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Azerbaijan |
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The Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani:
Azərbaycan or Azərbaycan Respublikası) is a
country in the Caucasus, at the crossroads of
Europe and Southwest Asia, with a coast on the
Caspian Sea. It has frontiers with Russia in the
north, Georgia in the northwest, Armenia in the
west, and Iran in 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.
Azerbaijan is a secular state, and has been a
member of the Council of Europe since 2001. A
majority of the population are Shi'a Muslim and
of Western Turkic descent, known as
Azerbaijanis, or simply Azeris. The country is
formally an emerging democracy, however with
strong authoritarian rule.
History
Main article: History of Azerbaijan
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 occupied by a
variety of peoples, including Armenians,
Persians, Romans, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Greek
Empire, and Russians.
The first state to emerge in the territory of
present-day Republic of Azerbaijan was Mannae in
the 9th century BC, lasting until 616 BC when it
was overthrown by the Medes. The satrapies of
Atropatene and Caucasian Albania were
established in the 4th century BC and included
the approximate territories of present-day
Azerbaijan 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
or Azeri Turks. In the 13–14th centuries, the
country experienced Mongol-Tatar invasions.
Azerbaijan was part of the Safavid state in
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 the Qajar dynasty of Persia and the
Russian Empire, Azerbaijan was acquired by
Russia through the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813,
and the Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828.
After the collapse of the Russian Empire during
World War I, Azerbaijan declared independence
and established the Azerbaijan Democratic
Republic. This first Muslim republic in the
world lasted only two years, from 1918 to 1920,
before the Soviet Red Army invaded Azerbaijan.
Subsequently, Azerbaijan became part of the
Soviet Union.
Azerbaijan re-established its independence upon
the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Despite a cease-fire in place since 1994,
Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with
Armenia over the predominantly ethnic Armenian
Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan has lost
control of 16% of its territory including
Karabakh, and must support some 800,000 refugees
and internally displaced persons as a result of
the conflict.
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Background:
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Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and
majority-Muslim population - regained its
independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has
yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the
Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely
Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its
territory and must support some 800,000 refugees and
internally displaced persons as a result of the
conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous and the promise
of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped
petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled.
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Location:
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Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea,
between Iran and Russia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 30
N, 47 30 E
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Map references:
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Asia
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Area:
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total: 86,600 sq km
note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan
Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region;
the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani
Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991
water: 500 sq km
land: 86,100 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maine |
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Climate:
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dry,
semiarid steppe
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Terrain:
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large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland)
(much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus
Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh
Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron
Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea |
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Nationality:
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noun: Azerbaijani(s)
adjective: Azerbaijani |
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Ethnic groups:
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Azeri
90%, Dagestani 3.2%, Russian 2.5%, Armenian 2%,
other 2.3% (1998 est.)
note: almost all Armenians live in the
separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region |
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Religions:
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Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian
Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
note: religious affiliation is still nominal
in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing
adherents are much lower |
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Languages:
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Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%,
other 6% (1995 est.) |
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Currency:
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Azerbaijani manat (AZM) |
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Currency code:
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AZM
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Exchange rates:
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Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,804 (11
February 2002), 4,656.58 (2001), 4,474.15 (2000),
4,120.17 (1999), 3,869 (1998), 3,985.38 (1997) |
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