Posted May 14, 200718 yr Seeing as Azerbaijan are set to enter next year's competition, here's a thread introducing you to Eurovision's newest country :funky: Azerbaijan http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/50/Europe_location_AZN2.png/250px-Europe_location_AZN2.png Capital (and largest city): Baku Official languages: Azerbaijani Government: Republic - President Ilham Aliyev - Prime Minister Artur Rasizade Independence from the Soviet Union - Declared August 30, 1991 - Completed December 25, 1991 Area - Total 86,600 km² (114th) 33,436 sq mi - Water (%) negligible Population - 2005 estimate 8,411,000 (90th) - 1999 census 7,953,438 - Density 97/km² (100th, 251/sq mile) GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate - Total $38.71 billion (88th) - Per capita $4,601 (106th) HDI (2003) 0.729 (medium) (101st) Currency: Manat Time zone: (UTC+4) - Summer (DST) (UTC+5) Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azerbaycan), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azerbaycan Respublikası), is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (an exclave of Azerbaijan) borders Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest. The Nagorno-Karabakh region in the southwest of Azerbaijan was occupied by Armenia in 1991. Azerbaijan is a secular state, and has been a member of the Council of Europe since 2001, and a Commonwealth of Independent States's member since 1991. The Azerbaijani people (or simply Azeris) are the majority population, most of whom (about 70%) are traditionally adherents of Shi'a Islam. The remaining Muslims are Sunni. Other religions include Russian Orthodoxy (2.5%), Armenian Apostolic (2.3%), other (6%). The country is formally an emerging democracy, but with strong authoritarian rule. Azerbaijan has population of 8.4 million, 90.6% of whom are ethnic Azerbaijani (also called Azeris). The second largest ethnic group are Russians, who now form roughly 1.8% of the population, most having emigrated since independence. Numerous Dagestani peoples live around the border with Dagestan. The main peoples are the Lezgis, Avars and the Tsakhurs. Smaller groups include the Budukh, Udins, Kryts and Khinalug or Ketsh around the village of Xinalıq. Azerbaijan also contains numerous smaller groups, such as Georgians, Kurds, Talysh, Tatars and Ukrainians. (DIASPORA VOTES :angry::angry:) Some people argue that the number of Talysh is greater than officially recorded, as many of them are counted as Azerbaijanis. Around the town of Quba in the north live Mountain Jews, who are also to be found in Dagestan. Many Jews have emigrated to Israel in recent years, though this trend has slowed and even reversed more recently. The country’s large Armenian population mostly emigrated to Armenia and to other countries with the beginning of the Armenian-Azeri conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. During the same period, Azerbaijan also received a large influx of Azerbaijanis fleeing Armenia and later Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent provinces occupied by the Armenians. Virtually all of Azerbaijan’s Armenians now live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region. (Will we see votes for Armenia? :o) Azerbaijan is 93.4% Muslim and most Azerbaijanis are Twelver Shia Muslim. They represent over 75% of the Muslim population. Other religions or beliefs that are followed by many in the country are Sunni Islam, the Armenian Apostolic Church (in Nagorno-Karabakh), the Russian Orthodox Church, and various other Christian and Muslim sects. Mountain Jews in Quba, as well as several thousand Ashkenazim Jews in Baku, follow Judaism. Adherence to religious dogmas is nominal for the majority of the population and attitudes are secular. Traditionally, villages around Baku and the Lenkoran region are considered stronghold of Shi‘ism, and in some northern regions populated by Sunni Dagestani people, the Salafi sect has gained a following. Folk Islam is widely practiced, but an organized Sufi movement is absent. The official language of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani, a member of the Oghuz subdivision of the Turkic language family, and is spoken by around 95% of the republic’s population, as well as about a quarter of the population of Iran. Its closest relatives in language are Turkish, Turkmen and Gagauzian. As a result of the language policy of the Soviet Union, Russian is also commonly spoken as a second language among the urbane. A bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics has been placed by Azerbaijan, with Baku as the host city. The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences, including its Turkic, Persian, Islamic, and Central Asian heritage as well as Russian influences due to its former status as a Soviet republic. Today, Western influences, including globalized consumer culture, are strong. Music of Azerbaijan includes various arrays of styles that reflects influences from the musics of the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Iran. Azerbaijan also has a lot in common with Armenian and Persian music. (Looks like we'll be seeing entries similar to Hayko and Andre then :funky:) The most famous contemporary Azeri musicians are perhaps jazz singer Aziza Mustafa Zadeh and her father, Vagif Mustafa Zadeh, who are quite popular internationally in jazz circles. Popular music singers Rashid Behbudov Muslim Magomayev Lutfiyar Imanov Brilliant Dadashova Adalat Shukurov Sevda Alekperzadeh Reckon we'll see any of them next year? :lol:
May 14, 200718 yr Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Armenia wasa push, I let Georgia off because I liked their song, but really, AZERBAIJAN?! -_- Btw, totally off topic but someone on ESC Today said they emailed the BBC ages ago and they told them the percentages on MYMU were Scooch 53%/Cyndi 47%. :arrr: Doesn't that make you even more pissed off? -_-
May 14, 200718 yr Author Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Armenia wasa push, I let Georgia off because I liked their song, but really, AZERBAIJAN?! -_- Btw, totally off topic but someone on ESC Today said they emailed the BBC ages ago and they told them the percentages on MYMU were Scooch 53%/Cyndi 47%. :arrr: Doesn't that make you even more pissed off? -_- What's wrong with Azerbaijan? :cry: And that makes my blood BOIL :manson:
May 14, 200718 yr What's wrong with Azerbaijan? :cry: And that makes my blood BOIL :manson: Non-European countries will take over! At least Georgia and Armenia sound vaguely European. Grrrrr if we'd sent Cyndi we'd've been sitting pretty in the top ten for sure. :( I actually think the BBC will pull their weight though next year and send someone good. They seemed to have a huge build-up this year, and emphasised tha Morrissey wouldn't be involved in it this year and then sent a lacklustre list to MYMU.
May 14, 200718 yr Author Non-European countries will take over! At least Georgia and Armenia sound vaguely European. Grrrrr if we'd sent Cyndi we'd've been sitting pretty in the top ten for sure. :( I actually think the BBC will pull their weight though next year and send someone good. They seemed to have a huge build-up this year, and emphasised tha Morrissey wouldn't be involved in it this year and then sent a lacklustre list to MYMU. TBH I think it's time ITV took over, they'd actually make an EFFORT and use money to get big acts, rather than the BBC which puts aside a meagre amount of money and hires Jack Barrowman and all these crap choices <_< ITV might get the Scissor Sisters or someone to do it for us! :cheer: As long as they get Wogan and don't show too many ad breaks I'm happy :D
May 14, 200718 yr Wogan = evil :lol: he's the one who perpetuates this whole political votes nonsense, and the fact he's being doing it a long time makes the whole public follow him like sheep. I don't think ITV will do it, I imagine the BBC will try their damnest to hold onto it due to the huge ratings it pulls in.
May 14, 200718 yr Author Wogan = evil :lol: he's the one who perpetuates this whole political votes nonsense, and the fact he's being doing it a long time makes the whole public follow him like sheep. I don't think ITV will do it, I imagine the BBC will try their damnest to hold onto it due to the huge ratings it pulls in. I wish he'd stop the whole political voting nonsense TBH, if it weren't for that he'd be the perfect presenter :( ITV should do it :cry: Either that or BBC shape up and stop sending Britain's biggest rejects, mark my words, we'll probably have Lisa Scott-Lee next year -_-
May 14, 200718 yr I'm really glad that Georgia entered because I LOVED their song and it was my favourite of the night! :D Looking forward to seeing what the Azerbaijan music will be like! :D Edited May 14, 200718 yr by Mowbli
May 14, 200718 yr Author I do have quite a soft spot for Georgia's entry, it must be said :wub: And I reckon any Azerbaijani entries will be similar in style to Armenia's entries thus far ^_^
May 14, 200718 yr I agree, Georgia's was a very nice entry, well presented also. Looking forwad to Azerbaijan!
May 14, 200718 yr I agree, Georgia's was a very nice entry, well presented also. Looking forwad to Azerbaijan! Yup, the song reminded me very much of a Bjork style track! :D
May 16, 200718 yr It's really silly that they are allowing non European countries in- it's called the EUROvision song contest, not the WORLDovision Contest!
May 16, 200718 yr Author It's really silly that they are allowing non European countries in- it's called the EUROvision song contest, not the WORLDovision Contest! Well, Azerbaijan is technically in Europe - it's on the boundary really, I suppose it might more accurately said that it's in Eurasia, it's about as European as Cyprus I suppose. Anyway, Azerbaijan is an active member of the EBU (i.e. they consider it to be European and eligible to enter), and it does take part in European football qualification (along with Israel, Armenia, Cyprus and Georgia :lol:) so for all purposes Azerbaijan is European ^_^
May 16, 200718 yr So it is in europe? question is cyprus in europe? turkey isn't? nor israel? what about malta?
May 16, 200718 yr Cyprus, Malta and part of Turkey is in Europe. Israel officially isn't in Europe, but as Boyan and others have said, they are all active EBU members. :funky:
May 23, 200718 yr azeris are real kafkas nation but armenians are originally come from arabian half island.Is it just the religion?Of course next year you wont hear a song like scooch from azeris so you may not find azeris european:)))Also you look geographically but we see ourselves in europe cos we are still in balkans we are still in greece bulgaria macedonia albania Crimea and those lands are our motherland.We are not totally fired!!!Fresh and dried our blood is still there.Tyron 1 millet 2 devlet dostum!!!
May 23, 200718 yr Author azeris are real kafkas nation but armenians are originally come from arabian half island.Is it just the religion?Of course next year you wont hear a song like scooch from azeris so you may not find azeris european:)))Also you look geographically but we see ourselves in europe cos we are still in balkans we are still in greece bulgaria macedonia albania Crimea and those lands are our motherland.We are not totally fired!!!Fresh and dried our blood is still there.Tyron 1 millet 2 devlet dostum!!! What is "Tyron 1 millet 2 devlet dostum"? :unsure:
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