Wikijunior:Asia/Azerbaijan
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Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is a country was known as Caucasian Albania in ancient times. Azerbaijan was an independent nation from 1918 to 1920 but was then incorporated into the Soviet Union. It became a constituent (union) republic in 1936. Azerbaijan declared sovereignty on September 23, 1989, and independence on August 30, 1999 (after fall of Soviet Union). Azerbaijan are also known for its distinctive traditional exports of fine horses and caviar.
The capital city of Azerbaijan is Baku or Bakı in native languages. The currencies of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani manat.
Where is Azerbaijan?
It is located in the Eurasia region bordering north to Russia and Georgia, west to Armenia and Turkey and south to Iran. Bordering to the east are the Caspian Sea.
How many people live in Azerbaijan?
According to population census conducted in 2019 it is estimated about 9.98 million people living there. Estimated of 91.6% of populations are Azerbaijani natives, 2.0% are Lezgis, 1.3% are Armenians, 1.3% are Russians, 1.3% are Talyshs and 2.5% of other minorities group.
What are the most common languages in Azerbaijan?
Azerbaijani, also called the Azeri, is the most widely spoken language in Azerbaijan with almost 93% of population speaking in the language.The Arabic script was used until the 20th century; the Cyrillic alphabet ;Yanalif (new alphabet) was introduced by Soviet Union in 1939. In 1992 the Azerbaijani government switched from the Cyrillic to the Roman alphabet as its official writing systems.
There are distinct branch of 2 Azerbaijani languages namely north Azerbaijani and south Azerbaijani, which are sometimes classified as separate languages, although there is a fair degree of mutually intelligibility between them. North Azerbaijani is spoken in Azerbaijan, where it is the official language. It is also spoken in southern Dagestan, in the southern Caucasus Mountains, and in parts of Central Asia. South Azerbaijani is spoken mainly in the northwest of Iran, where it is known as تورکی (Türki), and also in parts of Iraq and Turkey, and in Afghanistan and Syria.
What is the most common religion in Azerbaijan?
The most common religions are Muslim religion (95%) , with 85% being Shia Muslims and 15% being Sunni Muslims.The rest are minority Christian sect followers such as Russian Orthodox, Georgian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic
What is the sport of Azerbaijan?
National sport of Azerbaijan is chovgan. Chovgan share the resemblances to polo and are played on horseback . The sport's name is named after a type of curved stick traditionally used to catch sheep.
The sports rule are as followed: It requires horse riders to divide into two teams.Each team gets on the horseback and tries to score more goals against the opposite team.
The entire game is divided into 2 half-times. Duration of the game is six periods of 7 minutes. Each time period is called a “Chukka” or “Chukker”.
To begin with the game, each team’s players stay on horsebacks in a row behind the middle line in the middle of the field. Then, the referee throws the ball between them from approximately 6.5 m away for them to start the game. Players start riding toward the ball to get control over it and launch a tactical offense toward the opponent’s goal post. If there’s foul during the game or it’s time for the rest between two Chukkas, the game is paused.
What are some important sites?
The Palace of Shirvanshahs - The name Shirvanshahs literally named "The King of Shirvans" as it was a royal title in medieval Islamic times. In the 15th century the Shirvanshah dynasty transferred his country's capital from Shemakha to Baku a historical region in present-day Azerbaijan., and committed himself to the construction of the "palace". With prime location in the centre of the Old City, it provided the ideal place for the King to rule over his domain. The multi-building complex would have been the height of comfort, with everything from a mosque to a private hamam to large cistern.
Today, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is comprised of five distinct sections namely Divanhane, the shah’s mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi’s mausoleum, a portal in the east – Murad’s gate and a reservoir and the remnants of the bath-house.
Maiden Tower (Qiz Qalasi) - It was built in the 12th century originally on the shore of Caspian Sea supposedly to serve as a watch tower(later due to land reclamation, the tower is no more near the Caspian Sea) . It's an important part of Azerbaijani history considering that it features on the country's currency notes. The name of Maiden Tower are purportedly come from local tales as followed: A foreign prince fell in love with Azerbaijan's King beautiful daughter and wished to marry her. Horrified, the princess tried to delay the nuptials by asking her father to build the biggest tower she had ever seen. When the tower was completed, the princess went up to admire the view and threw herself into the waves of the Caspian, lapping against the tower walls below.
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