Site Information:  Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union

Title:         
Azerbaijan

Public Affairs

Source:         Bureau of Public Affairs, Office of Public
                 Communication

Description:    Washington, DC

Date:           Jun 19, 19926/19/92

Category:       Site Information

Region:         Eurasia

Country:        Azerbaijan, USSR (former)

Subject:        History, Democratization, Trade/Economics,
                 Cultural Exchange

Map: Central, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Republics

[TEXT]

Overview

Today's Azerbaijanis combine the heritage of two venerable
civilizations-the Seljuk Turks of the 11th century and the ancient
Persians.  The Azerbaijan Republic adjoins Iranian Azerbaijan,
although the two have never been politically united in a single
state.

        Azerbaijan was conquered and Islamized by the Arabs in 642
AD.  Centuries of prosperity followed.  Following the decline of the
Arab Empire, Azerbaijan again found prosperity in the 13th-15th
centuries under Mongol rule, under the native Shirvan Shahs, and
under Persia's Safavid Dynasty.

        Because of its location astride the trade routes and on the
shore of the Caspian Sea, Turkey, Persia, and Russia fought long
wars to control the area.  Finally, in 1828, the Russians split
Azerbaijan's territory with Persia, along the present frontier.

        In the period of liberalization following the 1905 revolution in
Russia, a local party, Musavat (Equality) became active in 1911.
After the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, these local leaders allied
with the Turks and attempted to form a Transcaucasus Federation
with Armenia and Georgia.  The attempt failed, and an independent
republic was proclaimed in 1918.  With Turkish help, Baku was
recaptured and named as the capital.  But, with the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire, British forces returned to the city and controlled
the affairs of the republic until August 1919.

        Azerbaijan was recognized by the Allies as an independent
state in January 1920.  However, in April 1920, the Red Army
invaded, and local leaders surrendered.  Azerbaijan was
incorporated into the Transcaucasus Federated Soviet Republic in
1922, and became a union republic in 1936.  The Azerbaijanis
declared their independence on August 30, 1991.

        Azerbaijan is both an agricultural and industrial center today.
At the turn of the 19th century, it was the world's largest oil
producer, and oil is still a major industry today.  Azer-baijan also
is known for its cotton, tobacco, grapes, and caviar

"Baku-The City of Winds"

Baku is a large and attractive city built in natural terraces which
drop down to the horseshoe-shaped Gulf of Baku on the Caspian Sea.
Although the climate is generally mild, a harsh, devastating wind,
the "Nord of Baku," sometimes strikes.  Most modern buildings are
constructed on an east-west axis to lessen their exposure to the
north wind.

        Baku was first mentioned in a 9th century AD chronicle and
flourished as a trade center during the 15th and 16th centuries.  The
city was held briefly by the Russians from 1723-35, before they
took final possession in 1806.

        Today, Baku's past can best be seen in the Castle District
where the streets are so narrow and twisting that pedestrians can
barely squeeze between the houses.  The most important historic
monuments include:

        *  The Bastion of the Maiden, an 11th-century tower where,
according to legend, a beautiful princess once leapt to her death;

        *  Sinile-Kala, a minaret of the Mohammed Mosque, the oldest
structure in the city, built in 1093; and

        *  The Palace of the Shirvan Shahs,  the local dynasty that
ruled during the height of Azerbaijan's prosperity.

        Today, Baku is home to an ethnically mixed population-35%
Azerbaijani, 35% Russian, 20% Armenian, and 10% other.

Principal Government Officials

President: Abdulfaz Elchibey
Prime Minister:  Rahim Huseynov
Minister of Foreign Affairs-Tofig Kasymov
Capital:  Baku