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197-603: Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a transcontinental country at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia's republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Baku is the capital and largest city. The territory of what

394-531: A British population, with a culture distinct from that of mainland South America. There was a violent war between Argentina and the United Kingdom regarding ownership of the islands in 1982, and the residents of the Falklands do not currently wish to be associated with South America, despite their geographical proximity. The Prince Edward Islands are located between Africa and Antarctica, and are

591-674: A central Asian country that extends to Europe. The Turkish city Istanbul is a transcontinental city because it lies on both sides of the Bosporus (one of the Turkish Straits). The Russian and Kazakhstani cities of Magnitogorsk , Orenburg , and Atyrau fall on the Ural River, making them transcontinental cities as well. This Ural River delineation is the only segment not to follow a major mountain range or wide water body, both of which often truly separate populations. However,

788-752: A continent stands in opposition to islands and archipelagos. Nevertheless, there are some islands that are considered part of Europe in a political sense. This most notably includes the British Isles (part of the European continental shelf and during the Ice Age of the continent itself); the islands of the North Sea , the Baltic Sea , and the Mediterranean that are part of the territory of

985-517: A vassal state in 252, while King Urnayr officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in the 4th century. Despite Sassanid rule, Caucasian Albania remained an entity in the region until the 9th century, while fully subordinate to Sassanid Iran, and retained its monarchy. Despite being one of the chief vassals of the Sasanian emperor, the Albanian king had only a semblance of authority, and

1182-701: A 2007/2008 survey of students at upper secondary schools in Oslo, 25% of Muslims pray regularly while 12% attend religious services weekly. According to scholar Mikhail S. Blinnikov the majority of the Muslims in Russia are 'cultural' nominal Muslims, and fewer than 4% of the Russian Muslims who were interviewed "actually practice Islam". According to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center , 12% of Russian Muslims who were asked say that they attend Friday prayer once

1379-459: A 2009 Gallup Poll , Azerbaijan is one of the most irreligious countries in the Muslim world , with about 54% of respondents indicating the importance of religion in their life as little or none. The same poll indicates that only 21% of the respondents have attended religious services. Gallup International indicated that only 34% of Azerbaijanis adhere to religious practices, and ranked Azerbaijan

1576-660: A 2012 survey by Pew Research Center , approximately 71% of Muslims in Uzbekistan, 64% Azerbaijan, 54% in Tajikistan, and 50% in Kyrgyzstan never went to a mosque. This was largely due to the religious restriction of Islam under communist rule , during that era all religions had only a nominal presence. In a 2005 survey, 40% of Muslim immigrants and their descendants participated in religious ceremonies/services compared to 60% of Roman Catholic immigrants/ descendants did

1773-570: A 2012 survey by Pew Research Center . Many Moroccans have been described as nominal or cultural Muslims, A survey of about 2,400 Moroccans by Arab Barometer found that due to COVID-19 pandemic the levels of religiosity in Morocco have increased: in 2021 about 6% answered that they are "not religious", 39% said they are "somewhat religious", and 51% "religious", compared to 13% who answered that they are "not religious", 44% said they are "somewhat religious", and 38% "religious" in 2019. In 2019,

1970-502: A 2012 survey by Pew Research Center . 13% of Kosovan Muslims who were asked said that they attend Friday prayer once a week and 40% say they never visit their local mosque, while 81% expressed a belief in God and Muhammad. A significant segment of Lebanese Muslims has been described as nominally or culturally Muslim; only 35% of Muslims in Lebanon attended mosque once a week according to

2167-490: A 2017 Pew Research Center survey, 33% of Bulgarian Muslims responded that religion is "very important" in their lives. The same survey found that 7% of Bulgarian Muslims pray all five salah , 22% attend mosque at least once a week, and 6% read Quran at least once a week. Most of the Muslims in Central Asia do not practice their religion daily, and have only nominal or cultural affiliation to Islam. According to

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2364-458: A Muslim yet is not religious – is not always met with acceptance in conservative Islamic communities. In non-Muslim majority countries, Muslims may identify themselves by distinguishing themselves as practicing vs. not-practicing and believer vs. non-believer. Usually, ritual practicing ones are presumed to be believers, while non-practicing ones may be believers or non-believers. In several countries, self-reported Muslims practice

2561-654: A Pacific Island, but also because of their indigenous population , who are related to the natives of Oceania. In 2010, Australian historian Bronwen Douglas claimed in The Journal of Pacific History that "a strong case could be made for extending Oceania to at least Taiwan, the homeland of the Austronesian language family whose speakers colonized significant parts of the region about 6,000 years ago." Definitions of Oceania which include Taiwan are extremely rare because Taiwan has historical ties to mainland Asia, Taiwan

2758-475: A TV channel in 2006 found that 18% of Norwegian Muslims reported visiting the mosque once a week. A similar study in 2007 reported that 36% of Muslim youth visit the mosque less than once a month. According to scholar Christine Jacobsen many Muslim youth in Norway are nominal or cultural Muslims, and they identify as such only because of cultural heritage rather than because of religious conviction. According to

2955-757: A country situated on the European mainland; the Azores on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , part of Portugal; and usually also the island states of Iceland (part of Norway and/or Denmark from 13th to early 20th centuries) and Malta . Cultural Muslims Cultural Muslims can be found across the world, but especially in the Balkans , Central Asia , Europe , the Maghreb , the Middle East , Russia , Turkey , Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and

3152-688: A hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea near Baku, which itself is known as the "land of fire." Flames jet out into the air from a thin, porous sandstone layer. It is a tourist attraction to visitors to the Baku area. The first reports on the richness and diversity of animal life in Azerbaijan can be found in travel notes of Eastern travelers. Animal carvings on architectural monuments, ancient rocks, and stones survived up to

3349-474: A largely secular and as cultural or nominal Muslims; many of them do not take fundamental Islamic rituals, such as daily prayers or fasting, and having largely embraced secularism . In Iraq , the Turkmen minority are mainly cultural Muslim and secular, having internalized the secularist interpretation of state–religion affairs practiced in the Republic of Turkey since its foundation in 1923. According to

3546-482: A lower percentage of individuals aged 18–29 considered themselves "religious," with only 24% identifying as such. By 2021, this number had further declined to just 10% in the same age group. In 2009, according to a study only 24% of Muslims who took part in the survey in the Netherlands attended mosque once a week according to a survey. According to the same 2004 survey, they found that the importance of Islam in

3743-569: A matter of geographical convention. Several slightly different conventions are in use. The number of continents is most commonly considered seven (in English-speaking countries ) but may range as low as four when Afro-Eurasia and the Americas are both considered as single continents. An island can be considered to be associated with a given continent by either lying on the continent's adjacent continental shelf (e.g. Singapore ,

3940-426: A matter of individual choice and many do not actively practice their religion. Alcohol is frequently consumed within the community and most Turkish Cypriot women do not cover their heads. Turkish Cypriot males are generally circumcised at a young age in accordance with religious beliefs, although, this practice appears more related to custom and tradition than to powerful religious motivation. Studies conducted for

4137-492: A more developed economy than neighboring Pacific Island nations, and is occasionally associated with mainland Asia as a result of this, despite being geologically distinct and having no cultural links to it prior to European discovery. It has historically been included in definitions of Oceania, ever since the term was first coined in the early 1810s. In the 19th century, many geographers divided up Oceania into mostly racially-based subdivisions; Australasia , Malaysia (encompassing

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4334-457: A mosque and 59.3% did not pray at home. About 0.5% believed that disputes should be resolved using Islamic Sharia law and 79.6% said that wearing a veil in school was "unacceptable". More than half of the respondents said cohabitation without marriage was "acceptable", 39.8% ate pork and 43.3% drank alcohol. On the contrary, 88% of respondents said they circumcised their boys and 96% observed Muslim burial practices for their relatives. According to

4531-894: A mosque in the 2012 survey. According to scholar Ibrahim Warde the majority of the Muslims in the Balkans are considered as 'cultural' or 'nominal' Muslims. Scholar Adeeb Khaled cited that the majority of the Muslims in Central Asia and Russia are cultural or nominal Muslims. There are significant segment of Muslim immigrants in the United States and Western Europe who are cultural or nominal Muslims, particularly among second-generation immigrants, where their "Muslim" identity associated with cultural or ethnic heritage rather than merely religious faith. According to an Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan "most Muslim Westerners do not practice their religion regularly", and some define themselves as merely "cultural" Muslims. According to scholars,

4728-403: A mountain-steppe racing and riding horse endemic to Azerbaijan. The Karabakh horse has a reputation for its good temper, speed, elegance, and intelligence. It is one of the oldest breeds, with ancestry dating to the ancient world, but today the horse is an endangered species. Azerbaijan's flora consists of more than 4,500 species of higher plants. Due to the unique climate in Azerbaijan, the flora

4925-427: A part of Yemen , an Asian country. The African and European mainlands are non-contiguous, and the delineation between these continents is thus merely a question of which islands are to be associated with which continent. The Portuguese Atlantic island possession of the Azores is 1,368 km (850 mi) from Europe and 1,507 km (936 mi) from Africa, and is sometimes grouped with Europe. By contrast,

5122-532: A second term. Ilham Aliyev , Heydar Aliyev's son, became chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party as well as President of Azerbaijan when his father died in 2003. He was re-elected to a third term as president in October 2013. In April 2018, Aliyev secured his fourth consecutive term in the election that was boycotted by the main opposition parties as fraudulent. On 27 September 2020, clashes in

5319-590: A study published by Pew Research Center in 2016, while Muslims living in Israel, overall, are more religious than Israeli Jews, they are less religious than Muslims living in many other countries in the Middle East. Muslim women are more likely than men to say that religion has high importance in their lives, and younger Muslims are generally less observant than their elders. The nature of Muslim identity varies among Israeli Muslims: 45% of Muslims say their identity

5516-785: A transcontinental country; Western New Guinea is often considered part of Oceania because of its Indigenous Melanesian inhabitants and geological association with the Australian continental landmass. East Timor , an independent state that was formerly a part of Indonesia, is classified by the United Nations as a part of the South-eastern Asia subregion . It is expected to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations , having been involved as an ASEAN Regional Forum member since independence, and has participated in

5713-471: A week and 33% say they never visit their local mosque, and 89% expressed a belief in God and Muhammad. Scholar Åke Sander claimed in 1992 that at most 40–50% of the people of Muslim background in Sweden "could reasonably be considered to be religious", and in 2004, based on discussions and interviews with Muslim leaders, concerning second-generation Muslims born and raised in Sweden that "it does not seem that

5910-823: Is a unitary semi-presidential republic. It is one of six independent Turkic states and an active member of the Organization of Turkic States and the TÜRKSOY community. Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 182 countries and holds membership in 38 international organizations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe , the Non-Aligned Movement , the OSCE , and the NATO PfP program. It

6107-735: Is a member of the European Union , whereas the European Parliament noted that Armenia and Georgia are eligible to apply for EU membership "like any other European state". On 14 December 2023, Georgia was officially granted EU Candidate status. Cyprus is an island of the Mediterranean located on the Asian continental shelf, geologically a part of the Anatolian Plate and adjacent to Asia Minor , by which it

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6304-659: Is a transcontinental country with some of its northern portions (such as Kazbegi Municipality , Khevsureti , and Tusheti ) geographically located in Eastern Europe , north of the Greater Caucasus Watershed , whereas the country's south is arguably in Asia. Similarly, according to this one particular definition, Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country with some northern portions (e.g. Khachmaz , Quba , Qusar , Shabran , and Siazan ) located north of

6501-553: Is about 81 km (50 mi) from the coast of Sicily — much closer than the 288 km (179 mi) distance to the African mainland. The nearby Italian island of Lampedusa (principal island of the Pelagie Islands ) is 207 km (129 mi) from Sicily while just 127 km (79 mi) from the African mainland; similarly, Pantelleria is 100 km (62 mi) from Sicily and just 71 km (44 mi) from

6698-525: Is an active member of international coalitions fighting international terrorism, and was one of the first countries to offer support after the September 11 attacks . The country is an active member of NATO 's Partnership for Peace program, contributing to peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Azerbaijan is also a member of the Council of Europe since 2001 and maintains good relations with

6895-437: Is around 14.% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,131,770 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 944,740 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 826,200 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 305,570 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 33% of

7092-620: Is around 4,500, meanwhile the numbers of practicing Muslims "hardly exceed several hundred". According to a survey, only 33% of French Muslims who were interviewed said they were practicing believers. That figure is the same as that obtained by the INED/INSEE survey in October 2010. And 20% claimed to go regularly to the mosque for the Friday service, and 31% practice prayer ( salat ), and 70% said they "observe Ramadan ". According to expert Franck Fregosi: "Although fasting during Ramadan

7289-877: Is at the Isthmus of Suez , the narrowest gap between the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez , the route today followed by the Suez Canal . This makes the Sinai Peninsula geographically Asian, and Egypt a transcontinental country. Less than 2% of the Egyptian population live on the Sinai Peninsula, and hence Egypt, even though technically transcontinental, is usually considered an African country entirely and not partly Asian. But when discussing

7486-506: Is close to China (being 180 km away), and Taiwan lies on the continental shelf of Asia. Taiwan was formerly a member of the Oceania Football Confederation; this was for political reasons: It was forced to compete against teams from Oceania because China, its political administrator, did not recognize its sovereignty and would not compete against them. It was a member from 1975 to 1989, but now competes as part of

7683-618: Is extremely rare, however, because of their non-tropical biogeography and because their inhabitants have historically been related to Indigenous Americans . St. Lawrence Island in the northern Bering Sea belongs to Alaska and may be associated with either continent but is almost always considered part of North America, as with the Rat Islands in the Aleutian chain. At their nearest points, Alaska and Russia are separated by only 4 kilometres (2.5 miles). The geographical notion of

7880-843: Is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories". Furthermore, the UNSD classification often differs from those of other United Nations organizations. For instance, while UNSD includes Georgia and Cyprus in Western Asia, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and UNESCO include both states in Europe. The Council of Europe includes transcontinental or Eurasian states, such as Armenia , Azerbaijan, Cyprus , Georgia, and Turkey as members. Cyprus

8077-576: Is held by the unicameral National Assembly and the Supreme National Assembly in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The Parliament of Azerbaijan , called Milli Majlis, consists of 125 deputies elected based on majority vote , with a term of five years for each elected member. The elections are held every five years, on the first Sunday of November. The Parliament is not responsible for the formation of

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8274-400: Is historically, culturally, and politically a European state, with a history of imperial conquests in Asia. The situation for Turkey is inverse, as that of an Asian country with imperial conquests in Europe. Kazakhstan is also a transcontinental state by this definition, with its West Kazakhstan and Atyrau provinces extending on either side of the Ural River, although it is considered

8471-601: Is mainly a matter of religion, 29% say being Muslim is mainly about ancestry and/or culture , and 26% say their identity is characterized by a combination of religion and ancestry/culture. According to the Israel Democracy Institute survey conducted in 2015, 47% of Israeli Muslims identified as traditional, 32% identified as religious, 17% identified as not religious at all, and 3% identified as very religious. The overwhelming majority of Kosovo Albanians are cultural/nominal Muslims, according to

8668-580: Is much richer in the number of species than the flora of the other republics of the South Caucasus. Sixty-six percent of the species growing in the whole Caucasus can be found in Azerbaijan. The country lies within four ecoregions: Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests , Caucasus mixed forests , Eastern Anatolian montane steppe , and Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe . Azerbaijan had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.55/10, ranking it 72nd globally out of 172 countries. Forest cover

8865-583: Is nearly 2,000 km removed from Tokyo , and is geographically closer to the Micronesian territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands . Inhabitants of the Ryukyu Islands , on the periphery of the main Japanese archipelago, are sometimes associated with Austronesians. The islands are geologically and historically linked with Asia, and are excluded from most definitions of Oceania, along with

9062-434: Is no reliable data on the number of practicing Muslims. In a poll conducted by Sabancı University in 2006 16% of Turkish Muslims said they were " extremely religious ", 39% said they were " somewhat religious ", and 32% said they were " not religious ". Many ethnic Turkish people are either cultural or non-practicing Muslims, and many cultural or non-practicing Turkish Muslims tend to be politically secular . Many of

9259-604: Is now Azerbaijan was first ruled by Caucasian Albania and later various Persian empires . Until the 19th century, it remained part of Qajar Iran , but the Russo-Persian wars of 1804–1813 and 1826–1828 forced the Qajar Empire to cede its Caucasian territories to the Russian Empire ; the treaties of Gulistan in 1813 and Turkmenchay in 1828 defined the border between Russia and Iran. The region north of

9456-438: Is one of the founding members of GUAM , the Commonwealth of Independent States , and the OPCW . Azerbaijan is also an observer state of the World Trade Organization . The vast majority of the country's population (97%) is nominally Muslim, but the Constitution of Azerbaijan does not declare an official religion, and all major political forces in the country are secular. Azerbaijan is a developing country and ranks 89th on

9653-559: Is particularly evidenced by remnants of ancient rivers found throughout the country. The water systems are continually changing under the influence of natural forces and human-introduced industrial activities. Artificial rivers (canals) and ponds are a part of Azerbaijan's water systems. In terms of water supply, Azerbaijan is below the average in the world with approximately 100,000 cubic metres (3,531,467 cubic feet) per year of water per square kilometer. All big water reservoirs are built on Kur. The hydrography of Azerbaijan basically belongs to

9850-400: Is reducing, they are more likely to identify with Islam culturally. A 2005 Université Libre de Bruxelles study estimated that about 10% of the Muslim population in Belgium are "practicing Muslims". A 2009 survey found that the majority of Muslims in Belgium supported "separation between religion and state". A 2010 study found that while Muslims put great emphasis on religious freedom and

10047-417: Is sometimes associated with Asia ( Western Asia ), as in the United Nations geoscheme . Despite differences regarding its geographic affiliation, the Republic of Cyprus was nevertheless admitted to the Council of Europe in 1961 and joined the EU in 2004. The northern part of the island functions as the unrecognized (except by Turkey) Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus . The Greek North Aegean islands and

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10244-496: Is the administration in its current formation. The president does not have the right to dissolve the National Assembly but has the right to veto its decisions. To override the presidential veto, the parliament must have a majority of 95 votes. The judicial power is vested in the Constitutional Court , Supreme Court , and the Economic Court. The president nominates the judges in these courts. Azerbaijan's system of governance nominally can be called two-tiered. The top or highest tier of

10441-553: Is the deliberative body under the president, and he organizes it according to the constitution. It was established on 10 April 1997. The administrative department is not a part of the president's office but manages the financial, technical and pecuniary activities of both the president and his office. The short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with six countries, sending diplomatic representatives to Germany and Finland. The process of international recognition of Azerbaijan's independence from

10638-438: Is the grouping into Oceania of the Pacific Islands with Australia and Zealandia . There are three overland boundaries subject to definition: While today the isthmus between Asia and Africa is navigable via the Suez Canal , and that between North and South America via the Panama Canal , these artificial channels are not generally accepted as continent-defining boundaries in themselves. The Suez Canal happens to traverse

10835-547: Is the most popular practice, it ranks more as a sign of Muslim identity than piety, and it is more a sign of belonging to a culture and a community", and he added that not drinking alcohol "seems to be more a cultural behavior". Between November 17, 2019, and March 23, 2020, Pew Research Center completed 29,999 face-to-face interviews with non-institutionalized adults ages 18 and older living in 26 states and three union territories across India. The sample includes interviews with 22,975 Hindus, 3,336 Muslims and other faith's where it

11032-406: The Achaemenid Empire who was reinstated as the satrap of Media under Alexander the Great . The original etymology of this name is thought to have its roots in the once-dominant Zoroastrianism . In the Avesta 's Frawardin Yasht ("Hymn to the Guardian Angels"), there is a mention of âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide , which translates from Avestan as "we worship the fravashi of

11229-469: The Aegean Sea , the Dardanelles – Sea of Marmara – Bosporus (together known as the Turkish Straits ), the Black Sea , along the watershed of the Greater Caucasus , the northwestern portion of the Caspian Sea , and along the Ural River and Ural Mountains to the Kara Sea , as mapped and listed in most atlases including that of the National Geographic Society and as described in The World Factbook . According to this particular definition, Georgia

11426-441: The Aliyev political family and the New Azerbaijan Party ( Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyası , YAP) established by Heydar Aliyev continuously since 1993. It is categorised as "not free" by Freedom House , who ranked it 7/100 on Global Freedom Score in 2024, calling its regime authoritarian. The structural formation of the political system was completed by the adoption of the constitution on 12 November 1995. According to Article 23 of

11623-633: The Antarctic Treaty System . Australia's Heard Island and McDonald Islands (an external territory ) and the French Kerguelen Islands are located on the Kerguelen Plateau , on the Antarctic continental plate . Both are still within the bounds of the Indian Ocean. The United Nations categorizes Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which are politically affiliated with Australia, as being part of Oceania. The islands are 4,000 km from Perth in Australia, and have never been inhabited by indigenous peoples of Oceania or any other humans. Heard Island has only been visited 240 times throughout its entire history, and

11820-409: The Aras was part of Iran until it was conquered by Russia in the 19th century, where it was administered as part of the Caucasus Viceroyalty . By the late 19th century, an Azerbaijani national identity emerged when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic in 1918, a year after the Russian Empire collapsed , and became

12017-416: The Aru Islands in Maluku Province and western New Guinea , which contain six provinces of Indonesia, are part of the Australian continent . The eastern half of New Guinea is a part of Papua New Guinea which is considered to be a part of Oceania. Indonesia is commonly referred to as one of the Southeast Asian countries. Indonesia's eastern region of Western New Guinea and nearby islands, makes it

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12214-421: The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic on 28 April 1920. Although the bulk of the newly formed Azerbaijani army was engaged in putting down an Armenian revolt that had broken out in Karabakh , Azerbaijanis did not surrender their brief independence of 1918–20 quickly or easily. As many as 20,000 Azerbaijani soldiers died resisting what was effectively a Russian reconquest. Within the ensuing early Soviet period,

12411-425: The Azerbaijanis are nowadays parted between two nations: Iran and Azerbaijan. After the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I , the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was declared, constituting the present-day republics of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. It was followed by the March Days massacres that took place between 30 March and 2 April 1918 in Baku and adjacent areas of

12608-411: The Baku Governorate . When the republic dissolved in May 1918, the leading Musavat party declared independence as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), adopting the name of "Azerbaijan", a name that prior to the proclamation of the ADR was solely used to refer to the adjacent northwestern region of contemporary Iran . The ADR was the first modern parliamentary republic in the Muslim world. Among

12805-475: The Baku pogrom , the Maraga massacre and the Kirovabad pogrom . Furthermore, an estimated 30,000 people were killed and more than a million people were displaced (more than 800,000 Azerbaijanis and 300,000 Armenians). Four United Nations Security Council resolutions ( 822 , 853 , 874 , and 884 ) demand for "the immediate withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan." Many Russians and Armenians fled Azerbaijan as refugees during

13002-401: The Bonin Islands (also known as the Ogasawara Islands), the Volcano Islands , and three remote islets ( Nishinoshima , Minami-Tori-shima and Okinotorishima ), all governed collectively as Ogasawara Village , which is an administrative division consisting of scattered island atolls located in the Pacific Ocean . These mostly uninhabited islands are located at some distance southeast of

13199-407: The British Isles ) or being a part of a microcontinent on the same principal tectonic plate (e.g. Madagascar and Seychelles ). An island can also be entirely oceanic while still being associated with a continent by geology (e.g. Bermuda , the Australian Indian Ocean Territories ) or by common geopolitical convention (e.g. Ascension Island , the South Sandwich Islands ). Another example

13396-427: The Canary Islands and the Madeira islands (the latter of which also include the Desertas Islands and the Savage Islands ) off the Atlantic coast of Morocco are much closer to, and usually grouped with, Africa; the Canary Islands are only 100 km (62 mi) from the African mainland at their closest point but 945 km (587 mi) from the European mainland, while Madeira is 520 km (320 mi) from

13593-450: The Dodecanese lie on the coast of the Asian part of Turkey (on the Asian continental shelf). Thus, generally, these island groups could be considered part of Asia. More specifically, the small islands of Kastellorizo , Strongyli Megistis , and Ro (all these islands are still in the Dodecanese group) are directly to the south of the Turkish Anatolia coastline, of which they are directly adjacent. Additionally, they lie at some distance to

13790-452: The Eurasian Plate . This island is located in the Alboran Sea , 50 km (31 mi) north of the Moroccan coast and 90 km (56 mi) south of Spain . There are six definitive occurrences of territories unequivocally being a part of the African continent, but legally being administered by a European state. Three of these are administered by France , and the other three by Spain . The existence of these territories further blurs

13987-412: The First Nagorno-Karabakh war with the ethnic Armenian majority of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by Armenia. By the end of the hostilities in 1994, Armenians controlled 14–16 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh. During the war many atrocities and pogroms by both sides were committed including the massacres at Malibeyli, Gushchular and Garadaghly and the Khojaly massacre , along with

14184-451: The Greater Caucasus Watershed and thus geographically in Europe, whereas the rest arguably falls under Asia. Georgia actively identified as European throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 21st century, Georgia is regarded as a European country for historical, cultural, religious, and political reasons. The international geographic community has never reached a universal agreement on continental borders, especially with regard to

14381-826: The Guruchay culture of Azykh Cave . Early settlements included the Scythians during the 9th century BC. Following the Scythians, Iranian Medes came to dominate the area to the south of the Aras river . The Medes forged a vast empire between 900 and 700 BC, which was integrated into the Achaemenid Empire around 550 BC. The area was conquered by the Achaemenids leading to the spread of Zoroastrianism . The Sasanian Empire turned Caucasian Albania into

14578-500: The Human Development Index . The ruling New Azerbaijan Party , in power since 1993, has been accused of authoritarianism under president Heydar Aliyev and his son Ilham Aliyev , and worsening the country's human rights record , including increasing restrictions on civil liberties, particularly on press freedom and political repression. The term Azerbaijan derives from Atropates , a Persian satrap under

14775-595: The Japanese archipelago . Owing to the location and oceanic nature of these islands, they are sometimes considered to be a part of Oceania as well. The islands are within the Oceanian biogeographical realm , unlike the rest of Japan, and may have been inhabited by Micronesians around 2,000 years ago. Their official discovery came much later in the 16th century, through Europeans. The most remote island within this group, Minami-Tori-shima (also known as Marcus Island)

14972-649: The McDonald Islands have only ever been visited twice, in 1971 and 1980. The World Factbook categorizes these islands as part of Antarctica rather than Oceania. The French Crozet Islands , Île Amsterdam , Île Saint-Paul , and the Norwegian Bouvet Island are also located on the Antarctic continental plate, and are not often associated with other continents. The United Nations categorize Bouvet Island as part of South America, while

15169-658: The Non-Aligned Movement and World Trade Organization and is a correspondent at the International Telecommunication Union . On 9 May 2006 Azerbaijan was elected to membership in the newly established Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly . The term of office began on 19 June 2006. Azerbaijan was first elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2011 with

15366-565: The Pew Research Center in a 2014 survey, 1% of American Muslims do not believe in God . The frequency of receiving answers to prayers among Muslims was, 31% at least once a week and 12% once or twice a month. There are significant segment of Muslim immigrants in the United States who are cultural Muslims. For instance, the overwhelming majority of Muslim Iranian Americans are so-called cultural or nominal Muslims, and

15563-575: The Safavid dynasty of Iran subdued the Shirvanshahs and gained its possessions. In the course of the next century, the Safavids converted the formerly Sunni population to Shia Islam , as they did with the population in what is modern-day Iran. The Safavids allowed the Shirvanshahs to remain in power under Safavid suzerainty until 1538, when Safavid King Tahmasp I completely deposed them and made

15760-768: The Southeast Asian Games since 2003 . Occasionally, all of the Malay Archipelago is included in Oceania, although this is extremely rare, especially as most of the archipelago lies on the Asian continental shelf . The Malay Archipelago was more frequently associated with Oceania during the 19th century, when the term was first coined. Many inhabitants in the Malay Archipelago are Austronesians, sharing genetic and linguistic affinities to

15957-963: The Soviet Union , the boundary along the Kuma–Manych Depression was the most commonly used as early as 1906. In 1958, the Soviet Geographical Society formally recommended that the boundary between Asia and Europe be drawn in textbooks from Baydaratskaya Bay , on the Kara Sea , along the eastern foot of the Ural Mountains, then following the Ural River until the Mugodzhar Hills , and then the Emba River ; and Kuma–Manych Depression, thus placing

16154-621: The United Kingdom . The United Nations consider them to be part of South America. Definitions of South America that exclude the Galápagos Islands and Juan Fernández Islands (both oceanic in nature) still generally include the Falklands, which share biographical affinities to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego , and which are located on the South American continental shelf. The Falkland Islands and South Georgia and

16351-506: The United States . In several countries and regions, self-reported Muslims practice the religion at low levels, and for some, their "Muslim" identity is associated with cultural or ethnic or national heritage, rather than merely religious faith. The concept is not always met with acceptance in conservative Islamic communities. Cultural Muslims may be classified as kafir (non-believers) by more conservative Muslims and Islamist groups. In Central Asia and in former communist countries,

16548-647: The Ural Mountains and are a continuation of that chain into the Arctic Ocean . While Novaya Zemlya was variously grouped with Europe or with Asia in 19th-century maps it is now usually grouped with Europe, the continental boundary considered to join the Arctic Ocean along the southern shore of the Kara Sea . The Russian Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land farther north is also associated with Europe. The Bering Strait and Bering Sea separate

16745-531: The Ural Mountains . The mapmakers continued to differ on the boundary between the lower Don and Samara well into the 19th century. The 1745 atlas published by the Russian Academy of Sciences has the boundary follow the Don beyond Kalach as far as Serafimovich before cutting north towards Arkhangelsk , while other 18th- to 19th-century mapmakers such as John Cary followed Strahlenberg's prescription. To

16942-593: The flight of nearly all ethnic Armenians from the region . Azerbaijan is located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia , straddling West Asia and Eastern Europe . It lies between latitudes 38° and 42° N , and longitudes 44° and 51° E . The perimeter of Azerbaijan's land borders is 2,648 km (1,645 mi), of which 1,007 km (626 mi) are with Armenia, 756 km (470 mi) with Iran, 480 kilometers with Georgia, 390 km (242 mi) with Russia and 15 km (9 mi) with Turkey. The coastline stretches for 800 km (497 mi), and

17139-760: The landmasses of Asia and North America , as well as forming the international boundary between Russia and the United States. This national and continental boundary separates the Diomede Islands in the Bering Strait, with Big Diomede in Russia and Little Diomede in the U.S. The Aleutian Islands are an island chain extending westward from the Alaskan Peninsula toward Russia's Komandorski Islands and Kamchatka Peninsula . Most of them are always associated with North America, except for

17336-590: The plazas de soberanía ("Localities of Sovereignty"), are small islands that lie immediately adjacent to the North African coastline, with the exception of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera , which was originally an island like the other 'localities' but has subsequently become directly connected to the Moroccan (African) mainland. The two other Spanish territories are the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla , which are two populated coastal cities located directly on

17533-481: The 13th century, on Enderby Island. Macquarie Island is theorized to have possibly had contact with Polynesians, although there is no archaeological evidence to support this. The continental boundary between Asia and Australia is somewhere in the Wallacean region of the Malay Archipelago. The boundary is frequently divided along the anthropologic Melanesian Line or the biogeographic Weber's Line . Geologically,

17730-405: The 13th least religious country from data compiled in 2005, 2008 and 2015. It is a secular country by its constitution, and according to James Reynolds of BBC News one of the goals of the secular government of Azerbaijan is to "check the spread of political Islam ". Some Bangladeshis are nominal or cultural Muslims, in a Pew research center survey of Muslim Bangladeshis in 2012, religion

17927-462: The 1990s. According to the 1970 census, there were 510,000 ethnic Russians and 484,000 Armenians in Azerbaijan. In 1993, democratically elected President Abulfaz Elchibey was overthrown by a military insurrection led by Colonel Surat Huseynov , which resulted in the rise to power of the former leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev . In 1994, Huseynov, by that time the prime minister, attempted another military coup against Heydar Aliyev, but he

18124-601: The 19th century; however, it has declined in usage over time. This is because it included in Asia certain areas of Russia (such as Stavropol , Krasnodar , and areas just south of Rostov-on-Don ) seen as too European to be Asian. One formal means by which states are grouped into one specified continental area or another is by using the definition used for statistical purposes by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD): According to UNSD, "assignment of countries or areas to specific groupings

18321-647: The 5th century BC. As geographic knowledge of the Greeks increased during the Hellenistic period , this archaic convention was revised, and the boundary between Asia and Europe was now considered to be the Tanais (the modern Don River). This is the convention used by Roman era authors such as Posidonius , Strabo and Ptolemy . Throughout the Middle Ages and into the 18th century, the traditional division of

18518-810: The 6th century BC by early Greek geographers such as Anaximander and Hecataeus . Anaximander placed the boundary between Asia and Europe along the Phasis River (the modern Rioni in Georgia in the Caucasus Mountains ), from Rioni mouth in Poti on the Black Sea coast, through the Surami Pass and along the Kura River to the Caspian Sea, a convention still followed by Herodotus in

18715-527: The 8,350 stream are greater than 100 km (62 mi) in length. All the streams drain into the Caspian Sea. The largest lake is Sarysu at 67 km (26 sq mi), and the longest river is Kur at 1,515 km (941 mi), which is transboundary with Armenia. Azerbaijan has several islands along the Caspian sea, mostly located in the Baku Archipelago . Since independence in 1991,

18912-638: The AFC. The presence of these teams in the AFC is not necessarily related to geography or politics, but rather because the Asian Football Confederation have far more resources than the Oceania Football Confederation. All three are members of the Pacific Islands Forum , the major governing body for the Oceania region, with Australia being a founding member in 1971. Guam and Northern Mariana Islands have had similar histories to

19109-634: The African continent). The final territory is the Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean , administratively a part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands . This French territory consists of a range of minor uninhabited atolls in the Indian Ocean, located in the deep sea surrounding Madagascar. Antarctica along with its outlying islands have no permanent population. All land claims south of 60°S latitude are held in abeyance by

19306-654: The African mainland and 1,000 km (620 mi) from the European mainland. In his 1895 book Africa: Volume 2 , author Augustus Henry Keane remarked, "In the North Atlantic there are four insular groups — Madeira, the Canaries, Cape Verde and Azores — which are usually assigned to Africa, although the Canaries and Cape Verde alone belong geographically to that continent, the Azores are lost, so to say, in mid-Atlantic." The Mediterranean island country of Malta

19503-538: The African mainland, both bordering only Morocco. Two of the French territories are the inhabited overseas departments and regions of Mayotte and Réunion . Mayotte is an island territory located west of the island country of Madagascar within the Mozambique Channel . Réunion is an island territory located near the island country of Mauritius and to the east of Madagascar (both nominally considered part of

19700-476: The African mainland. All of these Mediterranean islands, including Malta and Sicily, are actually located on the African Plate , and could be considered part of the African continent geologically. However, for political and cultural reasons, maps generally display them as part of Europe instead. A single Spanish islet, known as Alboran Island , is also debatably located on either the African Plate or

19897-569: The Asian Football Confederation. Taiwan, Japan and most of the nations in the Malay Archipelago are dialogue partners of the Pacific Islands Forum, but none have full membership, only Australia, New Zealand and the island states in Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia do. The boundary between Asia and Europe is unusual among continental boundaries because of its largely mountain-and-river-based characteristics north and east of

20094-579: The Australian Indian Ocean external territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (both geographically adjacent to Java ) as being part of Oceania, rather than Asia. The islands lie within the bounds of the Australian Plate , and were uninhabited prior to European discovery in the 17th century. They have oceanic geology , making them distinct from both mainland Asia and mainland Australia. Japan possesses

20291-679: The Azerbaijan SSR. The disturbances in Azerbaijan, in response to Moscow's indifference to an already heated conflict, resulted in calls for independence and secession, which culminated in the Black January events in Baku. Later in 1990, the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR dropped the words "Soviet Socialist" from the title, adopted the "Declaration of Sovereignty of the Azerbaijan Republic" and restored

20488-673: The Azerbaijani national identity was forged. On 13 October 1921, the Soviet republics of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia signed an agreement with Turkey known as the Treaty of Kars . The previously independent Republic of Aras would also become the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the Azerbaijan SSR by the treaty of Kars. On the other hand, Armenia was awarded

20685-551: The Black Sea. Asia and Europe are considered separate continents for historical reasons; the division between the two goes back to the early Greek geographers . In the modern sense of the term "continent", Eurasia is more readily identifiable as a "continent", and Europe has occasionally been described as a subcontinent of Eurasia. The threefold division of the Old World into Africa, Asia, and Europe has been in use since

20882-595: The Caspian Sea basin. The Kura and Aras are the major rivers in Azerbaijan. They run through the Kura-Aras lowland . The rivers that directly flow into the Caspian Sea originate mainly from the north-eastern slope of the Major Caucasus and Talysh Mountains and run along the Samur–Devechi and Lankaran lowlands. Yanar Dag , translated as "burning mountain", is a natural gas fire which blazes continuously on

21079-696: The Caucasus entirely in Asia and the Urals entirely in Europe. However, most geographers in the Soviet Union favoured the boundary along the Caucasus crest and this became the standard convention in the latter 20th century, although the Kuma–Manych boundary remained in use in some 20th-century maps. The modern border between Asia and Europe is a historical and cultural construct, and for that reason, its definition has varied. One commonly accepted border follows

21276-522: The Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian seas. As Encyclopædia Britannica explains: “The watershed of the Greater Caucasus, the backbone of the system, traditionally has been part of the line dividing Europe and Asia, but Europe's eastern boundary has been the subject of much debate. One widely accepted scheme draws the dividing line along the crest of the Greater Caucasus range, putting

21473-411: The Caucasus region vary from about −28 meters at the Caspian Sea shoreline up to 4,466 meters ( Bazardüzü peak). The climate is influenced particularly by cold arctic air masses of Scandinavian anticyclone , temperate air masses of Siberian anticyclone, and Central Asian anticyclone. Azerbaijan's diverse landscape affects the ways air masses enter the country. The Greater Caucasus protects

21670-535: The European Union. The country may eventually apply for EU membership. On 1 July 2021, the US Congress advanced legislation that will have an impact on the military aid that Washington has sent to Azerbaijan since 2012. This was because the packages to Armenia, instead, are significantly smaller. Boundaries between the continents Determining the boundaries between the continents is generally

21867-635: The Greater and Lesser Caucasus , and the Talysh Mountains , together covering approximately 40% of the country. The highest peak is Mount Bazardüzü 4,466 m (14,652 ft), while the lowest point lies in the Caspian Sea −28 m (−92 ft) . Nearly half of all the mud volcanoes on Earth are concentrated in Azerbaijan, these volcanoes were among nominees for the New 7 Wonders of Nature . The main water sources are surface waters. Only 24 of

22064-420: The Isthmus of Suez between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea , dividing Africa and Asia. The continental boundaries are considered to be within the very narrow land connections joining the continents. The remaining boundaries concern the association of islands and archipelagos with specific continents, notably: Historically in Greco-Roman geography , "Africa" meant Ancient Libya , and its eastern extent

22261-411: The Kuma–Manych Depression to the Caspian and then the Ural River, and the third abandoning the Don altogether, following the Greater Caucasus watershed to the Caspian. The question was still treated as a controversy in geographical literature of the 1860s, with Douglas Freshfield advocating the Caucasus crest boundary as the best possible, citing support from various modern geographers. In Russia and

22458-416: The Malay Archipelago separate from Oceania for this very reason. He wrote, "Before the advent of Europeans into the Pacific, our cultures were truly oceanic, in the sense that the sea barrier shielded us for millennia from the great cultural influences that raged through continental land masses and adjacent islands. This prolonged period of isolation allowed for the emergence of distinctive oceanic cultures with

22655-411: The Malay Archipelago), Melanesia , Micronesia and Polynesia . Australia, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands currently compete in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with Australia and Northern Mariana Islands having originally been part of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). Guam was never an official OFC member, although they exclusively played against teams from Oceania prior to joining

22852-446: The Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian inhabitants of Oceania, who also fall under the Austronesian umbrella. However, the Austronesians of the Malay Archipelago had significant contact with mainland Asia during prehistoric times, unlike with the Austronesians and Indigenous Australians of Oceania, who were isolated from the culture of Asia and the eastern world . Epeli Hauʻofa , a scholar of Tongan and Fijian descent, considered

23049-421: The Muslims interviewed were completely religiously non-observant. The regular attendance of religious institutions (at least once every 2 weeks) was low (6%), and weekly attendance was very low (2%). Frequent praying (at least 2 to 3 times per week) among and among the Muslims we were asked it was around 17%, and praying several times daily (as required of devout Muslims) was rare (2%). Regular fasting during Ramadan

23246-434: The Orthodox Islamic norms. Abangan was considered an indigenous blend of native and Hindu-Buddhist beliefs with Islamic practices sometimes also called Javanism, kejawen , agama Jawa , or kebatinan . According to a study in 1999, 17.3% of the Muslims in Indonesia who took part in it identified themselves as secularists who never or rarely perform Islamic devotions. The Iranian diaspora has been commonly defined as

23443-415: The Republic of Azerbaijan, like those spoken by the Tats , are descended from Old Azeri. Locally, the possessions of the subsequent Seljuk Empire were ruled by Eldiguzids , technically vassals of the Seljuk sultans, but sometimes de facto rulers themselves. Under the Seljuks, local poets such as Nizami Ganjavi and Khaqani gave rise to a blossoming of Persian literature in the region. Shirvanshahs ,

23640-445: The Sasanian marzban (military governor) held most civil, religious, and military authority. In the first half of the 7th century, Caucasian Albania, as a vassal of the Sasanians, came under nominal Muslim rule with the Muslim conquest of Persia . The Umayyad Caliphate repulsed both the Sasanians and Byzantines from the South Caucasus and turned Caucasian Albania into a vassal state after Christian resistance led by King Juansher

23837-410: The Sinai Peninsula, Israel , Palestine , much of Lebanon and the coastal governorates of Syria being located on the African Plate . The Comoros , Madagascar , Mauritius , and Seychelles are island countries in the Indian Ocean which are nominally associated with Africa. The Socotra Archipelago may be considered African as it lies on its continental shelf; however, it is politically

24034-466: The South Sandwich Islands were uninhabited when discovered by Europeans, with some theorizing that the Falklands were visited by Indigenous peoples of the Americas during prehistoric times. These theories are usually considered dubious, as there is no archaeological evidence indicating prehistoric human inhabitation on the Falklands. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands do not have any permanent residents. The Falkland Islands have historically had

24231-438: The Turkish people only attend mosques on special occasions (such as for weddings, funerals, and community gatherings), according to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center , 19% of Turkish Muslims say that they attend Friday prayer once a week and 23% say they never visit their local mosque. In general, "Turkish Islam" is considered to be "more moderate and pluralistic" compared to the Middle Eastern-Islamic societies. According to

24428-433: The United Nations also to be part of Oceania. The Auckland Islands could be considered part of Oceania on cultural grounds rather than mere political grounds, as they are believed to be the southernmost island group to have been settled by Polynesians during prehistoric times. The islands were uninhabited when discovered by Europeans, but archaeological traces have since been found to indicate Polynesian settlement, dating to

24625-427: The Ural River is the most common division used by authorities, is the most prominent natural feature in the region, and is the "most satisfactory of those (options) proposed" which include the Emba River , a much smaller stream cutting further into Central Asian Kazakhstan. The Ural River bridges in Atyrau and Orenburg are even labeled with permanent monuments carved with the word "Europe" on one side, "Asia" on

24822-419: The Volga, now joined with it by the Volga–Don Canal ), into territory not described in any detail by the ancient geographers. Philip Johan von Strahlenberg in 1725 was the first to depart from the classical Don boundary by drawing the line along the Volga , following the Volga north until the Samara Bend , along Obshchy Syrt (the drainage divide between the Ural and Volga rivers) and then north along

25019-427: The World Factbook categorizes it as part of Antarctica. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are closer to Antarctica than to any other continent. However, they are politically associated with the Falkland Islands , which are less geographically isolated from South America. Furthermore, Argentina , a South American country, maintains its irredentist claims on all of these islands, which are administered by

25216-471: The absolute maximum temperature were observed in Julfa and Ordubad —regions of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic . The maximum annual precipitation falls in Lankaran (1,600 to 1,800 mm or 63 to 71 in) and the minimum in Absheron (200 to 350 mm or 7.9 to 13.8 in). Rivers and lakes form the principal part of the water systems of Azerbaijan, they were formed over a long geological timeframe and changed significantly throughout that period. This

25413-453: The area into the Safavid province of Shirvan . The Sunni Ottomans briefly managed to occupy present-day Azerbaijan as a result of the Ottoman–Safavid War of 1578–1590 ; by the early 17th century, they were ousted by Safavid Iranian ruler Abbas I . In the wake of the demise of the Safavid dynasty, Baku and its environs were briefly occupied by the Russians as a consequence of the Russo-Persian War of 1722–1723 . Remainder of present Azerbaijan

25610-482: The beliefs and practices associated with the faith, just as a Jew may describe him- or herself as Jewish without observing the Tanakh or Halacha. In non-Muslim societies, such Muslims may subscribe to, and be vested with, secular identities. The Muslims of Bosnia, descendants of Slavs who converted to Islam under Ottoman rule, are not always noted for attendance at prayer, abstention from alcohol, and other social practices associated with believing Muslims in other parts of

25807-519: The collapsing Soviet Union lasted roughly one year. The most recent country to recognize Azerbaijan was Bahrain, on 6 November 1996. Full diplomatic relations, including mutual exchanges of missions, were first established with Turkey, Pakistan, the United States, Iran and Israel. Azerbaijan has placed a particular emphasis on its " special relationship " with Turkey. Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 158 countries so far and holds membership in 38 international organizations. It holds observer status in

26004-410: The constitution, the state symbols are the flag , the coat of arms , and the national anthem . The state power is limited only by law for internal issues, but international affairs are also limited by international agreements' provisions. The Constitution of Azerbaijan states that it is a presidential republic with three branches of power – executive, legislative, and judicial. The legislative power

26201-406: The country from direct influences of cold air masses coming from the north. That leads to the formation of subtropical climate on most foothills and plains of the country. Meanwhile, plains and foothills are characterized by high solar radiation rates. Nine out of eleven existing climate zones are present in Azerbaijan. Both the absolute minimum temperature ( −33 °C or −27.4 °F ) and

26398-411: The east of the rest of the Dodecanese group in the direction of Cyprus and the Turkish city of Antalya . Akin to Cyprus, these small islets would nominally be considered Asian if only the continental shelf were used to define the boundary, but for history and cultural influences they are considered a part of Europe. Russia's Vaygach Island and Novaya Zemlya extend northward from the northern end of

26595-444: The end of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994, although the region and seven surrounding districts remained internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. Following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, the seven districts and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh were returned to Azerbaijani control. An Azerbaijani offensive in 2023 ended the Republic of Artsakh and resulted in the flight of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians . Azerbaijan

26792-402: The entire 19th century, preoccupation with Iranian culture , literature , and language remained widespread among Shia and Sunni intellectuals in the Russian-held cities of Baku, Ganja and Tiflis ( Tbilisi , now Georgia). Within the same century, in post-Iranian Russian-held East Caucasia, an Azerbaijani national identity emerged at the end of the 19th century. As a result of the Russian conquest,

26989-435: The eruption of instability. Numerous khanates with various forms of autonomy emerged. The rulers of these khanates were directly related to the ruling dynasties of Iran and were vassals and subjects of the Iranian shah. The khanates exercised control over their affairs via international trade routes between Central Asia and the West. Thereafter, the area was under the successive rule of the Iranian Zands and Qajars . From

27186-413: The exploitation of the Azeri–Chirag–Guneshli oil field and Shah Deniz gas field , the Aliyev family rule has been criticized with election fraud, high levels of economic inequality and domestic corruption . In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched an offensive against the breakaway Republic of Artsakh in Nagorno-Karabakh that resulted in the dissolution and reintegration of Artsakh on 1 January 2024 and

27383-426: The final bout of hostilities between the two, the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828 . The resulting Treaty of Turkmenchay forced Qajar Iran to cede sovereignty over the Erivan Khanate, the Nakhchivan Khanate and the remainder of the Talysh Khanate . After the incorporation of all Caucasian territories from Iran into Russia, the border between the two was set at the Aras River. Despite the Russian conquest, throughout

27580-465: The first secular democratic Muslim-majority state. In 1920, the country was conquered and incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan SSR . The modern Republic of Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence on 30 August 1991, shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union . In September 1991, the ethnic Armenian majority of the Nagorno-Karabakh region formed the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh , which became de facto independent with

27777-527: The first generation as an "individual experience". The study concluded "the expression of religiosity by Muslim youth was not much different to that of their Dutch Christian or Jewish peers". In Northern Cyprus , the Turkish Cypriots are generally very secular and seen as cultural Muslims, and only attend mosques on special occasions (such as for weddings, funerals, and community gatherings). The secularizing force of Kemalism has also exerted an impact on Turkish Cypriots. Religious practices are considered

27974-484: The flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as the state flag. As a consequence of the failed 1991 Soviet coup attempt in Moscow, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration of Independence on 18 October 1991 which was affirmed by a nationwide referendum in December, while the Soviet Union officially ceased to exist on 26 December. The country celebrates its Day of Restoration of Independence on 18 October. The early years of independence were overshadowed by

28171-425: The forest area was found within protected areas. In 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership , 0% private ownership and 0% with ownership listed as other or unknown. Azerbaijan's government functions as an authoritarian regime in practice; although it regularly holds elections , these are marred by electoral fraud and other unfair election practices. The government has been ruled by

28368-428: The geopolitical region of the Middle East and North Africa , Egypt is usually grouped with the Western Asian countries as part of the Middle East , while Egypt's western neighbor Libya is grouped with the remaining North African countries as the Maghreb . Both are members of the African Union . However, the geological boundary is located further to the east, along the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea Transform , with

28565-415: The government has taken measures to preserve the environment of Azerbaijan . National protection of the environment accelerated after 2001 when the state budget increased through revenues provided by the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline . Within four years, protected areas doubled and now make up eight percent of the country's territory. Since 2001 the government has set up seven large reserves and almost doubled

28762-473: The government is the executive power headed by president. The local executive authority is merely a continuation of executive power. The provision determines the legal status of local state administration on local executive authority ( Yerli Icra Hakimiyati ), adopted 16 June 1999. In June 2012, the president approved a regulation which granted additional powers to local executive authorities, strengthening their dominant position in local affairs The Security Council

28959-433: The government, but the constitution requires the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers by Milli Majlis. The New Azerbaijan Party, and independents loyal to the ruling government, currently hold almost all of the Parliament's 125 seats. During the 2010 Parliamentary election , the opposition parties, Musavat and Azerbaijani Popular Front Party , failed to win a single seat. European observers found numerous irregularities in

29156-491: The holy Atropatene ". The name "Atropates" is the Greek transliteration of an Old Iranian , probably Median , compounded name with the meaning "Protected by the (Holy) Fire" or "The Land of the (Holy) Fire". The Greek name was mentioned by Diodorus Siculus and Strabo . Over the span of millennia, the name evolved to Āturpātākān ( Middle Persian ), then to Ādharbādhagān , Ādhorbāygān , Āzarbāydjān (New Persian) and present-day Azerbaijan . The name Azerbaijan

29353-400: The important accomplishments of the Parliament was the extension of suffrage to women, making ADR the first Muslim nation to grant women equal political rights with men. Baku State University , first modern university founded in the Muslim East, was established during this period. Independent Azerbaijan lasted only 23 months until the Bolshevik 11th Soviet Red Army invaded it, establishing

29550-402: The landmass of Eurasia into two continents, Asia and Europe, followed Ptolemy, with the boundary following the Turkish Straits , the Black Sea , the Kerch Strait , the Sea of Azov and the Don (known in antiquity as the Tanais). But maps produced during the 16th to 18th centuries tended to differ in how to continue the boundary beyond the Don bend at Kalach-na-Donu (where it is closest to

29747-402: The late 18th century, Imperial Russia switched to a more aggressive geo-political stance towards Iran and the Ottoman Empire . Russia actively tried to gain possession of the Caucasus region which was, for the most part, in the hands of Iran. In 1804, the Russians invaded and sacked the Iranian town of Ganja , sparking the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 . The militarily superior Russians ended

29944-441: The length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea is 456 km (283 mi). The country has a landlocked exclave , the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic . Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country's center. There are three mountain ranges:

30141-410: The line between the borders of Africa and Europe, in particular with regard to the Spanish territories which lie immediately adjacent to and/or connected to the African mainland. The French territories lie within the Indian Ocean , and, consequently, are more dislocated from the principal boundary between the two continents. The uninhabited Spanish unincorporated overseas minor territories, known as

30338-425: The lives of Dutch Muslims , particularly of second-generation immigrants was decreasing. This observation was based on the reducing participation of younger Muslims in Islamic rituals, organizations, and prayer. The study also predicted that the trend would continue with increasing education and "individualization". However, the study also found that second-generation immigrants attached more importance to religion that

30535-464: The local dynasty of Arabic origin that was later Persianized, became a vassal state of Timurid Empire of Timur and assisted him in his war with the ruler of the Golden Horde Tokhtamysh . Following Timur's death, two independent and rival Turkoman states emerged: Qara Qoyunlu and Aq Qoyunlu . The Shirvanshahs returned, maintaining for numerous centuries to come a high degree of autonomy as local rulers and vassals as they had done since 861. In 1501,

30732-455: The majority of Muslims in Albania are 'nominal' or 'cultural' Muslims. In a Pew research center survey of Muslim Albanians in 2012, religion was important for only 15%, while 7% prayed, around 5% went to a mosque, 43% gave zakat (alms), 44% fasted during Ramadan and 72% expressed a belief in God and Muhammad. A medical study from 2008 in Tirana on the relationship between religious observance and acute coronary syndrome found out that 67% of

30929-404: The newly adopted country name. During Soviet rule, the country was also spelled in Latin from the Russian transliteration as Azerbaydzhan (Russian: Азербайджа́н ). The country's name was also spelled in Cyrillic script from 1940 to 1991 as Азәрбајҹан . The earliest evidence of human settlement in the territory of Azerbaijan dates back to the late Stone Age and is related to

31126-401: The oil industry of Azerbaijan were awarded orders and medals. Operation Edelweiss carried out by the German Wehrmacht targeted Baku because of its importance as the energy (petroleum) dynamo of the USSR. A fifth of all Azerbaijanis fought in the Second World War from 1941 to 1945. Approximately 681,000 people (with over 100,000 women) went to the front, while the total population of Azerbaijan

31323-418: The only non-oceanic influences being the original cultures that the earliest settlers brought with them when they entered the vast, uninhabited region. Scholars of antiquity may raise the issue of continental cultural influences on the western and northwestern border islands of Oceania, but these are exceptions, and the Asian mainland influences were largely absent until the modern era. On the eastern extremity of

31520-402: The other hand, as early as 1670 John Ogilby under the title Africa published "an accurate Description of the Regions of Egypt, Barbary, Libya, and Billedulgerid, the Land of Negroes, Guinea, Æthiopia, and the Abyssines, with all the adjacent Islands, either in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Southern, or Oriental Seas, belonging thereunto" . The usual line taken to divide Africa from Asia today

31717-515: The other. Because the Kazakhs are an Asian people, after the collapse of the USSR , the option according to which the border of Europe runs from the Caspian Sea along the state border between Russia and Kazakhstan to the Ural River has also gained popularity. The Kuma–Manych Depression (more precisely, the Manych River , the Kuma–Manych Canal , and the Kuma River ) remains cited less commonly as one possible natural boundary in contemporary sources. This definition peaked in prominence in

31914-437: The overwhelming majority stated people should be free to leave Islam if they wanted, they were less comfortable with the idea of Muslims marrying non-Muslims. Bosniaks have been described as "Cultural Muslims" or " Progressive Muslims ". Bosnian Muslims tend to often be described as moderate, secular and European-oriented compared to other Muslim groups. In a Pew research center survey of Muslim Bosnians in 2012, religion

32111-508: The percentage they consider to be religious Muslims in a more qualified sense exceeds fifteen percent, or perhaps even less". Sander re-stated in 2004 that "we do not think it unreasonable to put the figure of religious Muslims in Sweden at the time of writing at close to 150,000". According to Göran Larsson a "great majority of people with a Muslim cultural background are as secular or irreligious". A significant segment of Tunisians have been described as nominal or cultural Muslims. Yet, there

32308-574: The portion of the region north of the line in Europe and the portion south of it in Asia. Another puts the western portion of the Caucasus region in Europe and the eastern part (the bulk of Azerbaijan and small portions of Armenia, Georgia, and Russia's Caspian Sea coast) in Asia. Still another scheme identifies the Aras River and the Turkish border as the line of continental demarcation, thereby locating Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in Europe” Russia and Turkey are transcontinental states with territory in both Asia and Europe by any definition. Russia

32505-400: The present times. The first information on flora and fauna of Azerbaijan was collected during the visits of naturalists to Azerbaijan in the 17th century. There are 106 species of mammals, 97 species of fish, 363 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians, and 52 species of reptiles which have been recorded and classified in Azerbaijan. The national animal of Azerbaijan is the Karabakh horse ,

32702-403: The proportion of ardent believers in Azerbaijan at close to 7 percent, slightly more than the number of declared atheists – almost 4 percent – with the largest numbers falling into the category of those who consider Islam above all as a way of life, without strict observance of prohibitions and requirements, or as a fundamental part of national identity. According to

32899-421: The region of Zangezur and Turkey agreed to return Gyumri (then known as Alexandropol). During World War II , Azerbaijan played a crucial role in the strategic energy policy of the Soviet Union , with 80 percent of the Soviet Union's oil on the Eastern Front being supplied by Baku. By decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union in February 1942, the commitment of more than 500 workers and employees of

33096-547: The region there were some influences from the Americas, but these were minimal. It is for these reasons that Pacific Ocean islands from Japan , through the Philippines and Indonesia, which are adjacent to the Asian mainland, do not have oceanic cultures, and are therefore not part of Oceania. This definition of our region delineates us clearly from Asia and the pre-Columbian Americas and is based on our own historical developments, rather than on other people's perceptions of us." The United Nations and The World Factbook categorize

33293-480: The religion at low levels. According to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center , who interviewed Muslims across the world, about 1% of those interviewed in Azerbaijan , 5% in Albania , 9% in Uzbekistan , 10% in Kazakhstan , 19% in Russia , and 22% in Kosovo said that they attend mosque once a week or more. According to the same study, only 15% of those who were interviewed in 2012 in Albania and 18% of those who were interviewed in Kazakhstan said that religion

33490-399: The rest of Micronesia , and are biogeographically and geologically distinct from mainland Asia. Palau made an unsuccessful attempt to join the Asian Football Confederation in 2009. They too share much of the same history as the rest of Micronesia, and are a member of the Pacific Islands Forum. Taiwan has at times been associated with Oceania, not only because of their loose status as

33687-438: The run-up to the election and on election day. The executive power is held by the president , who is elected for a seven-year term by direct elections, and the prime minister . The president is authorized to form the Cabinet , a collective executive body accountable to both the president and the National Assembly. The Cabinet consists primarily of the prime minister, his deputies, and ministers. The 8th Government of Azerbaijan

33884-407: The same. In a 2008 survey of immigrants from Turkey, Pakistan, ex-Yugoslavia, Iran, Iraq, and Somalia, 37% considered themselves very little/little religious, 33% considered themselves moderately religious, 24% considered themselves very religious. A 2011 survey found that 37% of Danish Muslims were non-practicing Muslims. Scholar estimates the number of 'cultural' nominal Muslims in Estonia in 2008

34081-541: The sector of the budget earmarked for environmental protection. Azerbaijan is home to a wide variety of landscapes. Over half of the land consists of mountain ridges, crests, highlands, and plateaus which rise up to levels of 400–1,000 meters (including the middle and lower lowlands), in some places (Talis, Jeyranchol-Ajinohur and Langabiz-Alat foreranges) up to 100–120 meters, and others from 0–50 meters and up ( Qobustan, Absheron ). The rest of Azerbaijan's terrain consists of plains and lowlands. Elevations within

34278-406: The similarly non-oceanic Japanese archipelago, which is not associated with Austronesians. To the north of Japan is the disputed Kuril Islands , currently administered by Russia . Usually, these islands are associated with the Russian Far East . This is primarily as a result of their non-tropical biogeography, and their inhabitants, who are mostly ethnically Russian mainlanders. Australia has

34475-427: The so - called political Islam , and they have been described as "cultural Muslims" or "nominal Muslims". Many Muslim Australians describe themselves as secular or nominal or cultural Muslims. Azerbaijan is a mostly Shia Muslim country, with more than 96% of its population being Muslim. According to scholars the majority of Muslims in Azerbaijan are 'nominal' or 'cultural' Muslims. A 1998 survey estimated

34672-447: The social and cultural environment in which they grew up. A cultural Muslim internalizes the Islamic cultural tradition, or way of thinking, as a frame of reference. Cultural Muslims are diverse in terms of norms, values, political opinions, and religious views. They retain a shared " discourse or structure of feeling" related to shared history and memories. The concept of a cultural Muslim  – someone who identifies as

34869-408: The south, the Kuma–Manych Depression was identified circa 1773 by a German naturalist, Peter Simon Pallas , as a valley that, once upon a time, connected the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, and subsequently was proposed as a natural boundary between continents. By the mid-19th century, there were three main conventions, one following the Don, the Volga–Don Canal and the Volga, the other following

35066-832: The support of 155 countries. Foreign policy priorities include, first of all, the restoration of its territorial integrity; elimination of the consequences of occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other regions of Azerbaijan surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh; integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structure; contribution to international security; cooperation with international organizations; regional cooperation and bilateral relations; strengthening of defense capability; promotion of security by domestic policy means; strengthening of democracy; preservation of ethnic and religious tolerance; scientific, educational, and cultural policy and preservation of moral values; economic and social development; enhancing internal and border security; and migration, energy, and transportation security policy. Azerbaijan

35263-502: The term "cultural Muslim" came into use to describe those who wished their "Muslim" identity to be associated with certain national and ethnic rituals, rather than merely religious faith. Malise Ruthven (2000) discussed the terms "cultural Muslim" and "nominal Muslim" as follows: There is, however, a secondary meaning to Muslim which may shade into the first. A Muslim is one born to a Muslim father who takes on his or her parents' confessional identity without necessarily subscribing to

35460-424: The terms cultural Muslim or nominal Muslim are used) is very far from being uncontested. Scholar G. Hussein Rassool (2015) discussed the label "cultural Muslim" as follows: The label 'Cultural Muslim' is used in the literature to describe those Muslims who are religiously unobservant, secular or irreligious individuals who still identify with the Muslim culture due to family background, personal experiences, or

35657-528: The territory of South Africa, an African country. Macquarie Island and the Antipodes Islands , Auckland Islands , and Campbell Islands are all uninhabited, and are located between Australia and New Zealand and Antarctica. The Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Islands are politically part of New Zealand, while Macquarie Island has been integrated into the Australian state of Tasmania . None are discrete political entities like Heard Island and McDonald Islands. As such, they are likely considered by

35854-429: The unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resumed along the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact . Both the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia reported military and civilian casualties. The Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement and the end of the six-week war between Azerbaijan and Armenia was widely celebrated in Azerbaijan, as they made significant territorial gains. Despite the much improved economy, particularly with

36051-428: The war with a victory. Following Qajar Iran's loss, it was forced to concede suzerainty over most of the khanates, along with Georgia and Dagestan to the Russian Empire, per the Treaty of Gulistan . The area to the north of the Aras River was Iranian territory until Russia occupied it in the 19th century. About a decade later, in violation of the Gulistan treaty, the Russians invaded Iran's Erivan Khanate . This sparked

36248-416: The westernmost Near Islands group, which is on Asia 's continental shelf beyond the North Aleutians Basin and on rare occasions could be associated with Asia, which could then allow the U.S. state of Alaska to be considered a transcontinental state. The Aleutian Islands are sometimes associated with Oceania, owing to their status as remote Pacific islands, and their proximity to the Pacific Plate. This

36445-564: The world. They were officially designated as Muslims by nationality to distinguish them from Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats under the former Yugoslav communist regime. The label Muslim indicates their ethnicity and group allegiance, but not necessarily their religious beliefs. In this limited context (which may apply to other Muslim minorities in Europe and Asia), there may be no contradiction between being Muslim and being atheist or agnostic , just as there are Jewish atheists and Jewish agnostics. This secular definition of Muslim (sometimes

36642-405: Was occupied by the Ottomans from 1722 to 1736. Despite brief intermissions such as these by Safavid Iran's neighboring rivals, the land remained under Iranian rule from the earliest advent of the Safavids up to the course of the 19th century. After the Safavids, the area was ruled by the Iranian Afsharid dynasty . After the death of Nader Shah in 1747, many of his former subjects capitalized on

36839-456: Was 3.4 million at the time. Some 250,000 people from Azerbaijan were killed on the front. More than 130 Azerbaijanis were named heroes of the Soviet Union . Azerbaijani Major-General Azi Aslanov was twice awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union. Following the politics of glasnost initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev , civil unrest and ethnic strife grew in various regions of the Soviet Union, including Nagorno-Karabakh , an autonomous region of

37036-416: Was arrested and charged with treason. In 1995 another coup was attempted against Aliyev, this time by the commander of the Russian OMON special police unit, Rovshan Javadov . The coup was averted, resulting in the death of Javadov and disbanding of Azerbaijan's OMON units. At the same time, the country was tainted by rampant corruption in the governing bureaucracy. In October 1998, Aliyev was re-elected for

37233-431: Was first adopted by the government of Musavat in 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire , when the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established. Until then, the designation had been used exclusively to identify the adjacent region of contemporary northwestern Iran , while the area of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was formerly referred to as Arran and Shirvan . On that basis Iran protested

37430-596: Was found that 79% of the Indian Muslims who were interviewed believe in the existence of God with absolute certainty, 12% believes in the existence of God with less certainty (they are not sure whether God exists or not, can be referred/classified as Agnostics ), and 6% of the Indian Muslims have declared themselves as atheists by stating that they do not believe in any God. Classical documentations divide Indonesian Muslims between "nominal" Muslims, or abangan , whose lifestyles are more oriented toward non-Islamic cultures, and "orthodox" Muslims, or santri , who adhere to

37627-410: Was important for 36%, while 14% prayed and around 14% went to a mosque. Evgenia Ivanova of the New Bulgarian University stated in 2011 that "religion is not of primary importance to Bulgaria's Muslims." The New Bulgarian University conducted a survey of 850 Muslims in Bulgaria, which found that 48.6% described themselves as religious, 28.5% of which were very religious. Approximately 41% never went to

37824-510: Was important for 81%, while 39% prayed, around 53% went to a mosque, 78% gave zakat (alms) and 96% expressed a belief in God and Muhammad. Surveys conducted 1994 and 1996 observed a decrease in religiosity based on lowering mosque participation, less frequent prayer, dropping importance attached to a religious education, etc. This decrease in religiosity was more visible in younger Muslims; however, other more recent studies show that while participation in religious activities among young Muslims

38021-485: Was similarly low (5%). Also in Albania according to one study only 36.8% of the males are circumcised, with the rate being 46.5% for those from Muslim background even though for Muslims in general it is an almost universal Islamic custom . Orthodox observance of the faith is much less widespread among Algerians, and Kabyle people are seen as secular rather than religious. Algerian Berbers tend to be less orthodox in their religious practice and have tended to resist

38218-407: Was suppressed in 667. The power vacuum left by the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate was filled by numerous local dynasties such as the Sallarids , Sajids , and Shaddadids . At the beginning of the 11th century, the territory was gradually seized by the waves of migrating Oghuz Turks from Central Asia, who adopted a Turkoman ethnonym at the time. The first of these Turkic dynasties established

38415-460: Was taken to be around Marmarica , at the Catabathmus Magnus . This was not considered to be a continent. As wider knowledge of geography developed, the shape of the African landmass (and Egypt's "natural" inclusion in that landmass) became apparent. In 1806, William George Browne still titled his travelogue Travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria . Similarly, James Bruce in 1835 published Travels through part of Africa, Syria, Egypt, and Arabia . On

38612-399: Was the Seljuk Empire , which entered the area by 1067. The pre-Turkic population spoke several Indo-European and Caucasian languages, among them Armenian and an Iranian language , Old Azeri , which was gradually replaced by a Turkic language , the early precursor of the Azerbaijani language of today. Some linguists have also stated that the Tati dialects of Iranian Azerbaijan and

38809-410: Was very important in their lives , and only 2% of those interviewed in Kazakhstan , 4% in Albania , 10% in Kosovo , 14% in Bosnia and Herzegovina , 14% in Kyrgyzstan , 16% in Uzbekistan , and 21% in Azerbaijan reported that they perform all five prayers a day . Approximately 71% of those who were interviewed in Uzbekistan, 64% in Azerbaijan, 54% in Tajikistan, and 50% in Kyrgyzstan never went to

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