Our first article of this issue of the Cross-Culturist Magazine (CCM) is about Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is a republic in the Transcaucasia region of western Asia, bordered on the north by Russia, on the northwest by Georgia, on the east by the Caspian Sea, on the south by Iran, and on the west by Armenia. Formerly a republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the republic includes the regions of Nagorno-Karabakh and Naxçivan (Nakhichevan’). Naxçivan is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by a mountainous strip of land in Armenia. Baku, a large port city on the Caspian Sea, is the capital and largest city.

Land and Resources

Azerbaijan, which covers an area of about 86,600 sq km (about 33,400 sq mi), is a land of high mountain ranges and low river valleys. The Caucasus Mountains form much of the country's northern border and contain Mount Bazardüzü, which reaches a height of 4466 m (about 14,653 ft), the highest elevation in the republic. The tallest mountains of the Lesser Caucasus ( Malyy Kavkaz) form the country's southeastern boundary and attain heights of about 3500 m (about 11,500 ft). The central portion of the country is dominated by the Aras-Kura river valleys. With the exception of the Lankaran Lowland in the subtropical southeast and upper elevations in the mountainous zones, the climate is generally arid.

Large-scale canals divert water, primarily for agricultural purposes. The Verkhne-Karabakhskiy Canal channels water from the Mingaçevir Reservoir on the upper Kura to the Aras River. The Samur-Apsheronskiy Canal redirects water from the Samur River on Azerbaijan's northern border to the Abseron Peninsula, which juts into the Caspian Sea. Forests grow in the subalpine zone, which is inhabited by bear, deer, lynx, and wild boar. The arid and semiarid lowlands support a great number of lizards, poisonous snakes, and other reptiles.

Population

Azerbaijan is the most populous country in the Transcaucasia, with an estimated population of 7,174,000 in 1991. Although it contains people of many different nationalities, the republic has become more ethnically homogeneous in recent years. The proportion of Azeris, who have traditionally comprised about four-fifths of the population, has increased since 1988, when conflicts began between Armenians and Azeris over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenians constitute the majority of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and have demanded that the region be made part of Armenia. Large numbers of Azeri refugees have flowed over the border from Armenia, and large numbers of Russians, Armenians, and other nationalities have left Azerbaijan. The Armenian community, which comprised 6 percent of the population in 1989, is now confined almost exclusively to the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Other nationalities include Lezgins, Kurds, Talysh, Tatars, Georgians, Ukrainians, and Avars. Most ethnic groups have resided in the area of present-day Azerbaijan for centuries, although Slavs arrived in large numbers with the industrialization boom of the last century. Lezgins, Kurds, and Talysh, who are geographically concentrated in the north, east, and south of the republic, have agitated for increased autonomy in recent years.
Azerbaijan is the least urbanized of the three Transcaucasia republics (the other two are Georgia and Armenia). Only about 54 percent of its population lived in cities in 1989. The largest city is Baku, the capital, with an estimated population of 1,179,000 in 1990. Other large cities include Ganca, formerly Kirovabad (278,000), and Sumqauit (235,000).
The official language of Azerbaijan is Azeri, a Turkic language of the Altaic family. Russian is also commonly spoken, although its use is declining. The traditional religion of the Azeris is Shiite Islam, which has experienced a revival in recent years. Orthodox Christianity is practiced to varying degrees among the Georgian, Armenian, and Slavic minorities.

Government

Azerbaijan is a presidential republic, governed under a constitution adopted in 1995, which replaced the 1978 constitution. Executive power is vested in a president. Legislative power is vested in a unicameral (single-chamber) assembly called the Milli Majlis, or National Assembly. The Milli Majlis was established as the country's legislative body in May 1992, at which time the Supreme Soviet (highest representative body during the Soviet period) was suspended. With the legislative elections of November 1995 the number of seats in the Milli Majlis was increased from 50 to 125. Important political parties in Azerbaijan include the New Azerbaijan Party, the Azerbaijani Popular Front, and the National Independence Party.
Azerbaijan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the United Nations (UN), and the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). In May 1994 the country became a member of the Partnership for Peace program, which provided for limited military cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In the mid-1990s Azerbaijan's armed forces numbered an estimated 56,000. Military service is compulsory for all men for a period of at least 17 months.

History

The area of Azerbaijan was settled from about the 8th century BC by the Medes, and the region later became part of the Persian Empire. In the late 7th century AD, It was opened by Arabs, who introduced Islamic culture. Turkic tribes controlled the area in the 11th and 12th centuries. Azerbaijan again came under Persian control in the 17th century and was ceded by Persia to Russia through treaties in 1813 and 1828. In 1918, after the Russian Revolution, Azerbaijan became an independent state. In 1920 it was proclaimed a Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) of the USSR and united with Georgia and Armenia to form the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (SFSR). When that dissolved in 1936, Azerbaijan became a constituent republic of the USSR. The collapse of Communism in the USSR in 1991 led to the independence of Azerbaijan. It joined the UN in 1992.
Political turmoil characterized the first years of Azerbaijani independence, and the constitution was violated on several occasions. President Ayaz Mutalibov (1990-1992) was forced to resign in March 1992 after he was held directly responsible for the death of several hundred Azeris killed by Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, the primarily Armenian enclave claimed by Armenia. The interim president, Yagub Mamedov (1992), was unable to control the political situation. The Azerbaijani Popular Front (APF) attempted to take over local administrations, and Mutalibov made an aborted attempt to regain power. With the support of military units, the APF seized control in a nearly bloodless coup in May 1992, after which the Majlis was suspended by the National Council.
In June 1992 Aliyev Abul'faz Elchibey, APF chairman, was elected president with 55 percent of the popular vote. Elchibey soon lost popularity, however, because of his inability to improve the economy or end the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. At least one assassination attempt was made against him. Pressure on Elchibey increased when he attempted to disarm a disobedient military garrison based in Ganca in June 1993. The garrison, led by Colonel Surat Huseinov, marched on Baku and seized control, despite protests and appeals from Elchibey, who fled to Naxçivan. The National Council voted to transfer Elchibey's powers to Geydar Aliyev, the longtime Communist Party leader who had been elected chairman of the Council earlier the same month. A republic-wide referendum supported Elchibey's removal, and in October 1993 Aliyev was elected president with 98.8 percent of the popular vote in an uncontested election. The Council appointed Huseinov prime minister and charged him with coordinating the country's military effort in Nagorno-Karabakh. The position of both leaders was threatened by a series of Armenian victories in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in 1993 and the loss of control over large areas of Azerbaijani territory.
Azerbaijan began 1994 with a renewed offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, gaining little territory and losing between 6000 and 10,000 lives. A March 1 cease-fire failed and in April the National Assembly called for intervention by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The plan included a force of mostly Russian peacekeepers, and the APF organized large demonstrations against the plan. Fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh continued until August, when defense ministers from Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a cease-fire.
In November 1994 a deal to include Russian companies in the development of Caspian Sea oil fields was finalized. The agreement, reportedly worth $7.5 billion, granted development rights on an estimated 4 billion barrels of oil to a consortium of 12 international petroleum companies. In October 1995 the consortium announced a decision on initial export routes for the Caspian Sea oil. The first oil to be pumped would use existing Russian pipelines that terminate on the Black Sea and ones that traverse Georgian territory to the port of Bat’umi, also on the Black Sea. By establishing two routes the consortium sought to satisfy Russian and Turkish concerns about regional influence. The route of the main pipeline was undecided. Another issue that remained unresolved was that of exploitation rights. Azerbaijan had insisted that it maintain exclusive rights to the fields, which are considered to be among the largest and most important outside the Persian Gulf; the governments of Iran and Russia, however, had insisted that the Caspian Sea resources be declared the common property of all countries that border the sea.
The cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh remained in effect as of mid-1996, although numerous violations were reported. At that time, peace negotiations were being mediated by the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the support of the United States.
In October 1994 Interior Minister Iskander Hamidov, Prosecutor General Ali Omerov, and Prime Minister Surat Huseinov were all implicated in an attempted coup. Both Huseinov and Omerov were dismissed from their posts, and Fuad Kuliyev became the country's acting prime minister. In May 1995 Kuliyev was confirmed as prime minister by the Milli Majlis. Additional coup attempts in March and August 1995 were blamed on Huseinov, former president Ayaz Mutalibov, and other government officials. Outbreaks of fighting related to the coup attempts killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. In October 1995 a fire on a subway train in Baku killed more than 300 people and injured more than 250 others. Investigators were not sure of the cause of the disaster.
In November 1995 Azerbaijan held elections for a new 125-member legislature. They were the first legislative elections since the country became independent in 1991. Of the 125 seats, 100 were elected directly and 25 were allocated on the basis of proportional representation. The New Azerbaijan Party, which is aligned with President Aliyev, won the majority of seats in the new government. Other parties that secured seats included the Azerbaijani Popular Front and the National Independence Party. Certain opposition groups were barred from participating, and international observers from the UN and the OSCE reported allegations of ballot stuffing and other irregularities. Voters also approved a new constitution for Azerbaijan that granted sweeping powers to the president.