   west, and Iran to the south. The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (an
   exclave of Azerbaijan) borders Armenia to the north and east, Iran to
   the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest. The Nagorno-Karabakh
   region in the southwest of Azerbaijan Proper declared itself
   independent from Azerbaijan in 1991, but it is not recognized by any
   nation.

   Azerbaijan is a secular state, and has been a member of the Council of
   Europe since 2001. The Azerbaijani people (or simply Azeris) are the
   majority population, most of whom are traditionally adherents of Shi'a
   Islam. The country is formally an emerging democracy, however with
   strong authoritarian rule.

Etymology and usage

   There are several hypotheses regarding the origins of the name
   "Azerbaijan." The most common theory is that Azerbaijan was eponymously
   named after Atropates, an Iranian Median satrap (governor), who ruled a
   region found in modern Iranian Azarbaijan called Atropatene. Atropates'
   name is believed to be derived from the Old Persian roots meaning
   "protected by fire."

   There are also alternative opinions that the term is a slight
   Turkification of Azarbaijan, in turn an Arabicized version of the
   original Persian name Âzarâbâdagân, made up of âzar+âbadag+ân
   (âzar=fire; âbâdag=cultivated area; ân=suffix of pluralization); that
   it traditionally means "the land of eternal flames" or "the land of
   fire", which probably implies Zoroastrian fire temples in this land.

   Historically, the territory of the present-day Republic of Azerbaijan
   was never called Azerbaijan, which was historically the name of North
   West Iran, which still goes by the name.

   With the collapse of Tsarist Russia in 1917, the Musavat ("Equality")
   Turkic Federalist Party, which had pan Turkic elements within it, along
   with other groups, met in Tbilisi on May 27, 1918 to create their own
   state. The name they chose for their new nation was Azerbaijan, drawing
   protests by both Russian and Iranian scholars, citing that the name
   change was politically motivated and a way of claiming north western
   Iran. Yet such protests did not reflect the reality: the population of
   both North (Republic of) Azerbaijan and South (Iranian) Azerbaijan were
   the same ethnic group, which shares the common Azeri Turkic dialect,
   practices Shia version of Islam. People inhabitting both parts of
   Azerbaijan consider themselves Azerbaijanis (Azeris or Azeri Turks).

   The Bolsheviks, who had taken power in Russia, re-conquered the
   Caucasus and kept the name Azerbaijan, in hopes of later adding north
   western Iran into the Soviet Union.

   Mohammad Amin Rasulzade, the leader of Musavat party, later admitted a
   mistake in choosing the name Azerbaijan for the state, saying that
   Albania (referring to Caucasian Azerbaijan) was different than
   Azerbaijan (referring to Iranian Azerbaijan). Also, in an letter to
   Seyyed Hassan Taqizadeh, an important Iranian intellectual of the early
   20th century, Rasulzade declared his eagerness to do "whatever is in
   his power to avoid any further discontent among Iranians".

History

   The earliest known inhabitants of what is today Azerbaijan were the
   Caucasian Albanians, a Caucasian-speaking people who appear to have
   been in the region prior to the host of peoples who would eventually
   invade the Caucasus. Historically Azerbaijan has been inhabited by a
   variety of peoples, including Persians, Greeks, Romans, Armenians,
   Arabs, Turks, Mongols and Russians.
   A stone with inscriptions in the ancient Albanian language, found in
   the city of Mingachevir, Azerbaijan.
   Enlarge
   A stone with inscriptions in the ancient Albanian language, found in
   the city of Mingachevir, Azerbaijan.

   The first kingdom to emerge in the territory of present-day Republic of
   Azerbaijan was Mannae in the 9th century BC, lasting until 616 BC when
   it became part of the Median Empire, which later became part of the
   Persian Empire in 549 BC. The satrapies of Atropatene and Caucasian
   Albania were established in the 4th century BC and included the
   approximate territories of the present-day Azerbaijan nation-state and
   southern parts of Dagestan.

   Islam spread rapidly in Azerbaijan following the Arab conquests in the
   7th–8th centuries. After the power of the Arab Khalifate waned, several
   semi-independent states have been formed, the Shirvanshah kingdom being
   one of them. In the 11th century, the conquering Seljuk Turks became
   the dominant force in Azerbaijan and laid the ethnic foundation of
   contemporary Azerbaijanis. In the 13-14th centuries, the country
   experienced Mongol- Tatar invasions.

   Azerbaijan was part of the Safavid Persian Empire during the 15th–18th
   centuries. It also underwent a brief period of feudal fragmentation in
   the mid-18th to early 19th centuries, and consisted of independent
   khanates. Following the two wars between Qajar Persian Empire, as well
   as the Ganja, Guba, Baku and other independent khanates, and the
   Russian Empire, Azerbaijan was acquired by Russia through the Treaty of
   Gulistan in 1813, and the Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828, and several
   earlier treaties between the Russian tsar and the khans concluded in
   the first decade of the 19th century. In 1873, oil ("black gold") was
   discovered in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan's future capital. By the
   beginning of the 20th century almost half of the oil reserves in the
   world had been extracted in Baku.

   After the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I, Azerbaijan
   together with Armenia and Georgia became part of the short-lived
   Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. When the republic
   dissolved in May 1918, Azerbaijan declared independence as the
   Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The ADR was the first Muslim republic
   in the world and lasted only two years, from 1918 to 1920, before the
   Soviet Red Army invaded Azerbaijan. In March 1922, Azerbaijan, along
   with Armenia and Georgia, became part of the Transcaucasian SFSR within
   the newly-formed Soviet Union. In 1936, the TSFSR was dissolved and
   Azerbaijan became constituent republic of the USSR as the Azerbaijan
   SSR.

   During World War II, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. The
   primarily objective of Adolf Hitler's Operation Edelweiss offensive was
   to capture Azerbaijan's oil-rich capital of Baku. For the war effort,
   Soviet oil workers were obliged to work non-stop and citizens were to
   dig entrenchments and antitank obstacles into order to block a possible
   enemy invasion. However, Operation Edelweiss was unsuccessful. The
   German army was at first stalled in the mountains of Caucasus, then
   decisively defeated at the Battle of Stalingrad.

   In 1990, Azeris gathered to protest Soviet rule and push for
   independence. The demonstrations were brutally suppressed by Soviet
   intervention in what Azeris today refer to as Black January. In 1991,
   however, Azerbaijan re-established its independence upon the collapse
   of the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, the early years of its independence
   were overshadowed by a war with Armenia and separatist Armenians over
   the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite a cease-fire in place since
   1994, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the
   predominantly ethnic Armenian territory. Since the end of the war,
   Azerbaijan lost control of 14 - 16% of its territory including
   Nagorno-Karabakh itself. As a result of the conflict, both countries
   faced problems with refugees and internally displaced persons as well
   as economic hardships.

   However, former Soviet Azeri leader Heydar Aliyev changed this pattern
   in Azerbaijan and sought to exploit its wealthy oil reserves in Baku,
   something that Azerbaijan has become famous for. Aliyev also cleaned up
   gambling and was able to cut down the country's unemployment rate
   substantially. He also sought closer relations with Turkey while
   simultaneously making efforts to resolve the Karabakh conflict
   peacefully with Armenia. However, the political situation in Azerbaijan
   remains tense especially after Aliyev, upon his death, selected his son
   Ilham to assume the duties of president. Azeri opposition forces are
   not satisfied with this new dynastical succession and are pushing for a
   more democratic government.

Politics

   Ilham Aliyev, the current president of Azerbaijan.
   Enlarge
   Ilham Aliyev, the current president of Azerbaijan.

   Azerbaijan is a presidential republic. The head of state and head of
   government are separate from the country’s law-making body. The people
   elect the president for a five-year term of office. The president
   appoints all cabinet-level government administrators. A fifty-member
   national assembly makes the country’s laws. The people of Azerbaijan
   elect the National Assembly. Azerbaijan has universal suffrage above
   the age of eighteen.

   After the presidential elections of October 15, 2003, an official
   release of the Central Election Committee (CEC) gave İsa Qambar —
   leader of the largest opposition bloc, Bizim Azarbaycan ("Our
   Azerbaijan") — 14% percent of the electorate and the second place in
   election. Third, with 3.6%, came Lala Şövkat, leader of the National
   Unity Movement, the first woman to run in presidential election in
   Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, Human Rights
   Watch and other international organizations, as well as local
   independent political and NGOs voiced concern about observed vote
   rigging and a badly flawed counting process.

   Several independent local and international organizations that had been
   observing and monitoring the election directly or indirectly declared
   Isa Gambar winner in the 15 October election. Another view shared by
   many international organisations is that in reality a second tour of
   voting should have taken place between the two opposition candidates
   Isa Gambar and Lala Shevket.
     * Human Rights Watch commented on these elections: "Human Rights
       Watch research found that the government has heavily intervened in
       the campaigning process in favour of Prime Minister Ilham Aliev,
       son of current President Heidar Aliev. The government has stacked
       the Central Election Commission and local election commission with
       its supporters, and banned local non-governmental organizations
       from monitoring the vote. As the elections draw nearer, government
       officials have openly sided with the campaign of Ilham Aliev,
       constantly obstructing opposition rallies and attempting to limit
       public participation in opposition events. In some cases, local
       officials have closed all the roads into town during opposition
       rallies, or have extended working and school hours—on one occasion,
       even declaring Sunday a workday—to prevent participation in
       opposition rallies".

   Azerbaijan held parliamentary elections on Sunday, 6 November 2005.

   U.S. President George W. Bush noted, that "Azerbaijan is a modern
   Muslim country that is able to provide for its citizens and understands
   that democracy is the wave of the future".

   Azerbaijan was elected as one the members of the newly established
   Human Rights Council (HRC) by the General Assembly on 9 May 2006. Term
   of office will begin on 19 June 2006.

Administrative divisions

   A map of Azerbaijan showing the location of its cities and regions.
   Enlarge
   A map of Azerbaijan showing the location of its cities and regions.

   Azerbaijan is divided into fifty-nine raions (rayonlar; sing. - rayon),
   11 cities (şəhərlər; sing. - şəhər), and one autonomous republic
   (muxtar respublika), Nakhichevan. Nakhichevan itself is subdivided into
   seven rayons and one city. The city of Baku is the capital of
   Azerbaijan.

Geography

   Azerbaijan contains 9 out of the 11 climatic zones. It is arid, dry,
   and subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. Temperatures vary by
   season and area. In the southeast lowland, temperatures average 6 ° C
   (43 ° F) in the winter and 26 °C (80 °F) in the summer — though daily
   maxima typically reach 32 °C (89 °F). In the northern and western
   mountain ranges, temperatures average 12 °C (55 °F) in the summer and
   –9 °C (20 °F) in the winter.

   Annual rainfall over most of the country varies from 200 to 400
   millimeters (8 to 16 in) and is generally lowest in the northeast. In
   the far southeast, however, the climate is much moister and annual
   rainfall can be as high as 1300 millimetres (51 in). For most of the
   country, the wettest periods are in spring and autumn, with summers
   being the driest.

Economy

   The National Bank in Baku.
   Enlarge
   The National Bank in Baku.

   Azerbaijan's economy is largely based on industry. Industries include
   machine manufacture, petroleum and other mining, petroleum refining,
   textile production, and chemical processing. Agriculture accounts for
   one-third of Azerbaijan’s economy. Most of the nation’s farms are
   irrigated. In the lowlands, farmers grow such crops as cotton, fruit,
   grain, tea, tobacco, and many types of vegetables. Silkworms are raised
   for the production of natural silk for the clothing industry.
   Azerbaijan’s herders raise cattle, domestic sheep and goats near the
   mountain ranges. Seafood, including caviar and fish are obtained from
   the nearby Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan has a highly dynamic economy, mainly
   because of oil, and has a GDP growth rate of up to 11% a year.

Demographics

   A Khinalug and his child from the ancient Caucasian village of Xınalıq,
   Azerbaijan.
   Enlarge
   A Khinalug and his child from the ancient Caucasian village of Xınalıq,
   Azerbaijan.

   Azerbaijan has population of 8.5 million (data of UN), 90.6% of whom
   are ethnic Azerbaijani (also called Azeris; 1999 census figures). The
   second largest ethnic group are Russians, who now form roughly 1.8% of
   the population, most having emigrated since independence. Numerous
   'Dagestani' peoples live around the border with Dagestan. The main
   peoples are the Lezgis, Avars and the Tsakhurs. Smaller groups include
   the Budukh, Udins, Kryts and Khinalug/Ketsh around the village of
   Xinalıq.

   Azerbaijan also contains numerous smaller groups, such as Georgians,
   Kurds, Talysh, Tatars and Ukrainians. Some people argue that the number
   of Talysh is greater than officially recorded, as many of them are
   counted as Azerbaijanis.Around the town of Quba in the north live the
   Tats, also known as the Mountain Jews, who are also to be found in
   Dagestan. Many Tats have emigrated to Israel in recent years, though
   this trend has slowed and even reversed more recently. The country’s
   large Armenian population mostly emigrated to Armenia and to other
   countries with the beginning of the Armenian-Azeri conflict over
   Nagorno-Karabakh. During the same period, Azerbaijan also received a
   large influx of Azerbaijanis fleeing Armenia and later Nagorno-Karabakh
   and adjacent provinces occupied by the Armenians. Virtually all of
   Azerbaijan’s Armenians now live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh
   region.

   Azerbaijan is 93.4% Muslim and most Azerbaijanis are Twelver Shia
   Muslim. They represent about 60–70% of the Muslim population. Other
   religions or beliefs that are followed by many in the country are Sunni
   Islam, the Armenian Apostolic Church (in Nagorno-Karabakh), the Russian
   Orthodox Church, and various other Christian and Muslim sects. Mountain
   Jews in Quba, as well as several thousand Ashkenazim Jews in Baku,
   follow Judaism. Adherence to religious dogmas is nominal for the
   majority of the population and attitudes are secular. Traditionally,
   villages around Baku and the Lenkoran region are considered stronghold
   of Shi‘ism, and in some northern regions populated by Sunni Dagestani
   people, the Salafi sect has gained a following. Folk Islam is widely
   practiced, but an organized Sufi movement is absent.
   Performing Azeri musicians
   Enlarge
   Performing Azeri musicians

Culture

   The official language of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani, a member of the
   Oguz subdivision of the Turkic language family, and is spoken by around
   95% of the republic’s population, as well as about a quarter of the
   population of Iran. Its closest relatives in language are Turkish,
   Turkmen and Gagauzian. As a result of the language policy of the Soviet
   Union, Russian is also commonly spoken as a second language among the
   urbane.
     * Music of Azerbaijan
     * Religion in Azerbaijan
     * Azerbaijani literature

Photographs of Azerbaijan

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of Georgia (country)  Georgia Flag of Russia  Russia Flag of
   Russia  Russia •  Flag of Kazakhstan  Kazakhstan
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation North.png
   Caspian Sea
   Flag of Armenia  Armenia
   Flag of Turkey  Turkey North Caspian Sea  Image:Template
   CanadianCityGeoLocation East.png   Flag of Turkmenistan  Turkmenistan
   West    Flag of Azerbaijan  Azerbaijan     East
   South
   Flag of Iran  Iran Caspian Sea
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation South.png
   Flag of Iran  Iran
   International ties of Azerbaijan
   Geographical: Europe | Eurasia ( Caucasus) | Asia ( Western Asia)
   International organizations : AsDB, BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
   ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
   IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent),
   ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
   UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UPU, UNWTO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
   (observer)
   Countries of Europe

   Albania · Andorra · Armenia^1 · Austria · Azerbaijan^2 · Belarus ·
   Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus^1 ·
   Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia^2 ·
   Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan^2 ·
   Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia
   · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland
   · Portugal · Romania · Russia^2 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia ·
   Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey^2 · Ukraine · United
   Kingdom · Vatican City

   (1) Entirely in Asia but having socio-political connections with
   Europe. (2) Has significant territory in Asia.
   Countries of Asia

   Afghanistan • Armenia • Azerbaijan ^1 • Bahrain • Bangladesh • Bhutan •
   Brunei • Cambodia • People's Republic of China ^2 • Cyprus • East Timor
   ^3 • Georgia ^1 • India • Indonesia ^3 • Iran • Iraq • Israel • Japan •
   Jordan • Kazakhstan ^1 • Kuwait • Kyrgyzstan • Laos • Lebanon •
   Malaysia • Maldives • Mongolia • Myanmar • Nepal • North Korea • Oman •
   Pakistan • Philippines • Qatar • Russia ^1 • Saudi Arabia • Singapore •
   South Korea • Sri Lanka • Syria • Tajikistan • Thailand • Turkey ^1 •
   Turkmenistan • United Arab Emirates • Uzbekistan • Vietnam • Yemen

   For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory and List
   of unrecognized countries.

   ^1 Partly in Europe. ^2 The Republic of China (Taiwan) not officially
   recognized by the United Nations; see Political status of Taiwan.
   ^3 Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania.
   Countries in Southwest Asia

   Armenia • Azerbaijan • Bahrain • Cyprus • Georgia • Iran • Iraq •
   Israel • Jordan • Kuwait Lebanon • Oman • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Syria
   • Turkey • United Arab Emirates • Yemen
   Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

   Armenia • Azerbaijan • Belarus • Georgia • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan •
   Moldova • Russia • Tajikistan • Ukraine • Uzbekistan

   Associate Member: Turkmenistan

   Turkic-speaking nations and autonomous entities with an official Turkic
   language

   Western Turkic
   Flag of Azerbaijan  Azerbaijan^1 • Bashkortostan Flag   Bashkortostan^2
   • Chuvashia Flag   Chuvashia^2 • Flag of Cyprus  Cyprus ( Turkish
   Republic of Northern Cyprus Flag Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus^3)
   • Gagauzia Flag   Gagauzia^4 • Kabardino-Balkaria Flag
   Kabardino-Balkaria^2 •
   Karachay-Cherkessia Flag   Karachay-Cherkessia^2 • Karakalpakstan Flag
     Karakalpakstan^5 • Flag of Kazakhstan  Kazakhstan • Tatarstan Flag
   Tatarstan^2 • Flag of Turkmenistan  Turkmenistan • Flag of Turkey
   Turkey • Flag of Uzbekistan  Uzbekistan • People's Republic of China
   Flag   Xinjiang^6
   Eastern Turkic
   Altai Republic Flag   Altai Republic^2 • Khakassia Flag   Khakassia^2 •
   Flag of Kyrgyzstan  Kyrgyzstan • Sakha Flag   Sakha^2 • Tuva Flag
   Tuva^2
     __________________________________________________________________

   Notes: (1) Includes the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic; (2) A federal
   subject of the Russian Federation; (3) See Cyprus dispute;
   (4) Gagauzia is a territorial autonomous unit of Moldova; (5)
   Karakalpakstan is an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan; (6) Xinjiang
   Uyghur is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
