Azerbaijan's land is both inAsia andEurope. This means it is aEurasian country. Because Azerbaijan is close toEurope and its history is related to Europe, Azerbaijan is a member of a number of European groups, including theCouncil of Europe since 2001. Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 158 countries. They have membership in 38 international organizations.[9] On May 9, 2006 Azerbaijan was elected to membership in the newly madeHuman Rights Council by theUnited Nations General Assembly.[10]
After theArab conquest in the7th century the country has been always underMuslim influence, when its people became Muslim, until theRussian Empire entered the Caucasus region.
Since the early19th century many Russians settled in Azerbaijan, but after the end of the Soviet Union with the independence of Azerbaijan, most Russians and other minorities have left the country and are continuing to leave the country.
There are 106 species of mammals, 97 species of fish, 363 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians and 52 species of reptiles which have been recorded and classified in Azerbaijan.[16] The national animal of Azerbaijan is theKarabakh horse. It is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse native to Azerbaijan. It is one of the oldest breeds, with ancestry dating to the ancient world. However today the horse is an endangered species.[17]
Azerbaijan's flora is more than 4,500 species ofhigher plants. Due the unique climate in Azerbaijan, the flora is much richer in the number of species than the flora of the other countries of the South Caucasus.[18] About 67 percent of the species growing in the wholeCaucasus can be in Azerbaijan.
Many Azerbaijanis have some form of higher education, most notably in scientific and technical subjects.[19] According to Soviet data, 100 percent of males and females (ages nine to forty-nine) were literate (able to read) in 1970.[19] In 2009, the literacy rate in Azerbaijan was 99.5 percent.[20]
The culture of Azerbaijan has come about as a result of many influences. Today,Western influences, includingglobalizedconsumer culture, are strong. National traditions are well kept in the country. Some of the main parts of the Azerbaijani culture are: music, literature, folk dances and art, cuisine, architecture, and movies.
Mugham, meykhana and Ashiq are some of the many musical traditions of Azerbaijan. Mugham is music withpoetry and instrumental interludes. When performing Mugham, the singers have to bring their emotions into singing and music. Mugham singerAlim Qasimov is one of the five best singers of all time.[23] Meykhana is a song with no music. It is usually done by several people. They make up the words about a particular subject. Ashiq joins poetry, storytelling, dance and vocal and instrumental music. It is as a symbol of Azerbaijani culture.
There are dozens of Azerbaijanifolk dances. They are performed at formalfestivals. The dancers wear national clothes like theChokha. Most dances have a very fastrhythm.
Azerbaijani architecture typically joinsEast andWest.[26] Many ancient treasures such as theMaiden Tower andPalace of the Shirvanshahs in theWalled City of Baku survive in modern Azerbaijan. Plans have been shown for the building of the Azerbaijan Tower. It will reportedly replace the Burj Khalifa as the tallest building in the world. The planned height is1,050 metres (3,440ft).[27]
The movie industry in Azerbaijan dates back to 1898. In fact, Azerbaijan was among the first countries involved in making movies.[28] In 1991, after Azerbaijan gained its freedom from the Soviet Union, the first Baku International Film Festival East-West was held in Baku.
The traditional food is famous for many vegetables and greens used seasonally in the dishes. Fresh herbs, including mint, cilantro (coriander), dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, leeks, chives, thyme, marjoram, green onion, and watercress, are very popular. They are often served with main dishes on the table. National dishes show the variety of the landscape. They are based on fish from theCaspian Sea, local meat (mainly mutton and beef), and the many seasonal vegetables and greens. Saffron-riceplov is the flagship food in Azerbaijan andblack tea is the national beverage.[29]
The earliest known person in Azerbaijani literature wasHasanoghlu or Pur Hasan Asfaraini. He made adivan ofPersian andTurkicghazals.[30][31] Classical literature in Azerbaijani was formed in 14th century. Among the poets of this period wereGazi Burhanaddin andHaqiqi. The famedBook of Dede Korkut has two manuscripts copied in the 16th century.[32] It is a collection of 12 stories showing the oral tradition of Oghuz nomads.[33]
In the span of the 17th century and 18th century, Fizuli's unique types as wellAshik poetry were taken up by poets and writers such asQovsi of Tabriz andShah Abbas Sani.
The first newspaper in Azerbaijani,Akinchi was published in 1875.
Azerbaijan is divided into 10 economic regions; 66rayons and 77 cities. 11 cities are under the direct authority of the republic.[41] Azerbaijan includes theNakhchivan Autonomous Republic.[42] ThePresident of Azerbaijan picks thegovernors of these units. The government of Nakhchivan is elected and approved by the parliament of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
↑"The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan"(PDF).President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Official Website of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 9 October 2022. Retrieved31 August 2020.I. The official language of the Republic of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani Language. The Republic of Azerbaijan guarantees the development of Azerbaijani Language.
↑"Central Intelligence Agency".The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 13 February 2020. Retrieved23 February 2020.
↑LaPorte, Jody (2016). "Semi-presidentialism in Azerbaijan". InElgie, Robert;Moestrup, Sophia (eds.).Semi-Presidentialism in the Caucasus and Central Asia. London:Palgrave Macmillan (published 15 May 2016). pp.91–117.doi:10.1057/978-1-137-38781-3_4.ISBN978-1-137-38780-6.LCCN2016939393.OCLC6039791976.LaPorte examines the dynamics of semi-presidentialism in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's regime is a curious hybrid, in which semi-presidential institutions operate in the larger context of authoritarianism. The author compares formal Constitutional provisions with the practice of politics in the country, suggesting that formal and informal sources of authority come together to enhance the effective powers of the presidency. In addition to the considerable formal powers laid out in the Constitution, Azerbaijan's president also benefits from the support of the ruling party and informal family and patronage networks. LaPorte concludes by discussing the theoretical implications of this symbiosis between formal and informal institutions in Azerbaijan's semi-presidential regime.
↑A.Caferoglu, "Adhari(azeri)",inEncyclopedia of Islam, (new edition), Vol. 1, (Leiden, 1986)
↑Michael E. Meeker, “The Dede Korkut Ethic”, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 24, No. 3 (Aug., 1992), 395–417.
↑İlker Evrım Bınbaş,Encyclopædia Iranica, "Oguz Khan Narratives"Encyclopædia Iranica | Articles, accessed October, 2010. "The Ketāb-e Dede Qorqut, which is a collection of twelve stories reflecting the oral traditions of the Turkmens in the 15th-century eastern Anatolia, is also called Oḡuz-nāma"
1.Transcontinental country/territory that is part of both Europe and Asia. 2. Territory or with territory geographically part of North America. 3. Partially recognized. 4. Not all dependent territories are listed. 5. Territory has some form of self-rule. 6. Territory or with territory geographically part of Africa. 7. Governed by theHoly See.
