Azerbaijanis Azərbaycanlılar, Azərilər آذربایجانلیلار ,آذریلر
Total population
approx. 20. 5 to 33 million
Regions with significant populations
Iran 12 to 20. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. 1 million [1][2][3][4]  Azerbaijan 8,060,635 [5][6]  Turkey 800,000 [7]  Russia 622,000 [8]  Georgia 284,761 [9]  Kazakhstan 80,000 [10]  Germany 55,000  Ukraine 46,000 [11]  Netherlands 17,000 [12]  United States 5,553 [13]  Canada 3,465 [14]  Austria 1,000 [15]  Australia 290 [16]  Denmark 116 [17] other regions 30,000
Languages
Azerbaijani
Religions
Predominantly Shiite Muslims; some adherents of Sunni Islam, Christianity, Bahá'í Faith, Zoroastrianism or other faiths. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings

Part of the series on Azerbaijanis Azərbaycanlılar آذربایجانلیلار Azerbaijani culture Architecture · Art · Cinema · Cuisine · Dance · Dress · Literature · Music · Religion · Media · Sport By country or region Iran · Azerbaijan. The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences including its Turkic, Persian, Islamic, and Caucasus heritage as well Architecture of Azerbaijan refers to the architecture development in Azerbaijan. The film industry in Azerbaijan dates back to 1898 In fact Azerbaijan was among the first countries involved in Cinematography. Cuisine of Azerbaijan is considered one of the most delicious in the Caucasus region Music of Azerbaijan includes various styles that reflect influences from the music of the Iran, Caucasus and Central Asia. The religions of Azerbaijan comprise different religious trends spread among the people and ethnic groups residing in the country The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences including its Turkic, Persian, Islamic, and Caucasus heritage as well This article is about Azeris in Iran For Azeris in general see the respective article Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Georgia · Russia Turkey · Armenia Religion Shia Islam · Sunni Islam · Christianity · Bahá'í Faith · Zoroastrianism Languages and dialects Azerbaijani v • d • e

The Azerbaijanis^[18][19] are an ethnic group mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. This article is about Azeris in Georgia For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Russia For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Turkey For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Armenia For Azeris in general see the respective article Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Commonly referred to as Azeris (Azeri: آذریلر Azәrilәr) or Āzarīs (Persian: آذری ), they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to the Iranian plateau. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern The Azeris are typically Muslim and have a mixed cultural heritage of Turkic, Iranian, and Caucasian elements. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. This article deals with the various Ethnic groups inhabiting the Caucasus region

Despite living on both sides of an international border, the Azeris form a single ethnic group. ^[20] However, northerners and southerners differ due to nearly two centuries of separate social evolution in Russian/Soviet-influenced Azerbaijan and Iranian Azarbaijan. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. The Azerbaijani language unifies Azeris and is mutually intelligible with Turkmen and Turkish (including the dialects spoken by the Iraqi Turkmen and by the Qashqai). Turkmen ( Latin script: türkmen Cyrillic: түркмен ISO 639 -1 tk ISO 639-2 tuk is the name of the national language of Turkmenistan Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. The Iraqi Turkmen (also spelled Turkomen, Turcoman, and Turkman) ( Turkish: Irak Türkmenleri) are a distinct Turkic Qashqai (qaʃqaːʔiː also spelled Ghashghai, Qashqay and Qashqa'i) are a Turkic people living in Iran. All of these languages are traced to the Turkic Oghuz, who moved into the Caucasus from Central Asia in the 11th century. The Oghuz (variously known as Ghuzz, Guozz, Kuz, Oguz, Oğuz, Okuz, Oufoi, Ouz, Ouzoi, Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Following the Russian-Persian Wars of the 18th and 19th centuries,Persian territories in the Caucasus (some merely under nominal control) were ceded to the Russian Empire. The Qajar dynasty (also known as Ghajar or Kadjar ( ( - or دودمان قاجار) is a common term to describe Iran (then known as Persia) under The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya ^[21] This included parts of the current Republic of Azerbaijan. The treaties of Gulistan in 1813 and Turkmenchay in 1828 finalized the border between Russia and Persia (today known as Iran). The Treaty of Gulistan (Гюлистанский договор Persian: عهدنامه گلستان was a Peace treaty concluded between Imperial Russia The Treaty of Turkmenchay (Туркманчайский договор Persian: عهدنامه ترکمنچای was a treaty negotiated in Turkmenchay by which The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.

As a result of this separate existence, the Azeris are mainly secular in the Republic of Azerbaijan and religious Muslims in Iranian Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. Since Azerbaijan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, there has been renewed interest in religion and cross-border ethnic ties ^[22]

History

Main articles: History of Azerbaijan and History of Iran

Azerbaijan is believed to be named after Atropates, a Median satrap (governor) who ruled in Atropatene (modern Iranian Azarbaijan). Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South This article is about the history of Azerbaijan. For the history of Iranian Azerbaijan, please see the History of Iran Azerbaijan or See Also Persian Empire History of Iran and Greater Iran (also referred to as the " Iranian Cultural Continent Atropates ( Greek Aτρoπάτης from Old Persian Aturpat "protected by fire" c The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. See also the related deity Satrapes. Satrap (Persian ساتراپ was the name given to the governors of the Provinces of ancient Atropatene was the Seleucid -era Koine Greek name given to a kingdom established in the 4th century BCE and the nominal ancestor of the name ' Azerbaijan This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. ^[23] Atropates is derived from Old Persian roots meaning "protected by fire. The Old Persian language is one of the two attested Old Iranian languages (besides Avestan) "^[24] Azerbaijan has seen a host of inhabitants and invaders, including Caucasians, Medes, Scythians, Persians, Armenians, Greeks, Romans, Khazars, Arabs, Oghuz, Seljuks, Mongols, and Russians. This region should not be confused with modern-day Albania in south-eastern Europe. The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. In Classical Antiquity, Scythia ( Greek Skuthia) was the area in Eurasia inhabited by the Scythians, from the 8th The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. The Caliph is the Head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah The Oghuz (variously known as Ghuzz, Guozz, Kuz, Oguz, Oğuz, Okuz, Oufoi, Ouz, Ouzoi, The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya

In the 11th century A. D. with Seljukid conquests, Oghuz Turkic tribes started moving across the Iranian plateau into the Caucasus and Anatolia. The influx of the Oghuz and other Turkmen tribes was further accentuated by the Mongol invasions,^[25]. Here they divided into Ottomans, who were Sunni and settled, and Turkmens or Turcomans, who were nomads and in part Shiite (or rather, Alevi). The latter were to keep the name "Turkmen" or "Turcoman" for a long time: from 13th century onwards they gradually Turkified the Iranian-speaking populations of Azerbaijan, thus creating a new identity based on Shiism and the use of Turkic. These are the people today known as Azeris^[26]

Ancient period

Caucasian Albanians are believed to be the earliest inhabitants of the region where modern day Republic of Azerbaijan is located. This region should not be confused with modern-day Albania in south-eastern Europe. ^[23] Early invaders included the Scythians in the ninth century BC. In Classical Antiquity, Scythia ( Greek Skuthia) was the area in Eurasia inhabited by the Scythians, from the 8th ^[27] Following the Scythians, the Medes came to dominate the area to the south of the Aras. ^[23] The Medes forged a vast empire between 900-700 BC, which was integrated into the Achaemenids Empire around 550 BC. The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of During this period, Zoroastrianism spread in the Caucasus and Atropatene. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The Achaemenids in turn were defeated by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, but the Median satrap Atropates was allowed to remain in power. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Following the decline of the Seleucids in Persia in 247 BC, an Armenian Kingdom exercised control over parts of Caucasian Albania between 190 BC to 387 AD. The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i The Kingdom of Armenia (or Greater Armenia) was an independent kingdom from 190 BC to AD 387 and a client state of the Roman and Persian empires until ^[28][29] Caucasian Albanians established a kingdom in the first century BC and largely remained independent until the Sassanids made the kingdom a vassal state in 252 AD. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire The term vassal state commonly refers to any state that was subordinate to another in the pre-modern international system ^[23] Caucasian Albania's ruler, King Urnayr, officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in the fourth century AD, and Albania would remain a Christian state until the 8th century. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings ^[30][31] Sassanid control ended with their defeat by Muslim Arabs in 642 AD. ^[19]

Medieval period

Muslim Arabs defeated the Sassanids and Byzantines as they marched into the Caucasus region. The Arabs made Caucasian Albania a vassal state after the Christian resistance, led by Prince Javanshir, surrendered in 667. Javanshir (Dzevanshir which is Persian for Young Lion was the prince of Caucasian Albania from 635 to 669 hailing from the region of Gardman. ^[23] Between the ninth and tenth centuries, Arab authors began to refer to the region between the Kura and Aras rivers as Arran. Arran ( also known as Aran, Ardhan (in Parthian) Al-Ran (in Arabic) including the highland and lowland Karabakh) ^[23] During this time, Arabs from Basra and Kufa came to Azerbaijan and seized lands that indigenous peoples had abandoned; the Arabs became a land-owning elite. Basra ( BGN: AlBasrah also called Basorah Abillah and Uruk or IRAQ The name that British colony has adopted for Basra Kufa ( Arabic, ar الكوفة) is a city in modern Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km northeast of Najaf. ^[32] Conversion to Islam was slow as local resistance persisted for centuries and resentment grew as small groups of Arabs began migrating to cities such as Tabriz and Maraghah. Tabriz ( تبریز, تبریز) is the largest city in northwestern Iran. This influx sparked a major rebellion in Iranian Azarbaijan from 816–837, led by a local Zoroastrian commoner named Bābak. This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Bābak Khorram-Dīn ( Persian: بابک خرمدین; alternative spelling Bâbak Xoramdin; 795 according to some other ^[33] However, despite pockets of continued resistance, the majority of the inhabitants of Azerbaijan converted to Islam. Later on, in the 10th and 11th centuries, Kurdish dynasties of Shaddadid and Rawadid ruled parts of Azerbaijan. The Shaddadids were a Kurdish dynasty who ruled in various parts of Armenia and Arran from 951 - 1199 A Rawadid (also Rawwadid or Ravvadid ( 955 - 1071) was a Kurdish principality ruling Azerbaijan from the 10th to the early 13th centuries centered

In the middle of the eleventh century, the Seljuq dynasty overthrew Arab rule and established an empire that encompassed most of Southwest Asia. The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. The Seljuk period marked the influx of Oghuz nomads into the region and, thus, the beginning of the turkification of Azerbaijan as the West Oghuz Turkic language supplanted earlier Caucasian and Iranian ones. The Oghuz (variously known as Ghuzz, Guozz, Kuz, Oguz, Oğuz, Okuz, Oufoi, Ouz, Ouzoi, A region or society where several different groups are spontaneously assimilated is sometimes referred to as a Melting pot. ^[27][34]

However, Iranian cultural influence survived extensively, as evidenced by the works of then contemporary writers such as Persian poet Nezāmī Ganjavī. Nezāmi-ye Ganjavi ( Nîzamî Gencewî نیزامی گه‌نجه‌وی Nizami Gəncəvi نظامی گنجوی;‎ 1141 – 1209 or Nezāmi ( whose full name The emerging Turkic identity was chronicled in epic poems or dastans, the oldest being the Book of Dede Korkut, which relate allegorical tales about the early Turks in the Caucasus and Asia Minor. The Book of Dede Korkut, also spelled as Dada Gorgud, Dede Qorqut, or Korkut ata ( Turkish: Dede Korkut Kitabı Azerbaijani: An allegory (from αλλος allos "other" and el αγορευειν agoreuein "to speak in public" is a figurative mode of representation Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black ^[23] Turkic dominion was interrupted by the Mongols in 1227 and later the Mongols and Tamerlane ruled the region until 1405. The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire Timur also written Emir Timur or Amir Temur ( Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr " Iron " (1336 – 19 February 1405 among Turkic rule returned with the Sunni Qara Qoyunlū (Black Sheep Turkmen) and Aq Qoyunlū (White Sheep Turkmen), who dominated Azerbaijan until the Shi'a Safavids took power in 1501. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic The Kara Koyunlu or Qara Qoyunlu, also called the Black Sheep Turkomans ( Turkmen: Garagoýunly; Azeri: Qaraqoyunlu The Ak Koyunlu or Aq Qoyunlu, also called the White Sheep Turkomans ( Turkmen: Akgoýunly, Azeri: Ağqoyunlu, The Safavids ( صفوی) were an Iranian ref>Helen Chapin Metz ^[32][23]

Modern period

Early twentieth century fruit market in Urmia, Persia.

The Safavids, who rose from Iranian Azerbaijan and lasted until 1722, established the modern Iranian state. The Safavids ( صفوی) were an Iranian ref>Helen Chapin Metz ^[35][36][37] Noted for achievements in state building, architecture, and the sciences, the Safavid state crumbled due to internal decay and external pressures from the Russians and Afghans. The Hotaki dynasty (1709-1738 was founded in 1709 by Mirwais Khan Hotak, an ethnic Pashtun ( Afghan) from the Ghilzai clan of Kandahar province The Safavids encouraged and spread Shi'a Islam which is an important part of the national identity of Iranian Azerbaijani people as well as many Azerbaijanis north of the Aras. The Safavids encouraged the arts and culture and Shah Abbas the Great created an intellectual atmosphere which according to some scholars was a new Golden Age of Persia. Abbas (or Abbass, عباس) means "austere" in Arabic. ^[38] He reformed the government and the military, and responded to the needs of the common people. ^[38]

Ottoman rule followed the brief Safavid state, before conquest by Nadir Shah Afshar, a chieftain from Khorasan who reduced the power of the Shi'a. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Nāder Shāh Afshār ( also known as Nāder Qoli Beg - نادر قلی بیگ or Tahmāsp Qoli Khān - تهماسپ قلی خان) (November ^[32] The brief reign of Karim Khan came next, followed by the Qajars, who ruled Azerbaijan and Iran starting in 1779. Karim Khan Zand, ( کریم خان زند) (c 1705- 1779 also called Karim Khan the Great (Bozorg was the ruler and De facto Shah of Iran The Qajar dynasty (also known as Ghajar or Kadjar ( ( - or دودمان قاجار) is a common term to describe Iran (then known as Persia) under ^[23] Russia loomed as a threat to Persian holdings in the Caucasus in this period. The Russo-Persian Wars began in the eighteenth century and ended in the early nineteenth century with the Gulistan Treaty of 1813 and the Turkmenchay Treaty in 1828, which officially gave the Caucasian portion of Qajar Iran to the Russian Empire. The Treaty of Gulistan (Гюлистанский договор Persian: عهدنامه گلستان was a Peace treaty concluded between Imperial Russia The Treaty of Turkmenchay (Туркманчайский договор Persian: عهدنامه ترکمنچای was a treaty negotiated in Turkmenchay by which ^[24]

Iranian Azerbaijan's role in the Iranian constitutional revolution cannot be underestimated. The greatest figures of the democracy seeking revolution Sattar Khan^[39] and Bagher Khan were both from Iranian Azerbaijan. Sattar Khan ( ستارخان, sætːɒːɾ xɒn (1868— November 9, 1914, Persian: ستار Bagher Khan (1870s, Tabriz - November, 1911 Persian: باقر خان honorarily titled Sālār-e Melli ( Persian: سالار ملی meaning The Constitutional Revolution of 1906–11 shook the Qajar dynasty, whose kings had virtually sold the country to the tobacco and oil interests of the British Empire and had lost territory to the Russian empire. A parliament (Majlis) came into existence by the efforts of the constitutionalists. It was accompanied in some regions by a peasant revolt against tax collectors and landlords, the only indigenous mainstay of the monarchy. Pro-democracy newspapers appeared, and Iranian intellectuals began to relish the modernist breezes blowing from Paris and Petrograd. The Qajar Shah and his British advisers crushed the Constitutional Revolution, but the demise of the dynasty could not be long postponed. The last Shah of the Qajar dynasty was soon removed by a military coup led by Reza Khan, an officer of an old Cossack regiment, which had been created by Czarist Russia and officered by Russians to protect the Qajar ruler and Russian interests. Reza Khan may refer to Reza Shah (1877 - 1944 Shah of Iran Reza Khan (Taliban, Taliban agent accused of murder in Afghanistan In the quest of imposing national homogeneity on the country where half of the population consisted of ethnic minorities, Reza Shah issued in quick succession bans on the use of Azerbaijani language on the premises of schools, in theatrical performances, religious ceremonies, and, finally, in the publication of books. ^[40]

With the dethronement of Reza Shah in September 1941, Russian troops captured Tabriz and northwestern Persia for military and strategic reasons. Azerbaijan People's Government, a client state set up by the order of Stalin himself, under leadership of Sayyid Jafar Pishevari was proclaimed in Tabriz^[41] However, under pressure by the Western countries, the Soviet army was soon withdrawn, and the Iranian government regained control over Iranian Azerbaijan by the end of 1946. This article is about the short-lived USSR created regional government for similar uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. Sayyed Ja'far Pishevari ( was the founder and chairman of separatist and Communist Azerbaijan People's Government (November 1945 &ndash November

According to Professor. Gary R. Hess:

While the Azeris in Iran largely integrated into modern Iranian society, the northern Azeris lived through the transition from the Russian Empire to brief independence from 1918–1920 and then incorporation into the Soviet Union despite pleas by Woodrow Wilson for their independence at the Treaty of Versailles conference. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic ( ADR; Azərbaycan Xalq Cümhuriyyəti was the first Democratic and Secular Republic in the Muslim world The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The Republic of Azerbaijan achieved independence in 1991, but became embroiled in a war over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. For the republic see Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh is a Region in the South Caucasus. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani

Origins

Azeris in downtown Baku, Azerbaijan. Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South

In many references, Azerbaijanis are designated as a Turkic people, due to their Turkic language. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the ^[43][44][45] However, modern-day Azerbaijanis are believed to be primarily the descendants of the Caucasian and Iranic peoples who lived in the areas of the Caucasus and northern Iran, respectively, prior to Turkification. This region should not be confused with modern-day Albania in south-eastern Europe. The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. Turkification is a term used to describe a process of cultural change in which something or someone who is not a Turk becomes one voluntarily or by force Various historians including Vladimir Minorsky explain how largely Iranian and Caucasian populations became Turkish-speaking:

Thus, centuries of Turkic migration and turkification of the region helped to formulate the modern Azerbaijani ethnic group.

Turkification

Main article: Oghuz languages

Sattar Khan (1868-1914) was a major revolutionary figure in the late Qajar period in Iran. The Oghuz languages, a major branch of the Turkic language family, are spoken by more than 110 million people in an area spanning from the Balkans to China Sattar Khan ( ستارخان, sætːɒːɾ xɒn (1868— November 9, 1914, Persian: ستار The Qajar dynasty (also known as Ghajar or Kadjar ( ( - or دودمان قاجار) is a common term to describe Iran (then known as Persia) under

Although, "Turkic penetration probably began in the Hunnic era and its aftermath," there is little evidence to indicate, "permanent settlements". The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy ^[44] The earliest major Turkic incursion began with Mahmud of Ghazni and accelerated during the Seljuk period. Mahmud of Ghazni (محمود غزنوی Maḥmūd-e Ghaznawī ( November 2, 971 - April 30, 1030) also known as Yāmīn The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in ^[44] The migration of Oghuz Turks from present-day Turkmenistan, which is attested by linguistic similarity, remained high through the Mongol period, as many troops under the Ilkhans were Turkic. Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate or Il Khanate (Ил Хан улс Il Khan uls;) was a Mongol Khanate established in By the Safavid period, the Turkification of Azerbaijan continued with the influence of the Kizilbash. The Safavids ( صفوی) were an Iranian ref>Helen Chapin Metz Qizilbash or Kizilbash ( Nastaliq: قزلباش - Qizilbāš; Ottoman Turkish for "Red Heads" is a name given to a wide The very name Azerbaijan is derived from the pre-Turkic name of the province, Azarbayjan or Adarbayjan, and illustrates a gradual language shift that took place as local place names survived Turkification, albeit in altered form. ^[47]

Most academics view this migration as the most likely source of a Turkic background, but one that most likely involved the linguistic Turkification of predominantly non-Turkic-speaking indigenous peoples and assimilation of small bands of Turkic tribes. ^[23][24]

There are cultural connections between Azeris and the wider Oghuz Turk populace; the epic literary work the book of Dede Korkut is a treasured heritage shared through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the Azeri's of Iran. The Book of Dede Korkut, also spelled as Dada Gorgud, Dede Qorqut, or Korkut ata ( Turkish: Dede Korkut Kitabı Azerbaijani: Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. In addition to this, the epic of Koroglu is important in Azeri cultre, and some cultural items such as Alpamysh and mythology of the wolf Ashina may also have something in common with Azerbaijan's culture today. Ashina ( Asen, Asena, etc was a tribe and the ruling dynasty of the ancient Turks who rose to prominence in the mid- 6th century when their leader The musical tradition of Ashik/Ozan/Bakshy is popular in Azerbaijan as is the folk music including Türkü style mirroring Turkish folk music. For the Albanian use of the term to describe a pederastic lover see Albanian pederasty An Ashik ( aşık, aşıq, عاشیق

Iranian origin

Main article: Iranian origin of the Azerbaijanis

Statue of Nezami Ganjavi, a twelfth-century writer and philosopher, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijanis are a Oghuz Turkic language people of the South Caucasus. Nezāmi-ye Ganjavi ( Nîzamî Gencewî نیزامی گه‌نجه‌وی Nizami Gəncəvi نظامی گنجوی;‎ 1141 – 1209 or Nezāmi ( whose full name Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Nezami is a major literary figure to both Azeris and Persians.

The Iranian origins of the Azeris likely derive from ancient Iranic tribes, such as the Medes in Iranian Azarbaijan, and Scythian invaders who arrived during the eighth century BCE. The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic It is believed that the Medes mixed with an indigenous population, the Caucasian Mannai, a Northeast Caucasian group related to the Urartians. The Mannaeans (country name usually Mannea; Akkadian: Mannai, possibly Biblical Minni, מנּי were an ancient people of unknown origin The Northeast Caucasian languages, also called East Caucasian, Caspian, Nakho-Dagestanian, or Dagestanian, are a family of Languages Urartian (also called Vannic, in older literature also "Chaldean" is the conventional name for the language spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom ^[48] Ancient written accounts, such as one written by Arab historian Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Masudi(896-956), attest to an Iranian presence in the region:

^[49]

Scholars see cultural similarities between modern Persians and Azeris as evidence of an ancient Iranian influence. ^[50] Archaeological evidence indicates that the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism was prominent throughout the Caucasus before Christianity and Islam and that the influence of various Persian Empires added to the Iranian character of the area. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia ^[51] It has also been hypothesized that the population of Iranian Azarbaijan was predominantly Persian-speaking before the Oghuz arrived. This claim is supported by the many figures of Persian literature, such as Qatran Tabrizi, Shams Tabrizi, Nezami, and Khaghani, who wrote in Persian prior to and during the Oghuz migration, as well as by Strabo, Al-Istakhri, and Al-Masudi, who all describe the language of the region as Persian. Persian literature ( spans two and a half millennia though much of the pre- Islamic material has been lost Abū-Mansūr Qatrān-i Tabrīzī (1009-1072, was a royal Iranian poet Shams-e-Tabrīzī ( d 1248 was an Iranian Sufi mystic born in the city of Tabriz in Iranian Azerbaijan. Nezāmi-ye Ganjavi ( Nîzamî Gencewî نیزامی گه‌نجه‌وی Nizami Gəncəvi نظامی گنجوی;‎ 1141 – 1209 or Nezāmi ( whose full name Khāqāni or Khāghāni ( 1121 / 1122) &ndash 1190) (Persian خاقانی a Persian poet who was born in Shirvan, under the Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. The claim is mentioned by other medieval historians, such as Al-Muqaddasi. Muhammad ibn Ahmad Shams al-Din Al-Muqaddasi (محمد بن أحمد شمس الدين المقدسي also Transliterated as Al-Maqdisi and el-Mukaddasi ^[52][47] Other common Perso-Azeribaijani features include Iranian place names such as Tabriz^[53] and the name Azerbaijan itself. Tabriz ( تبریز, تبریز) is the largest city in northwestern Iran.

Various sources such as Encyclopaedia Iranica explain how, "The Turkish speakers of Azerbaijan (q. Encyclopædia Iranica is a project whose goal is to create a comprehensive and authoritative English language Encyclopedia about the history culture and v. ) are mainly descended from the earlier Iranian speakers, several pockets of whom still exist in the region. "^[54] The modern presence of the Iranian Talysh and Tats in Azerbaijan is further evidence of the former Iranian character of the region. Talysh (also Talishi, Taleshi or Talyshi) are an Iranian people who speak the Talysh language, one of the Northwestern Iranian For Tattoos also called "tats" see Tattoo. The Tat are an Aryan (Iranic ethnic group in the Caucasus. ^[55][56] As a precursor to these modern groups, the ancient Azaris are also hypothesized as ancestors of the modern Azerbaijanis. Azari, also spelled Adari, Adhari, is the name used for the Iranian language composed of groups of dialects which were spoken in Azerbaijan

Caucasian origin

Main article: Caucasian origin of the Azerbaijanis

Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev (1838-1924), a leading Azeri industrialist and philanthropist. The Azerbaijanis are a Oghuz Turkic language people of the South Caucasus. Hajji Zeynalabdin Taghi oglu Taghiyev ( Azeri: Zeynalabdin Tağıyev; Russian: Зейналабдин Тагиев) ( 25 January

According to Encyclopedia Britannica about Azeris in the Republic of Azerbaijan:

The Caucasian origin mostly applies to the Azeris of the Caucasus, most of whom are now inhabitants of the Republic of Azerbaijan. There is evidence that, despite repeated invasions and migrations, aboriginal Caucasians may have been culturally assimilated, first by Iranians and later by the Oghuz. This region should not be confused with modern-day Albania in south-eastern Europe. Ancient Iranian peoples who settled Greater Iran in the 2nd millennium BC first appear in Assyrian records in the 9th century BC. Considerable information has been learned about the Caucasian Albanians including their language, history, early conversion to Christianity, and close ties to the Armenians. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large Many academics believe that the Udi language, still spoken in Azerbaijan, is a remnant of the Albanians' language. The Udi language, spoken by the Udi people, is a member of the Northeast Caucasian language family. ^[58][31]

This Caucasian influence extended further south into Iranian Azarbaijan. This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. During the 1st millennium BCE, another Caucasian people, the Mannaeans (Mannai) populated much of Iranian Azarbaijan. The Mannaeans (country name usually Mannea; Akkadian: Mannai, possibly Biblical Minni, מנּי were an ancient people of unknown origin Weakened by conflicts with the Assyrians, the Mannaeans are believed to have been conquered and assimilated by the Medes by 590 BCE. The Assyrians are an Ethnic group whose origins lie in what is today Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. ^[59]

Genetics

Some new genetic studies suggest that recent erosion of human population structure might not be as important as previously thought, and overall genetic structure of human populations may not change with the immigration events and thus in the Azerbaijani case; the Azeris of Azerbaijan republic most of all genetically resemble other Caucasian people like Armenians ^[60] and people in the Azarbaijan region of Iran to other Iranians ^[61].

Studies conducted at Cambridge University

A recent study of the genetic landscape of Iran was completed by a team of Cambridge geneticists led by Dr. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the Maziar Ashrafian Bonab (an Iranian Azarbaijani). ^[62] Bonab remarked that his group had done extensive DNA testing on different language groups, including Indo-European and non Indo-European speakers, in Iran. ^[63] The study found that the Azerbaijanis of Iran do not have a similar FSt and other genetic markers found in Anatolian and European Turks. However, the genetic Fst and other genetic traits like MRca and mtDNA of Iranian Azeris were identical to Persians in Iran. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox

Studies conducted in the Caucasus

A 2003 study found that: "Y-chromosome haplogroups indicate that Indo-European-speaking Armenians and Turkic-speaking Azerbaijanians (of the Republic of Azerbaijan) are genetically more closely related to their geographic neighbors in the Caucasus than to their linguistic neighbors elsewhere. In Human genetics, a Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup is a Haplogroup defined by differences in the non- recombining portions of DNA from the "^[64] The authors of this study suggest that this indicates a language replacement of indigenous Caucasian peoples. There is evidence of limited genetic admixture derived from Central Asians (specifically Haplogroup H12), notably the Turkmen, that is higher than that of their neighbors, the Georgians and Armenians. In Human genetics, Haplogroup H (M69 is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. This article is about the Turkmen people of Turkmenistan. For the distinct group of Turk peoples of Iraq see Iraqi Turkmen. The Georgians (ქართველები kartvelebi) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus, the oldest group of the The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large ^[65] MtDNA analysis indicates that the main relationship with Iranians is through a larger West Eurasian group that is secondary to that of the Caucasus, according to a study that did not include Azeris, but Georgians who have clustered with Azeris in other studies. Mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) is the DNA located in Organelles called mitochondria. ^[66] The conclusion from the testing shows that the Caucasian Azeris are a mixed population with relationships, in order of greatest similarity, with the Caucasus, Iranians and Near Easterners, Europeans, and Turkmen. Other genetic analysis of mtDNA and Y-chromosomes indicates that Caucasian populations are genetically intermediate between Europeans and Near Easterners, but that they are more closely related to Near Easterners overall. Mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) is the DNA located in Organelles called mitochondria. The Y chromosome is the sex-determining Chromosome in most Mammals including Humans In mammals it contains the gene SRY, which triggers ^[64] Another study, conducted in 2003 by the Russian Journal of Genetics, links Iranians in Azerbaijan (the Talysh and Tats) with Turkic Azerbaijanis of the Republic:

Ethnonym

Historically the Turkic speakers^[68] of Iranian Azerbaijan and the Caucasus called themselves or were referred to by others as Turks and religious identification prevailed over ethnic identification. When Transacaucasia became part of the Russian empire, Russian authorities, who traditionally called all Turkic people Tatars, called Azeris Aderbeijani/Azerbaijani or Caucasian Tatars to distinguish them from other Turkic people, also called Tatars by Russians. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups ^[69] Russian Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary also refers to Azerbaijanis as Aderbeijans in some articles. The Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary ( Russian: Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона (35 volumes small ^[70] According to the article Turko-Tatars of the above encyclopedia,

Demographics and society

Main articles: Demographics of Azerbaijan and Demographics of Iran

Azeri female wearing traditional clothing, 1900

There are an estimated 24 to 33 million Azerbaijanis in the world, but census figures are difficult to verify. Demographic data Data from CIA World Factook unless noted otherwise Population 8 Iran's population was declared 70049262 in the 2006 census with nearly one quarter of its people being 15 years of age or younger The vast majority live in Azerbaijan and Iranian Azarbaijan. This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. Between 16 and 23 million Azeris live in Iran, mainly in the northwestern provinces. Approximately 7. 6 million Azeris are found in the Republic of Azerbaijan. A diaspora, possibly numbering in the millions, is found in neighboring countries and around the world. There are sizable communities in Turkey, Georgia, Russia, USA, Canada, Germany and other countries. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ^[72]

While population estimates in Azerbaijan are considered reliable due to regular censuses taken, the figures for Iran remain questionable. Since the early twentieth century, successive Iranian governments have avoided publishing statistics on ethnic groups. ^[73] Unofficial population estimates of Azeris in Iran range from 20–24%. ^[1][74] However, many Iran scholars, such as Nikki Keddie, Patricia J. Higgins, Shahrough Akhavi, Ali Reza Sheikholeslami, and others, claim that Azeris may comprise as much as one third of Iran's population. ^[73][75][76]

A large expatriate community of Azerbaijanis is found outside Azerbaijan and Iran. According to Ethnologue, there were over 1 million Azerbaijani-speakers of the north dialect in southern Dagestan, Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as of 1993. Ethnologue Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics a Christian The Republic of Dagestan dæɡɪˈstɑːn (IntEng ˈdeɪɡəstæn (AmEng (Респу́блика Дагеста́н Дагъистанлъул ДжумхIурият Daɣistanłul Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly ^[72] Other sources, such as national censuses, confirm the presence of Azeris throughout the former Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Ethnologue figures are outdated in the case of Armenia, where conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has affected the population of Azeris. ^[77] Ethnologue further reports that an additional 1 million South Azeris live outside Iran, but these figures most likely are a reference to the Iraqi Turkmen, a distinct though related Turkic people. The Iraqi Turkmen (also spelled Turkomen, Turcoman, and Turkman) ( Turkish: Irak Türkmenleri) are a distinct Turkic ^[78]

Azeris in Azerbaijan

By far the largest ethnic group in Azerbaijan (over 90%), the Azeris generally tend to dominate most aspects of the country. Unlike most of their ethnic brethren in Iran, the majority of Azeris are secularized from decades of official Soviet atheism. Atheism The literacy rate is high, another Soviet legacy, and is estimated at 98. 8%. ^[79] Whereas most urban Azeris are educated, education remains comparatively lower in rural areas. A similar disparity exists with healthcare.

Azeri society has been deeply impacted by the war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, which has displaced nearly 1 million Azeris and put strains upon the economy. For the republic see Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh is a Region in the South Caucasus. ^[80] Azerbaijan has benefited from the oil industry, but high levels of corruption have prevented greater prosperity for the masses. ^[81] Many Azeris have grown frustrated over the political process in Azerbaijan as the election of current president Ilham Aliyev has been described as "marred by allegations of corruption and brutal crackdowns on his political opposition". Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev ( İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev) (born December 24, 1961) is the current President of Azerbaijan. ^[82][83] Despite these problems, there is a renaissance in Azerbaijan as positive economic predictions and an active political opposition appear determined to improve the lives of average Azeris. ^[84][27]

Azeris in Iran

Main article: Azeris in Iran

Googoosh, an Iranian pop diva of Azeri ethnicity. This article is about Azeris in Iran For Azeris in general see the respective article Googoosh (alternately spelled Gogosh, Googosh or Gougoush; گوگوش, born Faegheh Atashin, فائقه آتشین A diva is a celebrated female singer The Italian term is used to describe a woman of rare outstanding talent in the world of Opera, and by extension in theatre and

Azerbaijanis in Iran are mainly found in the northwest provinces: East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Kordestan, Qazvin, Hamedan, and Markazi. This article is about the Iranian province for similar uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. This article is about the Iranian province for similar uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. Ardabīl ( Persian: اردبیل Azeri: اردبیل also known as Ardebil; ancient name Artavil) is one of the Azeri The name Zanjan may mean one of the following subdivisions in the country of Iran: Zanjan Province Zanjan County, an area Kordestan ( Persian: استان کردستان UniPers: Ostâne Kordestân; Kurdish: پارێزگه ی کوردستان Parêzgeha Qazvin ( also spelled as Ghazvin) is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran with an estimated population of 331409 in 2005 Hamedān or Hamadān ( Persian: همدان, Old Persian: Hagmatana Hebrew: המזיין Ancient Greek: Ecbatana) Markazi (استان مرکزی in Persian) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. Many others live in Tehran, Fars Province, and other regions. Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of Fars (pronounced/fɑː(ɹs ( Persian: فارس Fârs) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. ^[19] Generally, Azeris in Iran have been "a well integrated linguistic minority" according to academics such as anthropologist Patricia Higgins. ^[73] In fact, until the Pahlavi period in the twentieth century, "the identity of Iran was not exclusively Persian, but supra-ethnic", as much of the political leadership, starting from the eleventh century, had been Turkic. ^[3] The Iranian and Turkic groups were integrated until twentieth century nationalism and communalism began to alter popular perception. ^[3] Despite friction, Azerbaijanis in Iran came to be well represented at all levels of, "political, military, and intellectual hierarchies, as well as the religious hierarchy. "^[73]

Resentment came with Pahlavi policies that suppressed the use of the Azerbaijani language in local government, schools, and the press. ^[85] However with the advent of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, emphasis shifted away from nationalism as the new government highlighted religion as the main unifying factor. The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed Within the Islamic Revolutionary government there emerged an Azeri nationalist faction led by Ayatollah Kazem Shariatmadari, who advocated greater regional autonomy and wanted the constitution to be revised to include secularists and opposition parties; this was denied. Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari (محمد کاظم شریعتمداری also spelled Shariat-Madari (1905 Tabriz – 3 April ^[86] In May 2006 Iranian Azerbaijan witnessed riots over publication of a cartoon ^[87] that many Azeris found offensive. The cockroach cartoon controversy of "Iran weekly magazine" arose over a Cartoon, published in the Iranian holiday-magazine of Iran-e-jomee ^[88][89] The cartoon was drawn by Mana Neyestani, an ethnic Azeri, who was fired along with his editor as a result of the controversy. Mana Neyestani is an Iranian cartoonist of Azeri origin He is the brother of Touka Neyestani, who is also a cartoonist ^[90][91]

Ethnic diversity of Iran.

Despite sporadic problems, Azeris are an intrinsic community within Iran. Currently, the living conditions of Azeris in Iran closely resemble that of Persians:

Andrew Burke writes:

Azeris in Iran are in high positions of authority with the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei currently sitting as the Supreme Leader. (fa علی حسینی خامنه‌ای born 17 July 1939 also known as Ali Khamenei, is an Iranian Azeri politician and cleric The post of Supreme Leader ( Persian: رهبر انقلاب Rahbare Enqelab, lit Azeris in Iran remain quite conservative in comparison to most Azeris in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Nonetheless, since the Republic of Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, there has been renewed interest and contact between Azeris on both sides of the border.

See also: Azeris in Georgia, Azeris in Armenia, Azeris in Russia, and Azeris in Turkey

Culture

Main articles: Culture of Azerbaijan and Culture of Iran

In many respects, Azeris are Eurasian and bi-cultural, as northern Azeris have absorbed Russo-Soviet and Eastern European influences, whereas the Azeris of the south have remained within the Turko-Iranian and Persianate tradition. This article is about Azeris in Georgia For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Armenia For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Russia For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Turkey For Azeris in general see the respective article The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences including its Turkic, Persian, Islamic, and Caucasus heritage as well To best understand Iran and its people one must first attempt to acquire an understanding of its ancient culture Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. The composite Turko-Persian tradition was a variant of Islamic culture. A Persianate society ( - Djāma-ye Pārsīzabān) is a society that is either based on or strongly influenced by the Persian language, culture, literature Modern Azeri culture includes significant achievements in literature, art, music, and film.

Language and literature

Muhammad Fuzûlî, sixteenth-century poet. For the administrative region of Azerbaijan see Fizuli Rayon; for the city in Azerbaijan see Füzuli.

Main articles: Azerbaijani language and Azerbaijani literature

The Azerbaijanis speak Azerbaijani (sometimes called Azerbaijani Turkish or Azeri), a Turkic language that is mutually intelligible with Turkish despite minor variations in accent, vocabulary and grammar. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Other mutually intelligible Turkic languages include Turkmen and the Turkish spoken by the Turkomans of Iraq and the Qashqai. Turkmen ( Latin script: türkmen Cyrillic: түркмен ISO 639 -1 tk ISO 639-2 tuk is the name of the national language of Turkmenistan The Iraqi Turkmen (also spelled Turkomen, Turcoman, and Turkman) ( Turkish: Irak Türkmenleri) are a distinct Turkic Qashqai (qaʃqaːʔiː also spelled Ghashghai, Qashqay and Qashqa'i) are a Turkic people living in Iran. The Azerbaijani language is descended from the Western Oghuz Turkic language that became established in Azerbaijan in the 11th century CE. Early Oghuz was mainly an oral language. It began to develop as a literary language by the 13th century. A literary language is a register of a Language that is used in Literary Writing. ^[93] Early oral Azerbaijani, derived from the Oghuz language, began with history recitations (dastans), including the Book of Dede Korkut and Koroglu, which contained Turkic mythology. The Book of Dede Korkut, also spelled as Dada Gorgud, Dede Qorqut, or Korkut ata ( Turkish: Dede Korkut Kitabı Azerbaijani: The Epic of Köroğlu ( Turkish Köroğlu destanı) is a Legend prominent in the Oral traditions of the Turkic peoples. The mythologies and religions of the Turco-Mongol peoples ( Turkic and Mongolian peoples both groups speakers of Altaic languages) are related and have Some of the earliest Azeri writings of the past are traced back to the poet Nasimi (died 1417) and then decades later Fuzûlî (1483–1556). For the administrative region of Azerbaijan see Fizuli Rayon; for the city in Azerbaijan see Füzuli. Ismail I, Shah of Safavid Persia wrote Azeri poetry under the pen name Khatâ'i. The Safavids ( صفوی) were an Iranian ref>Helen Chapin Metz Modern Azeri literature continued with a traditional emphasis upon, humanism, as conveyed in the writings of Samad Vurgun, Reza Baraheni, Shahriar, and many others. Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal For the town in Armenia see Hovk. Samad Vurgun (Səməd Vurğun born Samad Vakilov, March 21 1906, Yukhari Reza Baraheni (born 1935 is an exiled Iranian novelist poet critic and political activist Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Behjat-Tabrizi (سید محمدحسین بهجت تبریزی‎ ( 1906 - September 18, 1988) chiefly known by his Pen ^[94]

Azeris are generally bilingual, often fluent in either Russian (in Azerbaijan) or Persian (in Iran). Around 5,000,000 of Azerbaijan's roughly 8,000,000 population speaks Russian. ^[95] Moreover, in 1999, around 2,700 Azeris in the Azerbaijan Republic (0. 04% of the total Azeri population) reported Russian as their mothertongue. ^[96] An Iranian survey (2002) revealed that 90. 0% of the sample household population in Iran is able to speak Persian, 4. 6% can only understand it, and 5. 4% can neither speak nor understand Persian. Azeri is the most spoken minority language in an Iranian household (23. 3%). ^[97]

Religion

Main articles: Religion in Azerbaijan, Islam in Azerbaijan, Christianity in Azerbaijan, and Islam in Iran

The majority of Azerbaijanis are Shi'a Muslims. The religions of Azerbaijan comprise different religious trends spread among the people and ethnic groups residing in the country See also Religion in Azerbaijan Approximately 934 to 96 percent of the population of Azerbaijan is nominally Muslim. Christianity in Azerbaijan is a minority religion 38% of the population (1998 belong to the Russian Orthodox Church (1998 The Islamic conquest of Persia (637-651 led to the end of the Sassanid Empire and the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in Persia. Religious minorities include Sunni Muslims, Zoroastrians, Christians and Bahá'ís. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Zoroastrianism in Azerbaijan goes back to the first millennium BC and for at least a thousand years remained the predominant religion in Azerbaijan Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Azeris in the Republic of Azerbaijan have an unknown number showing any religious affiliation, since being in a secular country. Many describe themselves as cultural Muslims. Cultural Muslim is a general term used to define a group of people who are identified by association with a Muslim community rather than Islamic faith or ^[27][98] Christian Azeris number around 5,000 people in the Republic of Azerbaijan and consist mostly of recent converts. ^[99] Some Azeris from rural regions retain pre-Islamic animist beliefs, such as the sanctity of certain sites and the veneration of certain trees and rocks. Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals ^[100] In the Republic of Azerbaijan traditions from other religions are often celebrated in addition to Islamic holidays, including Norouz and Christmas. Muslim holidays are mostly based around the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, especially the events surrounding the first hearing of the Qur'an. Nowrūz ( /noruz/ ↔, (English New Day various local pronunciations and spellings) is the traditional Iranian New year Holiday celebrated After the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijanis have increasingly returned to their Islamic heritage as recent reports indicate that many Azerbaijani youth are being drawn to Islam. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 ^[101]

Performance art

See also: Music of Azerbaijan and Music of Iran

Azeri musicians in performance. Music of Azerbaijan includes various styles that reflect influences from the music of the Iran, Caucasus and Central Asia. The music of Iran or Persian music has thousands of years of history dating back to the Neolithic age as seen in the archeological

Azeri dance

Azeris express themselves in a variety of artistic ways including dance, music, and the media. Azeri folk dances are ancient and similar to that of their neighbours in the Caucasus and Iran. The group dance is a common form found from southeastern Europe to the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. In the group dance the performers come together in a semi-circular or circular formation as, "The leader of these dances often executes special figures as well as signaling and changes in the foot patterns, movements, or direction in which the group is moving, often by gesturing with his or her hand, in which a kerchief is held. "^[102] Solitary dances are performed by both men and women and involve subtle hand motions in addition to sequenced steps.

Azeri musical tradition can be traced back to singing bards called Ashiqs, a vocation that survives to this day. Etymology The word is a Loanword from descendant languages of Proto-Celtic *bardos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gwerh2 For the Albanian use of the term to describe a pederastic lover see Albanian pederasty An Ashik ( aşık, aşıq, عاشیق Modern Ashiqs play the saz (lute) and sing dastans (historical ballads). The saz (from Persian:) is a family of Plucked string instruments popular in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from A ballad is a Poem usually set to Music; thus it often is a story told in a Song. ^[103] Other musical instruments include the tar (another type of lute), duduk (a wind instrument), Kamancha (fiddle), and the dhol (drums). For other uses of this term including another kind of musical instrument see Tar (disambiguation. The duduk (duˈduk is a traditional woodwind instrument of Armenian origins This article is about the Persian kamancheh For the related but different Turkish & Armenian instrument see Kemenche. The dhol (ਢੋਲ ڈھول; ढोल ڈھول) dohol ( دهل) is a Drum (a percussion Musical instrument Azeri classical music, called mugham, is often an emotional singing performance. For the town in Armenia see Mugam Armenia. Mugham also spelled as Mugam ( Azeri: Muğam) is one of the many musical Composers Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Gara Garayev and Fikret Amirov created a hybrid style that combines Western classical music with mugham. Uzeyir Hajibeyov (Üzeyir Hacıbəyov September 18, 1885, Agjabadi – November 23 1948, Baku) was an Azerbaijani Gara Abulfaz oghlu Garayev (Qara Əbülfəz oğlu Qarayev February 5, 1918 in Baku - May 13, 1982 in Moscow) also spelled Fikret Mashadi Jamil oghlu Amirov (Fikrət Məşədi Cəmil oğlu Əmirov November 22, 1922, Ganja - February 20, 1984, Baku Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Other Azeris, notably Vagif Mustafa Zadeh and Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, mixed jazz with mugham. Vagif Mustafazadeh (Vaqif Mustafazadə Russian: Вагиф Мустафазаде)was a Soviet Azeri Jazz Pianist and Aziza Mustafa Zadeh - ( Azeri: Əzizə Mustafazadə) also known as The Princess of Jazz, or Die Prinzessin des Jazz or as Jazziza, Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Some Azeri musicians have received international acclaim, including Rashid Behbudov (who could sing in over eight languages) and Muslim Magomayev (a pop star from the Soviet era). Rashid Behbudov (Rəşid Behbudov ( December 14, 1915 – June 9, 1989) was an Azerbaijani Singer and Actor Muslim Mahammad oglu Magomayev ( Azeri: Müslüm Maqomayev; Russian: Муслим Магомаев; born 17 August 1942

Meanwhile in Iran, Azeri music has taken a different course. According to Iranian Azeri singer Hossein Alizadeh, "Historically in Iran, music faced strong opposition from the religious establishment, forcing it to go underground. Hossein Alizadeh ( is a distinguished Iranian Composer, Radif -preserver researcher teacher and excellent tar and setar "^[104] As a result, most Iranian Azeri music is performed outside of Iran amongst exile communities.

Azeri film and television is largely broadcast in Azerbaijan with limited outlets in Iran. Some Azeris have been prolific film-makers, such as Rustam Ibragimbekov, who wrote Burnt by the Sun, winner of the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1994. Rustam Mammad Ibrahim oglu Ibrahimbeyov, also spelled Ibragimbekov (Rüstəm İbrahimbəyov Рустам Ибрагимбеков born February 5 1939 Burnt by the Sun ( Russian: Утомлённые солнцем, Utomlyonnye solntsem) is a 1994 film by The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice, "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars handed out annually by the U Many Iranian Azeris have been prominent in the cinematic tradition of Iran, which has received critical praise since the 1980s. The cinema of Iran (or Persian cinema) is a flourishing film industry with a long history

Sports

See also: Azerbaijan national football team and Azerbaijan at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Chess player Teimour Radjabov. The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Teimour Radjabov, also spelled Teymur Rajabov (Teymur Rəcəbov born March 12 1987 in Baku, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic,

Sports have historically been an important part of Azeri life. Numerous competitions were conducted on horseback and praised by poets and writers such as Gatran Tabrizi and Nezami Ganjavi. Nezāmi-ye Ganjavi ( Nîzamî Gencewî نیزامی گه‌نجه‌وی Nizami Gəncəvi نظامی گنجوی;‎ 1141 – 1209 or Nezāmi ( whose full name ^[105] Other ancient sports include wrestling, javelin throwing and ox-wrestling.

The Soviet legacy has in modern times propelled some Azeris to become accomplished athletes at the Olympic level. ^[105] The Azeri government supports the country's athletic legacy and encourages Azeri youth to take part. Football is very popular in both Azerbaijan and Iranian Azarbaijan. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. There are many prominent Azeri soccer players such as Ali Daei, the world's all-time leading goal scorer in international matches and the former captain of the Iran national soccer team. Ali Daei, ( pronounced dɑːjiː}} nicknamed '''''Shahriar''''' [{{IPA|ʃæhrijɑːr}} meaning The king, born March 21 1969 in Ardabil, Iran This page lists the top all-time male goal scorer for each national football team where the top scorer has a minimum 19 goals in official international matches for his country The Iran national football team ( represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Azeri athletes have particularly excelled in weight lifting, gymnastics, shooting, javelin throwing, karate, boxing, and wrestling. Weightlifting, also called Olympic weightlifting or Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Shooting is the act or process of firing Rifles Shotguns or other projectile Weapons such as bows or Crossbows Even the firing of The javelin throw is a Track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a Spear -like object made of metal fiberglass ( or is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese Kenpō. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of the opponent ^[106] Weight lifters, such as Iran's Hossein Reza Zadeh, world’s super heavyweight lifting record holder and two times Olympic champion in 2000 and 2004 and Nizami Pashayev, who won the European heavyweight title in 2006, have excelled at the international level. Hossein Rezazadeh ( born May 12, 1978 in Ardabil, Iran) is a former Iranian Weightlifter and the current world Nizami Pashayev is an Azerbaijani athlete in weightlifting He won two World Weightlifting Championships titles and one European Weightlifting Championships title when

Chess is another popular pastime in Azerbaijan. Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. The country has produced many notable players, such as Teimour Radjabov and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, both highly ranked internationally. Teimour Radjabov, also spelled Teymur Rajabov (Teymur Rəcəbov born March 12 1987 in Baku, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Şəhriyar Məmmədyarov (born April 12 1985 in Sumgayit, Azerbaijan) is a Chess Grandmaster.

Institutions

Azerbaijan and Iranian Azerbaijan have developed distinct institutions as a result of divergent socio-political evolution. Azerbaijan began the twentieth century with institutions based upon those of Russia and the Soviet Union, with strict state control over most aspects of society. Since, they have moved towards the adoption of Western social models as of the late twentieth century. Since independence, relaxed state controls have allowed local civil society to develop. Civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning Society as opposed to the force-backed In contrast, in Iranian Azerbaijan Islamic theocratic institutions dominate nearly all aspects of society, with most political power in the hands of the Supreme Leader of Iran and the Council of Guardians. The post of Supreme Leader ( Persian: رهبر انقلاب Rahbare Enqelab, lit The Guardian Council of the Constitution (شورای نگهبان قانون اساسی or Guardian Council and also Council of Guardians is an appointed and Yet both societies are in a state of change. In Azerbaijan there is a secular democratic system that is mired in political corruption and charges of election fraud. Azerbaijan's civil society is a work in progress:

Despite these problems Azerbaijan has an active political opposition that seeks more expansive democratic reforms. ^[84] Azeris in Iran remain intertwined with the Islamic republic's theocratic regime and lack any significant civil society of a secular nature that can pose a major challenge. Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler There are signs of civil unrest due to the policies of the Iranian government in Iranian Azarbaijan and increased interaction with fellow Azeris in Azerbaijan and satellite broadcasts from Turkey have revived Azeri nationalism. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches ^[108]

Women

Late nineteenth to early twentieth-century Azeri girl from Shusha.

See also: Women in Azerbaijan

See also: Women in Iran

Azeri females have historically struggled against a legacy of male domination but have made great strides since the twentieth century. In Azerbaijan, women were granted the right to vote in 1919. ^[109] Women have attained Western-style equality in major cities such as Baku, although in rural areas more traditional views remain. Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan ^[110][27] Some problems that are especially prevalent include violence against women, especially in rural areas. Crimes such as rape are severely punished in Azerbaijan, but rarely reported, not unlike other parts of the former Soviet Union. ^[111] Azeri women were forced to "give up the veil,"^[23] placing Azerbaijan in sharp contrast with Iranian Azarbajan. Women are underrepresented in elective office but have attained high positions in parliament. An Azeri woman is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Azerbaijan, and two others are Justices of the Constitutional Court. As of 6 November 2005, women constituted 12% of all MPs (fifteen seats in total) in the National Assembly of Azerbaijan. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Assembly ( Milli Məclis) is the Legislative branch of government in Azerbaijan. ^[112] The Republic of Azerbaijan is also one of the few Muslim countries where abortion is available on demand. An ^[113]

In Iran, the continued unequal treatment of women has been met with increasingly vocal protests, including that of Shirin Ebadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her strong advocacy for women's rights. Shirin Ebadi (شیرین عبادی - Širin Ebâdi; born 21 June 1947) is an Iranian Lawyer, Human rights activist The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor A groundswell of grassroots movements have emerged seeking gender equality since the 1980s. ^[114][19] Regular protests take place in defiance of government bans and are often dispersed through violence, as in June 2006 when "[t]housands of women and male supporters came together on June 12 in Haft Tir Square in Tehran" and were dispersed through "brutal suppression". ^[115] Past Iranian leaders, such as Mohammad Khatami, promised women greater rights, but the government has opposed changes that they interpret as contrary to Islamic doctrine. Seyyed Mohammad Khātamī ( سید محمد خاتمی, pronounced xɑːtæmiː}} (born September 29, 1943, in Ardakan, Yazd As of 2004, nine Azeri women have been elected to parliament (Majlis) and while most are committed to social change, some represent conservative positions regarding gender issues. Majlis (also spelled Majalis or Mejlis, Arabic مجلس is an Arabic term meaning "a place of sitting" used to describe various types of formal ^[116] The social fate of Azeri women largely mirrors that of other women in Iran.

See also

External links

• Embassy of Azerbaijan, Washington DC
• BBC News Europe Country Profile: Azerbaijan
• Encyclopedia of the Orient: Azerbaijan
• The BBC Azeri news site written in Azeri language. This is a list of prominent people from the Republic of Azerbaijan (or previously the Azerbaijan SSR) and Azeri people from Iran. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South This article is about Azeris in Iran For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Georgia For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Armenia For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Russia For Azeris in general see the respective article This article is about Azeris in Turkey For Azeris in general see the respective article The Azerbaijanis are a Oghuz Turkic language people of the South Caucasus. The Azerbaijanis are a Oghuz Turkic language people of the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is the name used by the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Iranian region of Azerbaijan. This region should not be confused with modern-day Albania in south-eastern Europe.
• Azeri.net All About Azerbaijani
• Namine- Independent Political Journal

Notes and references

• Important note: population statistics for Azerbaijanis (including those without a notation) in foreign countries were derived from various census counts, the UN, the CIA Factbook, Ethnologue, and the Joshua Project. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.