Azerbaijan.Pdf
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Table of Contents Profile.................................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 5 Facts and figures ............................................................................................................. 6 Geography......................................................................................................................... 13 Introduction................................................................................................................... 13 Geographic Divisions.................................................................................................... 13 Topographic Features.................................................................................................... 14 Climate.......................................................................................................................... 14 Rivers and Lakes........................................................................................................... 15 Population and Cities .................................................................................................... 16 Environmental Concerns............................................................................................... 20 Natural Hazards ............................................................................................................ 22 History............................................................................................................................... 23 Introduction................................................................................................................... 23 Prehistory ...................................................................................................................... 23 Early History................................................................................................................. 24 Christianity.................................................................................................................... 25 Islam.............................................................................................................................. 25 Safavid and Ottoman Empires ...................................................................................... 26 The Russian Empire...................................................................................................... 27 The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic........................................................................... 28 Soviet Dominance......................................................................................................... 29 Ethnic Tensions............................................................................................................. 30 The Nagorno-Karabakh War......................................................................................... 31 2 Political Chaos .............................................................................................................. 31 The Aliyev Era.............................................................................................................. 32 Azerbaijan Today.......................................................................................................... 33 Economy ........................................................................................................................... 35 Introduction................................................................................................................... 35 Industry and Manufacturing.......................................................................................... 35 Agriculture .................................................................................................................... 36 Banking and Currency .................................................................................................. 37 Trade ............................................................................................................................. 38 Investment..................................................................................................................... 39 Energy and Mineral Resources ..................................................................................... 40 Standard of Living ........................................................................................................ 42 Tourism......................................................................................................................... 42 Transportation............................................................................................................... 43 Business Outlook .......................................................................................................... 44 International Organizations........................................................................................... 45 Society............................................................................................................................... 46 Ethnic Groups and Language........................................................................................ 46 Religion......................................................................................................................... 47 Traditions: Celebrations and Holidays.......................................................................... 48 Cuisine .......................................................................................................................... 49 Arts................................................................................................................................ 50 Traditional Dress........................................................................................................... 53 Folk Culture and Folklore............................................................................................. 53 Sports and Recreation ................................................................................................... 54 3 Gender Issues................................................................................................................ 54 Security ............................................................................................................................. 56 Introduction................................................................................................................... 56 Military ......................................................................................................................... 56 U.S.–Azerbaijani Relations........................................................................................... 57 Relations with Neighboring Countries.......................................................................... 59 Terrorist Groups............................................................................................................ 64 Issues Affecting Security .............................................................................................. 65 Democratic and Business Reforms ............................................................................... 66 4 Profile Introduction Azerbaijan is one of several nations that gained (or regained) their independence upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. (The country was previously, 1918 to 1920, an independent state.)1 Modern Azerbaijan comprises the northern half of a larger region in which Azerbaijani is the main language; the southern half is now incorporated into Iran. Due to its strategic location as a crossroads through the Caucasus, a region that lies between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan has historically served as a vassal territory to various imperial powers, including the Romans, Mongols, Persians, Ottoman Turks, and Russians. The majority of the Azerbaijani people speak Azerbaijani (or Azeri), a Turkic language that bears influence from the Oghuz Turks of the Seljuk dynasty, who migrated westward into the region in the 11th century C.E.2 From that point, Azerbaijan fell for long periods under the domain of Persian or Russian/Soviet empires. Despite prolonged subjugation to their powerful neighbors to the south and north, the Azerbaijani people have managed to retain their cultural identity. The first years after Azerbaijani independence in 1991 were troubled ones for the nation. In the early 1990s, an undeclared war over the predominantly ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh resulted in hundreds of thousands of refugees, an astronomical inflation rate, and the government’s loss of control over the southwestern corner of Azerbaijan (including most of Nagorno-Karabakh).3 The Azerbaijani economy has since rebounded after a ceasefire went into effect in 1994, with the nation’s oil reserves serving as a catalyst for much of the growth. Nevertheless, the country’s economy continues to suffer from inflation concerns and lagging economic reforms.4 Governmental and 5 institutional corruption also remains a serious problem. 1 CIA World Factbook. “Azerbaijan.” 24 July 2008. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/aj.html 2 Encyclopædia Britannica Online. “Azerbaijan: The People.” 2008. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article- 44283/Azerbaijan 3 The Caucasian Republics. Kaeter, Margaret. “Azerbaijan: