Territory. Geographical situation -Territory 86.6 thousand square kilometers. Latitude 38°25" & 41°55" North & longitude 44°46" & 50°55" East. The Azerbaijan Republic is the largest state in the Caucasus & is situated on the South-Eastern Slopes at the edge of the Caspian Sea. It borders the Russian Federation (Republic of Daghestan) & Georgia in the North, Armenia & Turkey in the West, and Iran in the South. Its eastern borders fall upon the Caspian Sea.
The main part of the borderline goes upon the natural borders (rivers & watershed ridges)
Population - 7 million 953 thousand people (results of the general census of the population in 1999), 51.8% from them live in the towns & cities of Baku. Average density of population is 92 people to 1 sq.km. The indigenous population are the Azeris. 49% - male, 51% - female. State language - Azeri.
Administrative composition. The composition of the Republic includes the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (population 354,000 people), separated from the other part of the country by the territory of Armenia. The district division is accepted as the base of the administrative-territorial division. There are 78 districts, from them 65 rural regions, 13-urban ones.
There are 69 lowns & cities, of which 14 are towns & cities of the Republican & provincial & 132 town type settlements, 4242-rural populated areas. Capital - Baku (1789 thousand people in 1999).
Relief. Four main parts may be marked out upon the relief: the Great Caucasus (the part of the Main Caucasian Ridge), the Small Caucasian ridge & Nakhchivan; Kura-Araz lowland & Talish Mountain chain with the Lenkeran lowland.
Climate - The country is situated in nine nature-climate zones, ranging from a dry climate in the district situated near the Absheron Peninsula to a subtropical climate in the far South.
Geographical factor. The geographical situation, relief & the Caspian Sea exert an "influence on the climate of Azerbaijan. The Great Caucasian Mountains defend most of the territory of the Republic from cold north winds, & to the South the Small Caucasus fence the country off from the continental influence of the Armenian plateau. The Suram Ridge traps moisture from the Black Sea & the Caspian Sea smoothes away overfall of temperature, softens the effect of hot & dry winds. Subject to the relief of place & remoteness from the Caspian Sea, a few types of climate may be distinguished: dry subtropical, damp subtropical; mild & cold. A dry subtropical climate is typical of the Kura-Araz lowland. A damp subtropical climate is typical of the south of Talish, foothills & Lenkeran lowland. Mild climate is typical of the slopes of the Great & Small Caucasus. A cold climate is found on the high ridge & peaks of the Great & Small Caucasus. Winds. Different kinds of winds blow in the Republic. A light wind monsoon (Caspian monsoon) prevails in the Kura-Araz lowland. A breeze is normal for the Caspian seaside. Mountain-valley winds are frequent in the mountains. The Absheron Peninsula is marked by strong north winds, called "Khazri" or "Baku north", appearing all year round.
Precipitation. The amount of precipitation varies considerably. About 200-300 mm or less fall in the Eastern part of the Kura-Araz lowland, on the Absheron Peninsula & near the Araz area of the Nakhchivan Republic to 600-800 mm - on the Small Caucasus & on the North-East Slopes of the Great Caucasus 1200-1300 mm on its South Slopes at a height of 2000-2500m. The highest rainfall - 1100-1700 mm - is to the South in the Lenkeran lowlands & in the foothills of the Talish mountains. The lowest rainfall is in July-August in most regions of the Republic & in the west, near the Kura area & the Small Caucasus in winter, & only on the Southern slopes of the Great Caucasus precipitation falls evenly in all seasons. Settled cover of snow is seen above the height of 1500 m.
Temperature. Average annual air temperature varies from +15°C in the lowlands to 0°C & below on the high ridges of the Great & Small Caucasus (at a height of 3000m & above). The average temperature in January is 1 to 3°C in the Kura & Araz lowlands & 3° or 4° in the regions of Lenkeran & Astara (in the South-East of the Republic); and -6°C at a height of 2000m. The average temperature in July is +25° or 26° in the Lenkeran lowlands and the Absheron Peninsula, & +20°, +14° at a height of 1000-2000m.
HidrograRhy. The Caspian Sea - area is 400000 sq.km; its depth is 1025 m.
Rivers - There are 8350 rivers in Azerbaijan. The largest rivers in the Caucasus are the Kura & the Araz, which are the main sources of irrigation. Besides these, the most important rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are the Samur, the Gusarchay, the Gudialchay, the Velvelichay and the Sumgayit. The Pirsagat doesn't reach the Sea. All of them flow down from the slopes of the Great Caucasus.
The most developed river network is in Talish & on the Southern Slopes of the Great Caucasus, where the most precipitation falls.
The rivers in Azerbaijan are supplied by snow & rain. All the rivers in Azerbaijan may be divided into three main groups:
- the rivers of Western & Central Azerbaijan, which belong to the Kura basin
- the rivers of North-Eastern Azerbaijan flowing into the Middle Caspi
- the rivers of South-Eastern Azerbaijan, flowing into the Southern Caspi The total area of the spillways is 85500 sq.km.
Lakes - The hydrogeology of the Republic includes more than 400 lakes. The surface area of most of the lakes is not great, no more than 0.1 sq.km. The total volume of water in the lakes is about 40 cubic.km., of which 16-18 cubic, km is fresh water.
Reservoirs. There are four large reservoirs and more than 50 small & medium-sized ones in the Republic, & about 80 irrigation lakes filled with fresh water. Their total volume is 13,638.2 million cubic, m, with a surface area of 1,373.4 sq.km. The resources of the underground flow form about 25% of the river flow (about 4 cubic.km) & the potential usable reserves of underground water is estimated at 14,068.4 thousand cubic metres a day with 11,617.6 thousand cubic, m a day being given official approval for public consumption.
Verdure - There are more than 4,300 species of flora in the Republic. Broad-leaved (deciduous) forests of beech, hornbeam, and oak cover the mountain-sides. In the foothills of Talish & in the Lenkeran lowlands there grow citrus plants, tea plants, bamboo trees, vegetables and rice. In the foothills & on the slopes of the Talish mountains there are deciduous forests where iron trees, oaks, chesnut trees, dzelkvas, gladitchiyas, silk trees & acacias are especially noteworthy.
Animal world. The animal world is diverse, with more than 12 thousand different kinds of animals inhabiting the territory of Azerbaijan. There are jeirans (roes), foxes, wolves, many species of rodent, snakes, turtles, and marketable turaj-birds in the Kura-Araz lowland. In the forests there are badgers, jackals, cane cats & pheasants. There are a lot of water-fowl along the Caspian Seaside. Especially famous is Gyzylaghaj reserve where cormorants, herons and flamingoes nest. In the forests of the Lenkeran lowland there are wild boar, jackals, cane cats, and sometimes tigers which wander up from Iran, on the slopes of the Talish mountains there are leopards, lynxes, badgers and martens. In the Alpine there are Asian moufflon bezoar goats & mountain turkeys.
In the Caspian Sea there are red fish, herring, and Caspian seals. The river Kura is also rich in fish - salmon, chub and Lamprey. There are trout in the mountain rivers.
Mineral resources - Azerbaijan is rich in mineral resources, especially in oil & natural gas. There are oil deposits in the Absheron Peninsula in the Kura-Araz lowland & at the bottom of the Caspian Sea. The Absheron Peninsula is also rich in natural gas. On the northern slopes of the Small Caucasus there are deposits of allunite & iron ore (in Dashkesan & Caucasus), pyrites, barytes & many other mineral resources. In Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic there is rock-salt, arsenic and molybdenum. There are mineral springs (more than 1000) all over the place, espacially in the mountains. Moreover, there are medicinal muds & mud volcanoes ( more than 250), and the unique medicinal oil ("naftalan").

State reserves. There are many state reserves in Azerbaijan. Their total area is 191.2
thousand hectares or 22 per cent of the total area of the Republic, embracing all the main
natural & climatic zones.
Aghgol state reserve. This was founded in 1978 in order to preserve an area for the flight,
winter stay & nesting of water-fowl & waders, & the breeding of game-birds. Lake Aghgol, situated in the Mil steppe of the Kura-Araz lowland, covers an area of about 4400 hectares. 20 species of fish live in the lake: chekhon, pikes, red-finned fish, chubs, sazans, tenches & others. Particularly impressive is the variety of ploverlike fish (30 species) & lamellibeak fish (24 species). The reserve has 134 species of birds, including 89 nesting in the ornithofauna of the reserve. Among the birds living in the reserve there are rare species that are listed in the Red Book, such as turaj, sultankas, flamingos, scopas, whitetailed sea-eagles, marble teals, reddish-crop kazarkas, and pink & curly pelicans. There are 22 species of mammals, including wild boar, coypus & cane cats.
Altyaghaj (meaning Six Trees in Azeri) state reserve was founded in 1990 on an area of 4.4 thousand hectares in order to preserve & restore the ecology of the South-Eastern slope of the Great Caucasus, prevent erosion, & let the rare & valuable species of animals & plants of the Altyaghaj-Khyzy massive breed there. 90.5 percent of the territory of the reserve is covered by deciduous woods. Roe, bears, wild boar, lynxes, racoons, hares, foxes, martens, wolves & other animals inhabit the area of the preserve.
Basitchay state reserve was founded in 1974 in order to preserve the unique platan grove. It is situated in the Zangilan region, in the valley of the river Basitchay, in the South-Eastern part of the Small Caucasus. Now the territory of the reserve is 107 hectares. Platan woods occupy 93,5% of the reserve area. The average age of these platan trees is 170 years but one can find some gigantic trees which are about 1200-1500 years old. These trees are 50 M tall, & the diameter of their trunks is about 4 M.
Goygol state reserve was the first reserve in Azerbaijan. It was founded in 1925. The reserve consists of two areas - the main area (Goygol reserve) & its subsidiary known as the grove of the Eldar pine. This subsidiary area protects the arid wood landscapes on the right-bank of the river Gabirli (Yori); on the border of the Georgian Republic. There on the slope of the "Ellaroyugy" mountain ridge is the natural grove of the Eldar pine, unique in the world. The area of the Goygol state reserve is 7131 hectares, of which 3806 hectares are wooded. It is situated in the North-Eastern part of the Small Caucasian mountain ridge, at a height of 1100-3060 M above sea level. The reserve was founded in order to preserve & investigate the typical landscapes of the mountain woods & subtropical zone of the Small Caucasus, and to preserve the water purity of Lake Goygol as a spring for drinking water & for the unique grove of the natural Eldar pine. Goygol is the largest & the most beautiful mountain lake in Azerbaijan. It is situated at a height of 1556 M; the water is clear & blue in appearance, which is why it is called Goy (blue in Azeri). In the reserve the animal kingdom is represented by many species, among them Caucasian noble deer, roe, badgers, Eastern-Caucasian goats, brown bears, stone & forestry martens, partridges, bearded vultures, black griffons, Caspian ulars and others.
There are two species of trout in the reservoirs of the reserve: lake & stream trout. More than 50 species of birds nest in the reserve including 35 species in the woods. The flora of the reserve consists of arboreal & shrubbery species. About 20 species of flora are Caucasian endemics of various classes.
Girkan state reserve is situated in the Lenkeran natural region & protects the landscapes of the damp subtropics. It was founded in December, 1936. Its total area is 2976 hectares, comprising two sites. The main object is to preserve the ancient endemic vegetation of the girkan type. The main, mountainous part of the reserve known as "Moscow Wood" ("Moscovski Les") is situated on the Lenkeran Lowland at a height of 15-20 M & protects what has been preserved of the unique ancient lowland wood. The flora of the reserve includes 1900 species, of which 162 are endemic, 95 rare & 38 endangered species. There one can find iron trees, silk acacias, dzelkvas, chestnut oaks, Caspian gleditchiyas, Girkan figs & other trees.
There are a lot of species of ancient endemic animals; especially among land (on shore) molluscs & non-flying insects.
Zagatala state reserve - was founded in 1929 on an area of 25218 hectares, of which 48 hectares are reservoirs. The reserve is situated in the middle part of the Southern slope of the Main Caucasian ridge, at a height of 650-3646 M above sea level in the Zagatala & Balaken regions. The Zagatala reserve was organized in order to preserve & explore the flora & fauna of the Southern slope of the Great Caucasus. This reserve is also rich in wildlife. Here one can see Daghestan goats, chamois, noble deer, roe, wild boar, brown bears, badgers, foxes, weasels, stone & forestry martens, lynxes, forest cats, squirrels and many other animals. There are 104 species of fauna, including some big wild birds: big-eared owls, kestrels, Egyptian vultures, noble syps, bearded vultures, black griffons & others. Different species of amphibians can also be found in the reserve.
Ilisu state reserve was founded in 1987 on an area of 9.2 thousand hectares in order to promote the protection & restoration of the ecosystem of the central part of the Southern macro-slopes of the Great Caucasus. On the territory of the reserve one can see about 300 species of vascular plants, of which more than 90 species are arboreous-shrubs. There are about 50 types of herbs including endemic, rare & endangered species. 93% of the area of the reserve is covered by broad-leaved woods mostly oak, beech & hornbeam. There are also limes, nut-trees, chestnut trees, ash and maple. There are more than 150 species of vertebrates on the territory of the reserve & its fauna does not differ from that living on the Southern slope of the Great Caucasian ridge. Caucasian goats, deer, chamois, roe, bears, wild boar and martens inhabit the preserved territory. There are a lot of stream trout.
Ismailly state reserve was set up in 1981 on an area of 5778 hectares, in order to preserve the natural complex in the central part of the Main Caucasian Ridge. It consists of two sites, about 1 kilometre apart from one another. The top site is situated at a height of 800-2250 M above sea level. It is 18 km long and 6 km wide, covering an area of 5589 hectares. The Galinja site is situated on the Eastern part of the Alazan-Agrichay valley, at a height of 600-650 m. The vegetation in this region was formed during the Quaternary era, but there are some tertiary species among the local flora. For example, chestnut leaved oaks that were- entered in the Red Book. Hornbeam & oak woods are widespread in the Galinja site. The most interesting are the chestnut leaved oak woods typical of the girkan flora. These woods occupy more than 112 hectares. Apart from hornbeams and oaks the main tree types are beeches, maples and ashtrees. Especially valuable are the ancient forests of the tertiary period that consist of chestnut leaved oaks & Jew trees. About 170 species of vertebral animals inhabit the reserve. One can find stream trout, Kura lame & barbel in the waters of the reserve. There are 6 species of amphibians, & 17 species of reptiles. There 103 species of birds from 13 orders in the reserve. The fauna of mammals has not been well documented yet. There is little information about insectivores, cheiroptera & rodents. Here one can find brown bears, wolves, jackals, roe, wild boar, Daghestan goats & chamois. The main preserved objects are the ecosystems of lake Garagyol (meaning Black Lake in Azeri).
Garayazy state reserve was founded in 1978 on an area of 4.9 thousand hectares in order to preserve & restore the Tugay forests through which the River Kura runs. Garayazy (meaning Black Spring) reserve is situated in the Western part of Azerbaijan. We can divide the complex of the Tugay verdure into several zones: oak forests (850 hectares); poplar (560 hectares); two types of acacia, wild robini false-acacia and white acacia (390 hectares), elm-tree (167 hectares); aspen (13 hectares); & willow (5 hectares). The animal world of the reserve is unusual. In the river Kura there are lame-fish, carp, sazan, bream, pike-perch, murtsa, sheat-fish, thick-forehead, pike, trout, etc. There are amphibians, 10 species of reptiles, more than 70 species of birds, including about 50 species of passerine (sparrow). Among the hooved animals living there there are wild boar, & noble deer. Among the wild animals there are wolves, jackals, cane & forest cats, foxes, stone martens, weasels, and badgers. Gyzylaghaj state reserve is situated on the South-Western shore of the Caspian Sea on an area of 88.4 thousand hectares, of which 62 thousand hectares are wetlands. It was founded in 1929 on the site of an existing reserve for the protection & breeding of wintering water fowl, steppe birds, birds of passage and wards. The whole territory of the reserve is the most important resting and wintering place for birds of passage in the Caspian region. It is the winter home of many bird species from Northern Europe. There are 248 species of birds in the reserve, including sultankas, turaj, little bustards, round loaf birds (caravaika), colpitsa. Egyptian & yellow heron quanqwi, swans, flamingos, grey & white foreheaded geese, red-cropped cazarka, sapsan falcons, steppe-eagles, ducks, pelicans, bald-headed birds etc. The mild climate lets thousands of birds winter successfully in the reserve. Some years have seen 5-7 million birds winter here. Wild boar, wolves, jackals, cane cats; badgers, foxes, otters & other mammals inhabit the reserve. In the reservoirs there are 54 species of fish: chub, sazan, pike-perch, grey mullet, salmon, sturgeon & others.
Pirgulu state reserve was founded in 1986 in order to preserve the typical natural complexes & natural landscapes of the Shamakhy plateau-one of the most beautiful regions in the South-Eastern part of the Main Caucasian Ridge. The area of the reserve is 1521 hectares, of which 1362 hectares are forests where one can see 45 rare & endemic species. In the dendroflora of the reserve there are 60 species, of which 4 species are Caucasian horn-beams, Eastern beeches, Georgian oaks & large-anthers - they are the main forest types. The animal world of the reserve is practically unresearched, so there is very little information about the fauna of mammals. Among insectivores one can find Caucasian longtailed white-toothed anteaters, common or garden hedgehogs and moles. Among cheiroptera there are megeli, noctule-dwarf & the mediterranean types. There are 7 species of rodents. Among wild animals there are brown bears, wolves, jackals, foxes, forest cats, lynxes; badgers, forest & stone martens, weasels and striped racoons.
Turyanchay state reserve was founded in 1958 on an area of 12630 hectares in order to protect the sparse growth of trees in the Ariadno-Artchev forest & other natural resources from erosion in the foothills, and facilitate their restoration. The reserve is situated on the spur of Buzdag ridge, at the southern foothills of the Great Caucasus, on the right bank of the river Turianchay, in Aghdash region of the Republic. Its territory lies around a point
400-650 m above the sea & spreads 35 km eastwards and westwards & 5 km north and south. 60 species of trees & shrubs grow on the area of the reserve. The main sorts of sparsely growing trees are the pistachio-tree, three sorts of fecund fruit-bearing juniper, skunk & red juniper, georgian oak, common or garden ash-tree, Caucasian frame, common pomegranate & others. There are 24 species of reptiles, & 3 species of amphibians in the reserve. Among the birds there one can see keklik (partridges), rock pigeons, turtle-doves, kestrels, white-headed syps and black griffons. Among the mammals there are wild boar, brown bears, badgers, lynxes, jackals, forest cats and hares. Among the reptiles there are lizards, snakes & gurzas, found only in Azerbaijan. Shirvan_jState_reserv^ was founded in 1969 in order to preserve & breed the jeyrans (roe), water-fowl & also vegetable biotypes of the Shirvan lowland. The area is 25800 hectares, of which 3500 hectares are reservoirs. Certain species of plants flourish in the reserve.
The animals living there are not well documented. Among amphibians one can see Syrian garlic-, green quinsy-tree- & lake frogs. Among the reptiles there are marsh-, Caspian- & mediterranean lizards, the common & water grass-snakes, lizard snakes, gurzas etc. Among the rare species of mammals living there there are jeyran (roe); wild boar; wolves, jackals, foxes, badgers, cane cats, hares etc. inhabiting the reserve. Jeyran (roe), turaj, little bustards, sea-eagles, mediterranean turtles & Syrian garlic frogs are listed in the Red Book. The main preserved objects are the semi-desert of the South-Eastern Shirvan region, where one can see the largest population of jeyrans, and the marshy ecosystem around the Western part of Lake Shorgol which is the nesting, flight & wintering place of many valuable & rare birds.
Gayte reseryes. There are 20 game reserves in Azerbaijan with a total area of more than 260 thousand hectares: Garayazy-Aghstafa, Barda, Sheki, the reserve on the island of Glinyaniy, Bandovan, Kerchay, Lachin, Gusar, Shamkir, Aghgyol, Absheron, Zuvand, Ismailly, Gyzylaghaj, Ordubad, Maliy (Small) Gyzylaghaj, Gizajan, Dashalti, the reserve of Arazboyu (under Araz), and Gabala reserve.
History - Azerbaijan is one of the world's ancient sites of human settlemant. The earliest states appeared in the 1st millennium BC, and the first large-scale state was the Manneyyskoye Dynasty which came into being in the second part of the IX century BC, and existed during the XII-VI centuries BC. Three centuries after the collapse of the Manneyskoye State, the new independent state of Athropathena appeared. A centre of Avesta Zoroastrianism was established in the 1st century BC.
The concept of "Azerbaijan" was formed during the Athropathenian period. Azerbaijanian statehood and the old Azerbaijanian nation were conceived during that period.
A new state - Caucasian Albania - was established in the northern Azerbaijanian area. It was a state with sufficiently developed settled - agriculture, handicraft manufacturing, trade, and jewellery skills. Albania had its own mint for making coins, its own army and its own king. The royal capital was Kabala.
In the l-2nd centuries Christianity was adopted generally in the north of the Caucasian Albania. The preacher of this new religion was the Apostle Yelisey. Christianity became the state religion in the 4th century. Some Albanian Christian temples have been saved in Azerbaijanian districts.
By the beginning of the VIII century, Islam had become the dominating religion in Azerbaijan, although Zoroastrianism and Christianity were still practised, together with Islam.
From the middle of the VII century until the end of the VIII century, the fortunes of Azerbaijan were tied to those of the Arabian Caliphate, and it was under the yoke of that state for a long time.
In 816, a popular Shiite liberation movement for national independence began under the direct leadership of Babek. But it was defeated in 838, and Babek was executed. The movement had not brought success, but it certainly shook the foundations of the Caliphate. It hastened its disintegration and, in so doing, encouraged the revival of reanimating state independence.
In the 13th-14th centuries, the hordes of Tamerlane invaded Azerbaijan. They ravished the towns and the villages. People fled the country in their thousands. Culture went into decline, fanaticism grew stronger than ever and pessimism, sufism and asceticism spread. The year 1220 was marred by the Mongol invasion, which brought Azerbaijan into an economic and political depression. The mongols were eventually expelled in the 15th century and by a skilled policy of appeasement, the rulers of Baku were able to avoid devastation by the most ferocious of the Central Asian warlords, Tamerlane.
The establishment of the Safavid empire at the beginning of the XVI century under Shakh Ismail I, was an important development in the history of Azerbaijan. By the middle of the XVI century, the Safavids had finally united Shirvan and Sheki, and brought other lands into their possession. Their reign included almost all Azerbaijan.
The unification of the country promoted a sharp rise in economics and culture, and made the struggle against foreign oppressors easier.
The history of Azerbaijan in the first half of the XVIII century was dominated by a national fight of liberation against Turkish and Iranian invaders. The name of national hero Reso Koroghlu entered into the folk epics of Azerbaijan, having been glorified in that struggle.
By the end of the 40th year of the XVIII century, Iranian Supremacy had been liquidated & a range of independent and semi-independent Khanates appeared on the territory of Azerbaijan. The history of almost all these Khanates was to be rich in uninterrupted wars and bloody palace coup attempts.
At the turn of the XVIII to the XIX century, the international position of Azerbaijan turned out to be difficult. A combination of political instability, natural resources and strategic importance began to make Azerbaijan an attractive prize for the Russian Empire. On June 26, 1723, when Peter the First had launched a naval expedition to capture the southern Coast of the Caspian Sea, a Russian army had succeeded in entering Baku. On July 13, 1796 the Empiress Catherine the Great again ordered an army to enter Azerbaijan and the northern part of Azerbaijan was formally recognized as part of the Russian Empire first of all by the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 and later by a treaty between Russia and Persia in 1828, with the southern part being recognised as part of Persia. In the 30-50th years of the XIX century, the first attempts to reorganise the economics and social bodies of Azerbaijan to suit the demands of colonial exploitation were undertaken.
Azerbaijanian nationhood and a new Azerbaijanian intelligentsia developed in connection with the development of capitalism in the latter part of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century.
After the idea of forming a revenue system was scrapped in 1872 and oil-covered lands were sold to private businessmen, the oil industry of the country made great advances. Local, Russian and foreign entrepreneurs invested their fortunes in oil enterprises and the oil extraction industry started developing.
As a result of the rapid development of the oil industry, Baku was transformed into the greatest central "industrial oasis" of Azerbaijan.
As the population of Baku grew, towns in other parts of Azerbaijan grew too. A quarter of all Russian copper fell to Azerbaijan and cotton-spinning, silkworm breeding, tobacco growing and fishing flourished.
Various branches of the sciences started to develop in Azerbaijan, literary life was revitalised, national theatre appeared, and new graphics were being published.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was founded on May 28, 1918, and Azerbaijan was declared an independent state by the Islamic Musavat Party. It proved to be short-lived. In August, 1919, Baku and Azerbaijan were reunited by the Red Army that had occupied the city. After that Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet empire. In 1922, Azerbaijan was integrated into the USSR. For 70 years Azerbaijan was a member of the USSR. During the second World War, Azerbaijan especially became one of the most important industrial cities of the Soviet Union. Two thirds of the oil required for war was produced in Baku.
On October 18, 1991 after the disintegration of the USSR, Azerbaijan declared itself independent for the second time in its history.
Historical and architectural monuments - Azerbaijan is a treasure-house of historical and cultural artefacts. Century upon century of turbulent Azeri history has found its expression in the priceless relics created by the artistic genius of the people. There are tools and other items which were found in Azikh cave - a site of human beings of the paleolithic epoch-dating back over a million years. In 1968 an archeological expedition found the petrified lower jaw of a man in the upper stratum of this cave. Azikh man lived about 250 thousand years ago. The monuments of Gobustan, a state-historical-artistic preserve, occupy an important position in the treasure-house of world culture due to the peculiarity & richness of the archeological material there.
This site, dating from the middle-stone to bronze age & later, was a subterranian dwelling place for troglodytes. Among the artefacts left by these cave dwellers are cup-shaped hollows gouged in the rocks for keeping drinking-water, original "musical instruments" known as "gaval dashlar" (stone-tambourines), skilfully made from stone boulders and which make a metallic sound when hit, and more than four thousand rock paintings depicting wild animals, labour scenes, collective hunting & dancing, and displaying very advanced artistic skills for that time. This is not the complete list of exhibits in this reserve.
A rock with graffiti written in Latin is also situated here, telling us about a centurion in a Roman legion that stayed here in the 1st century A.D.
Preserved within the territory of the Republic are the ruins of the ancient & medieval towns, the various capital cities, and the centres of handicrafts & culture of the various states situated on the territory of Azerbaijan at different times in its history. They are - Gabala; (Kabala; Kabalaka); Barda (Partav); Ganja; Shabran; Oren gala (Beilagan); Shamakhy; Khalkhal & others.

Defence facilities - towers & fortresses - Chiraghgala, Javanshirgala & many other defences were built at the beginning of our era & later to defend against invasion by nomadic tribes & foreign oppressors. The complex of the defence facilities in Absheron; Mardakan; Nardaran; Bilgakh; Ramany; Mashtagha & other towns are of special interest. The Maiden's Tower, built in Baku in the XII century, is a unique, circular monumental fortress 28 M high & with walls 5 M thick at the base.
A lot of splendid architectural monuments of the period of Caucasian Albania (1st century BC - 7th century AD) - temples in the villages of Lakit and Kum in the region of Gakh, in the villages of Gish and Orta Zeizit in the Sheki region, and near the village of Yukhary (Upper) Askipara in the Gazakh region, etc. - have been preserved in Azerbaijan.
One of the most interesting facilities is Amaras abbey in the village Sos in the Khojavand region, built at the beginning of the IV century AD. For many centuries it was the Cathedral of Caucasian Albania. In the Vth century a school was opened in the abbey.
The temples, abbeys and churches built in Azerbaijan in different periods of its history are shown on the maps.
In the VII century the territory of Azerbaijan was conquered by the Arabs. New types of cultural facilities such as mosques, khanegi & others were built at that time.
The strengthening of state power & the development of towns took place in the XII century. New schools that combined local traditions & high professionalism were formed there.
The founder & outstanding representative of one of these schools - the Nakhchivan - was the famous architect Ajami, son of Abubakr Nakhchivani, renowned throughout the East. His real architectural masterpiece is the magnificent ten-sided mausoleum of Momine-Khatun, the total height of which is 34 m. The mausoleum is skilfully decorated with compound geometric ornaments & letters written on ceramic in a turquoise glaze.
Besides the Nakhchivan school there were the Shirvan, the Absheron, the Arran & others. The architectural monuments built by the masters of these schools are situated in many regions of the Republic. Among them are fortresses, elaborately designed palace constructions, mausoleums, temples, mosques, bridges, caravansarays, baths & other cultural & domestic buildings.
The architecture of Shirvan is famous for its skilful use of lime-stone both in construction and in decoration. Strong defence facilities, castles, architecturally significant palaces, and religious, commemorative & other constructions of the XII-XV centuries are nice examples of architecture & are part of the rich fund of monuments of Azerbaijan architecture. At the same time these monuments immortalized the names of such famous architects of Shirvan as Masud son of Davud, Abdul Majid son of Masud, ustad (master) Zeinaddin son of Aburashid Shirvani, Muhammad Ali, Murad Ali, Abdul Ali, Abdul Azim & many others who created wonderful examples of the Azerbaijan architectural style.
Bail castle, built in the XIII century on the order of Shirvan Shakh Feribuz III as one of his first residences in Baku, is a unique architectural monument. It was enclosed within a 2m thick stone wall, with four round towers & eleven half-round bastions on the Rock island in Baku bay. Inside, the castle was ornamented by stone slabs with inscriptions and elaborate decorations depicting people & animals. In the XIV century because of the rise in the level of the Caspian Sea, it became submerged in water & only in the XVIII century after the Caspian Sea receded did it reappear above the water, but it had been destroyed.
The most beautiful medieval palace construction in Azerbaijan is the Shirvanshakhs Palace built in the middle of the XVth century in Baku. It consists of a 2-storeyed palace, a burial-vault, a mosque with a minaret, and a divankhane which functioned as an audience hall, as the mausoleum of Seid-Yakhya Bakuvi and as the bath & gate of Murad (XVI century).
Architectural memorials are represented on the map by mausoleums in the villages of Juga (XIII century) and Garabaghlar (XIV century) in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, in the town Barda in the Barda region, in the villages of Kengerli & Khachidorbatli (XIV) century) in the Aghdam region, in Diri-Baba (XV century) not far from the Maraza settlement in the Shamakhy region & others.
In the period of feudal division Khan palaces & citadels were built.
The most famous from the preserved monuments of that period is the magnificent Palace of Sheki Khans (XVIII century). The main facade of the Palace is decorated by a beautiful stained-glass window & wooden shebeke (mosaic).
The interior of the Palace is luxuriously decorated with design, depicting plants, animals & birds, different geometric ornaments, battle scenes and hunting scenes. Azerbaijan is geographically located at the crossroads of important trade (commercial) roads. So along the roads & in towns there were built a lot of caravansarays -coaching inns. Such caravansarays are still kept in Baku, in Absheron, in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, in the Upper-Garabagh Autonomous Province, in the towns of Ganja and Sheki, in the Fizuli and Shamakhy regions & others.
Bridges occupy an important place among architectural monuments in Azerbaijan. Some of the bridges shown in the maps were built in the XI-XIII centuries. The durability of the constructions testifies to the level of mastery of the Azerbaijan architects.

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