The country of Azerbaijan sits at the
crossroads between central Asia, Europe,
and the Middle East. The capital is
Baku.
Azerbaijan is bordered by Russia, Georgia,
Armenia, and Iran. The Caspian Sea
lies to the east. A part of Armenia separates
the Azerbaijani republic of
Nakhichevan from the rest of Azerbaijan.
The Caucasus Mountains run through
northern and southern Azerbaijan. The
central area is a large plain crossed by
the Kura River. Most of Azerbaijan is
dry, with hot summers and mild winters.
The region has many earthquakes.
Most of the countrys people are Azerbaijani,
though there are a few Russians,
Armenians, and other minority groups.
Most people speak Azerbaijani, a Turkic
language. More than 90 percent are
Muslims. However, the people of the
Nagorno-Karabakh region (an area also
claimed by Armenia) are mostly Eastern
Orthodox Christians. About half of the
people live in cities.
Azerbaijans economy is based on its
natural resources and agriculture. Its
major resources are petroleum (oil) and
natural gas. Crops include grains, vegetables,
fruit, sugar beets, cotton,
tobacco, and tea. Sheep, goats, and
cattle provide wool and meat. Manufacturers
make mainly food and petroleum
products.
Azerbaijans written history is more than
2,000 years old. At various times Arabs,
Persians, Turks, and Mongols dominated
the land. Russia took over Azerbaijan in
the early 1800s. In 1918 Azerbaijan
declared its independence. In 1920,
however, the new Soviet Union invaded
Azerbaijan. At first the Soviets combined
Azerbaijan with Georgia and Armenia.
In 1936 Azerbaijan became a separate
Soviet republic.With the breakup of the
Soviet Union, Azerbaijan gained independence
again in 1991.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries
Azerbaijan fought with Armenia over
control of the Nagorno-Karabakh
region. Armenia seized control of some
Azerbaijani land.
..More to explore
Baku Caspian Sea Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics
Facts About
AZERBAIJAN
Population
(2008 estimate)
8,178,000
Area
33,400 sq mi
(86,600 sq km)
Capital
Baku
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Baku, Ganca,
Sumqayit (Sumgait),
Mingacevir
(Mingechaur), Ali
Bayramli
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Azerbaijan 239
Aztec
In the 1400s and early 1500s the Aztec
people controlled a large empire in the
area that is now central and southern
Mexico. At its most powerful, the Aztec
Empire spread over 80,000 square miles
(207,000 square kilometers). Montezuma
II, the last great Aztec emperor,
ruled over 5 to 6 million people.
How the Aztec Lived
The capital city of the Aztec was
Tenochtitlan. It was built on land that
today is part of Mexico City. Tenochtitlan
reflected the power and wealth of
the empire. It had gleaming white palaces
and temples on top of pyramids.
City officials lived in houses made from
stone and adobe, or sun-dried clay.
Farmers lived in huts made of woven
rods and twigs covered with clay.
Most Aztec were farmers. They grew
corn, beans, peppers, squash, tomatoes,
tobacco, and cotton. Other Aztec were
traders and craftsmen.
The Aztec spoke a language called
Nahua. They had no alphabet of their
own, but they used picture writing to
record their history.
Religion was very important to the
Aztec. They worshipped several gods
who represented the forces of nature,
such as rain or sun. The god of war was
important, too.
The Aztec often used human sacrifice to
get help from the gods. This practice
involved killing a person to honor a god.
The Aztec believed that because life was
humankinds most precious possession,
it was the best gift for the gods. They
sacrificed thousands of prisoners captured
in war.
History
The Aztec probably moved into central
Mexico from the north in about AD
1200. There they took on parts of the
cultures of earlier peoples, including the
Toltec, the Maya, and the Zapotec. They
founded Tenochtitlan in about 1325.
They conquered neighboring peoples to
build up their empire.
The Aztec were at the height of their
power when Hernan Cortes and his
Spanish soldiers arrived in 1519. The
Spanish put the emperor Montezuma II
in prison, where he died. In 1521 the
Spanish took control of Tenochtitlan,
ending the Aztec Empire. Many of the
Indians living in the Mexico City region
today are descendants of the Aztec.
#More to explore
Cortes, Hernan Maya Mexico
Mexico City Toltec
An Aztec drawing shows Aztec and Spanish
soldiers just before a battle. The Spanish
are in a building.
240 Aztec BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
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eBook edition January, 2010
Johann Sebastian Bachs music
did not become popular until
about 50 years after his death.
(See Bach, Johann Sebastian.)
Some kinds of bamboo can
grow as much as 1 foot (0.3
meter) per day.
(See Bamboo.)
Boats were once made of wood
or other natural substances.
Today they are often made of
metal, fiberglass, or plastic.
(See Boat.)
Bonobos, a type of ape, live
only in the rain forests of the
Democratic Republic of the
Congo.
(See Bonobo.)
People have been making
bronze, a mixture of copper
and tin, for more than 5,000
years.
(See Bronze.)
Bb
Bach, Johann
Sebastian
German musician Johann Sebastian
Bach is considered one of the worlds
greatest composers of music. He was
also a gifted player of the organ and the
harpsichord (another keyboard instrument).
Bach created hundreds of musical compositions,
including works for choir,
orchestra, and individual instruments,
especially the organ. Among his many
masterpieces are the six Brandenburg
concertos, which have parts for both an
orchestra and solo instruments. Bach
composed many works for Lutheran
church services. He also wrote longer
sacred pieces, such as the Mass in B
Minor (1749), for choir, soloists, and
orchestra.
Early Life
Bach was born on March 21, 1685, in
Eisenach (now in central Germany). His
eldest brother, who was an organist,
probably gave him his first keyboard
lessons. Bach attended school in Luneburg,
where he sang in a boys choir. By
the time he left, he was a skilled organist
and composer.
Career
Bach worked as a musician and composer
in churches and in the service of