Azerbaijan is celebrating its independence today. It is located at the Caspian Sea between Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran. It has been known for its oil and gas resources since ancient times. Azerbaijan has been fought over by Russia, Persia (Iran), and the Ottoman Empire for several centuries. Eventually it ended up being part of the Russian Empire and gained a very short lived independence (1918-22) during the initial years of the Soviet Union. Finally on August 30, 1991 Azerbaijan became independent as the Soviet Union collapsed.
Azerbaijan is slightly smaller than Maine or larger than Austria. It has a population of 8 million. The capital is Baku. The vast majority speaks the official language Azerbaijani. The country has serious territorial disputes with its neighbor Armenia, especially concerning Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan was once a major stopover on the Great Silk Route, and has long traditions as a carpet making center. Thanks to its ancient history the country has many interesting sites and monuments; medieval minarets and mosques, fortresses, palaces, and also famous carpets. Because of the thriving oil business, Baku is quickly becoming a boomtown.