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Talysh

Talysh

Talysh (also Talishi, Taleshi or Talyshi) are an Iranian people who speak one of the Northwestern Iranian languages. Talysh is spoken in the northern regions of the Iranian provinces of Gilan and Ardabil and the southern parts of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Northern Talysh (the part in the Republic of Azerbaijan) was historically known as Talish-i Gushtasbi. Talysh has 2 major mutually intelligible dialects — Northern (in Azerbaijan and Iran), and Southern (in Iran), regarded by some linguists as separate languages. There are no statistical data on the numbers of Talysh-speakers, but estimates show their number to be a half million in Iran and one million in the Republic of Azerbaijan, bringing the total number of Talysh-speakers close to 1.5 million people.

External links

- [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tly Ethnologue report for Talysh] Category:Iranian languages Category:Iranian peoples

Iranian languages

:The main language of Iran is not called Iranian, but rather Persian (also called Farsi). This article deals with the Iranian language group. The Iranian languages are a part of the Indo-European language family with estimated 150-200 million native speakers. The Iranian language group is part of the generally agreed-upon superstock of the Indo-Iranian language subfamily and accounts for some of the oldest-recorded Indo-European languages, and as Gathic Avestan and Vedic Sanskrit, along with Greek and Hittite, are the first languages to be written. The Indo-Iranian languages probably originated in Central Asia; the Andronovo culture is the near-universally preferred candidate for the common Indo-Iranian culture ca. 2000 BC. The superstock made at least a three-way split, into the Iranian, Indo-Aryan (Indic), possibly the Dardic group, and probably the Nuristani languages as the speakers of Proto-Indo-Iranian moved south and south-east.

Early history

With the invention of the chariot about 2000 BC, the Indo-Iranian people greatly expanded. Iranian languages grew to dominate the entire steppe, with occasional deep intrusions into central and western Europe. The Scythians are particularly well known, as are the Sarmatians, and classical era descriptions of them survive.

The Persians

The imperial period of the Iranian languages is that of the Persian Empire, particularly the Achaemenid dynasty. In later times, the Parthians and their successors, the Sassanids, created their own empires.

Iranian Languages after the Arab Conquest of Persia

Ibn al-Nadim, in his book Al-fehrest (), mentions that all the Median and Persian lands of antiquity (including what is today known as Azerbaijan) spoke one language. In the book, which is the most accredited account of spoken languages of Iran during the early Islamic era, he quotes the great scholar Abdullah Ibn al-Muqaffa: :The Iranian languages are Fahlavi (Pahlavi), Dari, Khuzi, Persian, and Seryani. But Fahlavi comes from the word Fahleh. And Fahleh is a name that refers to five regions: Isfahan, Ray, Hamedan, Mah-Nahavand, and Azerbaijan. He then adds that Dari is the official language of the royal courts and the language of Khorasan and Balkh and eastern Iran; Parsi is the language of the Moobeds of Fars; Khuzi is the unofficial language of the royalty and comes from Khuzestan; and Seryani originates in Mesopotamia. This has also been verified and reported by such respected medieval historians as Tabari, Ibn Hawqal, Istakhri, Moqaddasi, Yaghubi, Masudi, and Mostowfi Qazvini. Al-Khwarizmi mentions it in chapter 6, vol. 6, of his book Mafatih al-‘Ulum ().

Iranian languages and the question of Azeri

Etymological studies verify that current dialects spoken from Baku to Khalkhal to Semnan all originated from a common source. In other words, the people of Azerbaijan spoke the same language spoken by the Medes. (See UCLA's distinguished professor Ehsan Yarshater's report in: Majaleh-ye Dâneshkadeh-ye Adabiyât, “مجله دانشكده ادبيات”, year 5, No. 1-2, p 35–37.) Researcher Ahmad Kasravi Tabrizi also mentions that the medieval historian Yaqut al-Hamawi used the phrase Al-Ajam ol-Azariyah ("The Azeri Iranian") in his books Mo'ajjem ol-Odabaa and Mo'jem ol Baladaan. In other sources such as Surat al-Ard (صورة الأرض) by Ibn Hawqal, Ahsan al-Taqasim by Moqaddasi, and Al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik by Istakhri, the people of Azerbaijan are recorded to be speaking Iranian languages. Obviously, this was of before the Turkic cultural arrival. And Tabari in 235 A.H. also mentions that poets in Maragheh recited Pahlavi poetry. Some Azerbaijani poets however, such as Qatran Tabrizi (d465 A.H.), used the word "Persian" and "Pahlavi" interchangeably to describe their native language. The historian Hamdollah Mostowfi even goes as far as describing variants of "Pahlavi" spoken in different areas of Azerbaijan (then part of Greater Persia). In his book Tarikh Gozideh, he describes eight poets from Azerbaijan, calling them "Ahl-ol She'r Men-al-Ajam" (Iranian poets), all Persian by tongue. By now, of course, Dari and Pahlavi had merged into one, as successive dynasties moved from east to west. Suffice it to say that the number of records and documents from Azerbaijan in the Pahlavi language are so numerous that it has left no doubt that this was indeed the native tongue of Azerbaijan before the arrival of the Turks. Many words in the current Azeri vocabulary in fact are of Pahlavi origin. (See studies in Nashriyeh Adabiyaat of Tabriz University, by Dr. Mahyar Navabi, year 5 and 6. Also see Farhang e Kamaleddin Teflisi, Ajayeb ol-Makhluqat by Najibeddin Hamadani, and also the books: Majmal-ol-Tavarikh, Al-qasas, Iskandar-Nameh e Qadeem, and others for lists of words.) It is agreed that the current Turkic form of the Azeri language supplanted and replaced Pahlavi in Azerbaijan before the Safavid dynasty, perhaps starting with the arrival of Seljukian Turks, and during a gradual course. But some historians report Pahlavi being spoken in Tabriz as late as the 17th century. (See Rowdhat ul-Jinan by Hafez Hosein Tabrizi [d997 A.H.], and Risaleh ye Anarjani written in 985 AH). Even the Ottoman Turkish explorer Evliya Çelebi (1611–1682) mentions this in his Seyahatname. He also reports that the elite and learned people of Nakhichevan and Maragheh spoke Pahlavi, during his tours of the region.

Classification of the Iranian Languages

I. Eastern Iranian

A. Northeastern # Avestan
- # Chorasmian
- (Khwarezmian) # Bactrian
- # Sogdian
- (dialects: Christian, Buddhist, Manichaean), Yaghnobi # Scythian
- , Sarmatian
- , Alanian
- , Ossetian (dialects: Iron, Digor), Jassic
- B. Southeastern # Munji, Sanglechi, Ishkashimi, Zebaki, Sarikoli, Shughni, Rushani, Yazgulyam, Wakhi, Yidgha # Saka
- (dialects: Khotanese and Tumshuqese), Pashto, Waneci,

II. Western Iranian

A. Northwestern # Ormuri, Parachi # Northwestern: , , , , , ; Western: , , (Khwanshari), , ; North-Central: , , , , , , , , , , , , (Yarani), (Sohi), , , , , , ; Southern: , , , , , , , , , , ; Eastern: Dari (Yazdi), , (Na’ini), , , , , , , ; ; , , , # Kurdish (Dialects: Kurdi, Kurmanji, Kermanshahi) # # Zaza-Gorani (dialects: Gorani, Bajelan, Kirmanjki (Northern Zaza), Dimli (Southern Zaza) # Parthian
- , Semnani, Sangisari # Median
- # Gilaki, Mazanderani, Shahmirzadi # Balochi, # Talysh, , Harzani # Khalaj B. Southwestern (Persid languages) # Old Persian
- , Middle Persian
- , also called Pahlavi (dialects: Manichaean Pahlavi), Persian (dialects: , Dari, Tajik, Hazaragi, Dzhidi (Judeo-Persian), , Judeo-Bukharic # Judeo-Tat, Muslim Tat # , Lari (Larestani), Bashkardi # Luri, Bakhtiari, Feyli, Kumzari

III. Unclassified # Tangshewi (
- indicates extinct languages)

External link

- [http://www.krysstal.com/borrow_farsi.html English words borrowed from Persian]
- [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=946 Iranian languages]
- [http://www.iranologie.com/history/ilf.html Iranian Language Family]
- [http://www.azargoshnasp.net/~iran/languages/Azari/26.pdf Kasravi's research on Azari language] (in Persian)
- Category:Iranian peoples

Iran

Iran (Persian: ايران) is a Middle Eastern country located in Southwest Asia bordering Armenia, Azerbaijan including its Nakhichevan exclave and Turkmenistan to the north, Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east, Turkey and Iraq to the west. Until 1935 the country was referred to in the West as Persia. In 1959, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi announced that both terms could be used. In 1979, the Iranian revolution established a theocratic Islamic Republic, changing the country's official name to the Islamic Republic of Iran (جمهوری اسلامی ايران). Dispute exists as to the country's current official name.

History

Sometime around 1500 to 1000 BC, the Iranian nomads of Indo-European stock emigrated to the Iranian plateau possibly from Central Asia. In 8th century BC, the first Iranian government was established under the Median dynasty and under the following dynasty, the Achaemenids, Iranians built the first world empire. Their empire emerged in the 6th century BC under Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, who called himself "King of Iran and beyond". Indeed, the name Persia is derived from Persis, the ancient Greek name for the empire. The Achaemenid dynasty was followed by the Parthian and Sassanid dynasties as Persia's greatest pre-Islamic empires. Alexander the Great first conquered Persia in 331 BC, followed by Islam's Arab forces in the 7th century, and Genghis Khan, and lastly, Tamerlane who conquered a significant portion of Persia in the middle ages. middle ages The 9th century saw the rise of the Saffarids and then other lines of kings or shahs. During the 19th century Persia came under increasing pressure from both Russia and the United Kingdom, leading to a process of modernization that continued into the 20th century. By the 20th century Iranians were longing for a change and thus followed the Persian Constitutional Revolution of 1905/1911. In 1953 Iran's elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, was removed from power in a complex plot orchestrated by British and US intelligence agencies (dubbed "Operation Ajax"). Many scholars suspect that this ouster was motivated by British-US opposition to Mosaddeq's attempt to nationalize Iran's oil. Following Mosaddeq's fall, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Iran's monarch) grew increasingly dictatorial. With strong support from the USA and the UK, the Shah further modernized Iranian industry but crushed civil liberties. His autocratic rule, including systematic torture and other human rights violations, led to the Iranian revolution and overthrow of his regime in 1979. After more than a year of political struggle between a variety of different groups, an Islamic republic was established under the Ayatollah Khomeini by a revolution. The new theocratic political system instituted some conservative Islamic reforms and engaged in an anti-Western course. In particular Iran distanced itself from the United States due to the American involvement in the 1953 coup, which supplanted an elected government with the Shah's repressive regime. It also declared its refusal to recognize the existence of Israel as a state. The new government inspired various groups considered by a large part of the Western World to be fundamentalist. As a consequence some countries, currently led by the USA, consider Iran to be a hostile power. In 1980 Iran was attacked by neighbouring Iraq and the destructive Iran-Iraq War continued until 1988. The struggle between reformists and conservatives over the future of the country continues today through electoral politics and was a central Western focus in the 2005 Elections where Conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad triumphed.

Politics

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iran is a constitutional Islamic Republic, whose political system is laid out in the 1979 constitution. Iran's makeup has several intricately connected governing bodies, some of which are democratically elected and some of which are appointed by religious leaders. The concept of velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist) plays an influential role in the governmental structure. The Supreme Leader of Iran is responsible for the delineation and supervision of "the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran." In the absence of a single leader, a council of religious leaders is appointed. The Supreme Leader is commander-in-chief of the armed forces; he alone can declare war. He has the power to appoint and dismiss the leaders of the judiciary, the state radio and television networks, and the supreme commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also appoints six of the twelve members of the Council of Guardians. He, or the council of religious leaders, are elected by the Assembly of Experts, on the basis of their qualifications and the high popular esteem in which they are held. Twelve jurists comprise the Council of Guardians, six of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader. The head of the judiciary recommends the remaining six, which are officially appointed by Parliament. The Council of Guardians is vested with the authority to interpret the constitution and determines if the laws passed by Parliament are in line with sharia (Islamic law) and the Iranian constitution; if a law passed by Parliament is deemed incompatible, it is referred back to Parliament for revision. After the office of Leadership, the President of Iran is the highest official in the country. His is responsibile for implementing the Constitution and acting as the head of the executive, except in matters directly concerned with the Leadership. All presidential candidates must be approved by the Council of Guardians prior to running, and are elected to a 4-year term. After his election, the president appoints and supervises the 21-member Council of Ministers (who must then be confirmed by Parliament), coordinates government decisions, and selects government policies to be placed before the parliament. Eight vice presidents serve under the president. The unicameral Iranian parliament consists of 290 members elected to a 4-year term (approved by the Council of Guardians before running). It drafts legislation, ratifies international treaties, and approves the country's budget. All legislation from the assembly must be reviewed by the Council of Guardians. The Assembly of Experts, which meets for one week every year, consists of 86 "virtuous and learned" clerics elected by the public to eight-year terms. Like presidential and parliamentary elections, the Council of Guardians determines eligibility to run for a seat in this assembly. The head of the judiciary is appointed by the Supreme Leader, who in turn appoints the head of the Supreme Court and the chief public prosecutor. Public courts deal with civil and criminal cases. "Revolutionary" courts try certain categories of offenses, including crimes considered against national security or the republic and narcotics smuggling. Decisions rendered in these courts are final and cannot be appealed. The Special Clerical Court, which functions independently of the regular judicial framework and is accountable only to the Supreme Leader, handles crimes allegedly committed by clerics, although it has also taken on cases involving lay people.

Administrative divisions

Provinces

Iran consists of 30 provinces: Provinces are governed from a local center, mostly the largest local city. Provincial authority is headed by a governor (استاندار: ostāndār), who is installed by the Minister of Interior subject to approval of the cabinet. Until 2004 there were 28 provinces. A law passed that year split the province of Khorasan into three new provinces: North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and South Khorasan.

Major cities

Iran's top four largest cities are: Image:Meydoon sadeghiyeh.jpg|Tehran: 8,601,473 (2005 pop.) Image:Nadershahtomb.jpg|Mashad: 2,307,177 (2005 pop.) Image:IMG 0414 resize.jpg|Isfahan: 1,547,164 (2005 pop.) Image:Poets tomb tabriz.jpg|Tabriz: 1,424,641 (2005 pop.) See also: List of cities in Iran.

Geography

List of cities in Iran Iran borders Azerbaijan (length of border: 432 km / 268 mi ) and Armenia (35 km / 22mi) to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan (992 km / 616 mi) to the northeast, Pakistan (909 km / 565 mi) and Afghanistan (936 km / 582 mi) to the east, Turkey (499 km / 310 mi) and Iraq (1,458 km / 906 mi) to the west, and finally the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south. Iran's total land mass is 1,648,000 km² / ≈636,300 mi² (Land: 1,636,000 km² / ≈631,663 mi², Water: 12,000 km² / ≈4,633 mi²). Iran's landscape is dominated by rugged mountain ranges that separate various basins or plateaus from one another. The populous western part is the most mountainous, with ranges such as the Zagros and Alborz Mountains, the latter of which also contains Iran's highest point, the Damavand at 5,671 m (18,606 ft). The eastern half consists mostly of uninhabited desert basins with the occasional salt lake. The only large plains are found along the coast of the Caspian Sea and at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, where Iran borders on the mouth of the Arvand river (Shatt al-Arab). Smaller, discontinuous plains are found along the remaining coast of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. The Iranian climate is mostly arid or semiarid, though subtropical along the Caspian coast. Iran is considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity".

Climate

Iran's varied landscape produces several different climates. On the northern edge of the country (the Caspian coastal plain) the temperatures nearly fall below freezing and remain humid for the rest of the year. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 29°C (84°F). Annual precipitation is 680 mm (26 in) in the eastern part of the plain and more than 1700 mm (75 in) in the western side of the plain. At higher elevations to the west, settlements in the Zagros mountains basins experience lower temperatures. These areas have severe winters, with average daily temperatures below freezing and have heavy snowfall. The eastern and central basins are arid. They get less than 200 mm (8 in) of rain and have occasional desert. The average summer temperatures exceed 38°C (100°F). The coastal plains of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman in southern Iran have mild winters and experience very humid and hot summers. The Annual precipitation ranges from 135 mm to 355 mm (6 to 14 in).

Economy

Gulf of Oman Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures. The current administration has continued to follow the market reform plans of the previous one and has indicated that it will pursue diversification of Iran's oil-reliant economy. Iran is attempting to diversify by investing revenues in other areas, including petrochemicals. Iran is also hoping to attract billions of dollars worth of foreign investment by creating a more favorable investment climate (i.e., reduced restrictions and duties on imports, creation of free-trade zones). Iran is OPEC's second largest oil producer and holds 10% of the world's proven oil reserves. It also has the world's second largest natural gas reserves (after Russia). The strong oil market in 1996 helped ease financial pressures on Iran and allowed for Tehran's timely debt service payments. Iran's financial situation tightened in 1997 because of lower oil prices. The subsequent rise in oil prices in 1999/2000 afforded Iran fiscal breathing room. Iranian budget deficits have been a chronic problem, in part due to large-scale state subsidies–totaling some $7.25 billion per year–including foodstuffs and especially gasoline. gasoline district.]] On March 20, 2006, Iran plans to participate in a new International Oil Bourse, trading oil priced as Petroeuros, rather than Petrodollars, as oil is traded in all other markets (as of 2005). This attempt to rebalance trading relationships in the world economy may trigger a series of far reaching consequences. A few observers, especially among peak oil production theorists who believe that an oil crisis is imminent, argue that there is a potential for a resource war with the United States of America over the flow of both dollars and oil. Others, including military leaders and peak oil theorists who believe that a crisis is further off, argue that the results of war game scenarios cast doubt on the argument that a war is the most likely result of the Oil Bourse. The services sector has seen the greatest long-term growth in terms of its share of GDP, but the sector remains volatile. State investment has boosted agriculture, however, with the liberalization of production and the improvement of packaging and marketing helping to develop new export markets. Large-scale irrigation schemes, together with the wider production of export-based agricultural items such as dates, flowers and pistachios, produced the fastest economic growth of any sector in Iran over much of the 1990s, although successive years of severe drought in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 have held back output growth substantially. Agriculture remains one of the largest employers, accounting for 22% of all jobs according to the 1991 census. According to the U.N. World Drug Report for 2005, Iran has the highest proportion of opiate addicts in the world–2.8 percent of the population over age 15. Only two other countries–Mauritius and Kyrgyzstan–pass the 2 percent mark. With a population of about 70 million and some government agencies putting the number of regular users close to 4 million, Iran has no real competition as world leader in per capita addiction to opiates, including heroin.

Demographics

heroin

Ethnic groups

The majority of Iran's population speak one of the Iranian languages, though only Persian is an official language. While the number, percentage, and definition of the different Iranian peoples is disputed, the major ethnic groups and minorities in Iran include the Persians (51%), Azeris (24%), Gilaki and Mazandarani (8%), Kurds (7%), Arabs (3%), Baluchi (2%), Lurs (2%), Turkmen people (2%), Qashqai, Armenians, Persian Jews, Assyrians and others.

Religion

Assyrians Most Iranians are Muslims; 89% belong to the Shi'a branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 10% belong to the Sunni branch, which predominates in most Muslim countries. Non-Muslim religious minorities include the Bahá'í Faith, Zoroastrians, as well as Jews, Christians, and Mandeans. The latter three are officially recognised minority religions and have reserved seats in the Majlis (Parliament). Iran's population size increased dramatically during the latter half of the 20th century. Iran hosts more than one million foreign refugees, more than any other country on earth.

Culture

earth and guardians of an ancient and sophisticated culture.]] Like all ancient civilizations, culture constitutes the focal point and heart of Iranian civilization. The art, music, architecture, poetry, philosophy, traditions, and ideology of Iran have made it a continuously important nation in the global community. In fact, many Iranians believe their culture to be the one and only reason why their civilization has continuously survived thousands of years of plethoric calamities.

Miscellaneous topics

Notes and references

-
-
- Please note that the numbers are according to the 2004 edition of CIA's The World Factbook. Different claims include higher numbers for Persian-speaking groups and respectively lower numbers for Turkic-speaking groups or vice versa. Some people in the first group claim that the CIA statistics are based on guesses made around 1964, while the CIA claims that their numbers are based on information from January 2004.
-
- Additional references and bibliography can be found in the more detailed articles linked to in this article.

External links

Official Government Links

The following websites belong to the various branches of government, or are directly operated by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
- [http://www.leader.ir Official site of the Supreme Leader], [http://www.wilayah.org/ (Qom office)]
- [http://www.president.ir Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran] - Official website.
- [http://www.irisn.com/ The Council of Guardians], Official website.
- [http://mellat.majlis.ir/ The Majlis], Iran's parliament. [http://www.majlis.ir/ (2)].
- [http://www.iranjudiciary.org/ The Judiciary of The Islamic Republic of Iran]
- [http://www.mfa.gov.ir Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
- [http://www.ershad.gov.ir/ Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance]
- [http://www.mod.ir/ Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces]
- [http://www.freezones.ir/ Secretariat of The High Council of Iran Free Trade Industrial Zones]
- [http://www.iranculture.org Secretariat of The High Council of The Cultural Revolution]
- [http://www.spk-gov.ir/ Official Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran]
- [http://www.aeoi.org.ir/ Islamic Republic of Iran Atomic Energy Organization]
- [http://www.iranmiras.ir/ Islamic Republic of Iran Cultural Heritage Organization]
- [http://www.rcs.ir/en Islamic Republic of Iran Red Crescent Society]
- [http://www.irib.com Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting], official website.
- [http://www.shahid.ir/ Bonyad e Shahid Foundation]
- [http://www.iran-bonyad.com/ Bonyad e Mostazafeen Foundation]

Gilan

Map of Gilan province

Guilan (گیلان in Persian) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran, known during ancient times as part of Hyrcania, with a population of approximately 2 million and an area of 14,700 sq. km. It lies just west of the province of Mazandaran, along the Caspian Sea. The center of the province is the city of Rasht. Other towns in the province include Astara, Astaneh-e Ashrafiyyeh, Rudsar, LangRud, Souma'eh Sara, Talesh, Fuman, Masouleh, and Lahijan. The main harbor port of the province is Bandar-e Anzali (previously Bandar-e Pahlavi).

History

Bandar-e Anzali.]]Bandar-e Anzali era.]]

Ancient history

Archaeological excavations reveal the antiquity of the province to date back to prior to the last Ice Age. In the 6th century BCE, the inhabitants of Guilan (such as the Gill and Daylam tribes) allied with Cyrus the Great and overthrew the Medes. The province then passed from the control of one dynasty to the next.

Modern history

After World War I, Guilan came to be ruled independently of the central government of Tehran and concern arose that the province might permanently separate at some point. Prior to the war, Guilanis had played an important role in the Constitutional Revolution of Iran under the leadership of Mirza Kouchak Khan Jangali. His movement, known as the Jangalis (Foresters Movement), had sent an armed brigade to Tehran which helped depose the Qajar ruler Mohammad Ali Shah. However, the revolution did not progress the way the constitutionalists had strived for, and Iran came to face much internal unrest and foreign intrusions, particularly from the British and Russian Empires. Guilan's contribution to the movement of Mirza Kouchak Khan Jangali, known as the Constitutionalist movement of Guilan (also Jangalis) is glorified in Iranian history and effectively secured Guilan and Mazandaran against foreign invasions. However, in 1920 British forces invaded Bandar-e Anzali, while being pursued by the Bolsheviks. In the midst of this conflict between Britain and Russia, the Jangalis entered into an alliance with the Bolsheviks against the British. This culminated in the establishment of the Soviet Republic of Guilan, which lasted from June 1920 until September 1921. In February 1921 the Soviets withdrew their support for the Jangali government of Guilan, and signed the Soviet-Iranian Friendship Treaty with the central government of Tehran. The Jangalis continued to struggle against the central government for the rest of that year until their final defeat in September when control of Guilan returned to Tehran.

Geography and Climate

Soviet-Iranian Friendship Treaty Guilan has a humid temperate climate with plenty of annual rainfall. The Alborz range provides further diversity to the land in addition to the Caspian coasts. Large parts of the province are mountainous, green and forested. The coastal plain along the Caspian Sea is similar to that of Mazandaran, mainly used for rice paddies. In May 1990 large parts of the province were destroyed by a huge earthquake, in which about 45,000 people died. Abbas Kiarostami made his famous films "Nothing but Life" and "Through the Olive Trees" based upon this event.

People and Culture

The majority of the population speaks Gilaki, a distinct dialect of Persian, as their first language while many children, particularly in the cities, tend to use standard Persian amongst themselves. Gilan's position in between the Tehran-Baku trade route has established the cities of Bandar-e Anzali and Rasht as ranking amongst the most important commercial centers in Iran. As a result, the merchant and middle-classes comprise a significant percentage of the population. The province has an annual average of 2 million tourists, mostly domestic. Although Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists 211 sites of historical and cultural significance in the province, the main tourist attraction in Guilan is the small town of Masouleh in the hills south-east of Rasht. The town is built not dissimilar to the pueblo settlements, with the roof of one house being the courtyard of the next house above. Gilan has a strong culinary tradition, from which several dishes have come to be adopted across Iran. This richness derives in part from the climate, which allows for a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and nuts grown in the province. Seafood is a particularly strong component of Gilani (and Mazandarani) cuisine. Sturgeon, often smoked or served as kabab, and caviar are delicacies along the whole Caspian littoral. Traditional Persian stews such as ghalieh mahi (fish stew) and ghalieh maygu (shrimp stew) are also featured and prepared in a uniquely Gilani fashion. More specific to Gilan are a distinctive walnut-paste and pomegranate-juice sauce, used as a marinade for 'sour' kabab and as the basis of fesenjun, a rich stew of duck, chicken or lamb. Mirza Ghasemi is an aubergine and egg dish with a smoky taste that is often served as a side dish or appetizer. Other such dishes include pickled garlic, olives with walnut paste, and smoked fish. The caviar and smoked fish from the region are, in particular, widely prized and sought after specialities in both domestic and foreign gourmet markets. See also Persian cuisine.

Colleges and Universities

- # Gilan University of Mofid
- # [http://www.gu.ac.ir/ University of Gilan]
- # [http://www.iau-astara.ac.ir/ Islamic Azad University of Astara]
- # Islamic Azad University of Bandar Anzali
- # Islamic Azad University of Rasht
- # [http://www.gums.ac.ir/ Gilan University of Medical Sciences]

External links

- [http://www.gums.ac.ir/guilan%20gallery.htm Picture Gallery of Guilan]
- [http://www.hic.gums.ac.ir/ Guilan University of Medical Sciences Health Information Center]
- [http://www.gilanmiras.ir/ Gilan Cultural Heritage Organization] (An excellent source of info in Persian)
- [http://www.masooleh.ir/ Masouleh Village Official website]
- [http://www.guilantourism.org/ Guilan Province Office of Tourism]
- [http://www.guilan.medu.ir/ Guilan Province Department of Education] (in Persian)
- [http://guilan.net/ Guilan.net A lot Of Pictures About Rasht] Category:Provinces of Iran ja:ギーラーン州

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan) is a country in the Caucasus, at the crossroads of Europe and Southwest Asia, with a coast on the Caspian Sea. It has frontiers with Russia in the north, Georgia in the northwest, Armenia in the west and southeast and southwest, and Iran in the south. The Nakhichevan 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 country’s formal name is the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası). Azerbaijan is a secular state, and has been a member of the Council of Europe since 2001. A majority of the population are Shi'a Muslim and of Western Turkic descent, known as Azerbaijanis, or simply Azeris. The country is formally an emerging democracy, however with strong authoritarian rule.

Etymology

There are several hypotheses regarding the origins of the name "Azerbaijan." The most common theory is that it is derived from "Atropatan." Atropat was the satrap at the time of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty, and gained independence after Alexander the Great destroyed the Achaemenids. The region was known as Media Atropatia or Atropatene at the time. There are also alternative opinions that the term is a slight Turkification of Azarbaijan, in turn an Arabicized version of the original Persian name Azarpayagan, made up of azar+payag+an (azar=fire; payag=base; an=suffix of location); that it traditionally means "the land of eternal flames" or "the land of fire." Some Azeri historians also contend that the name is made up of four Azerbaijani components: az+er+bay+can, which means "the land of the brave Az people" or "an elevated place for the wealthy and exalted." Historically, a large part of the territory of the present-day Azerbaijan Republic has been called Arran, named after Arran, a legendary founder of Caucasian Albania. However, the precise location identified by this name has shifted somewhat over time, currently referring to the lowland Karabakh plains situated between the Kura and Araks rivers. Some opponents of the name Azerbaijan assert that it is anachronistic to use it in a historical context before 1918, because, they say, the term was first introduced by the national intelligentsia in early 20th century and later was endorsed by the Bolsheviks, with intention of claiming the northern province of Persia. To substantiate this claim they state that till early 20th century the population of present-day Azerbaijan had no clear ethnic identification and referred to themselves primarily as "Muslims."

History

Main article: History of Azerbaijan Historically Azerbaijan has been occupied by a variety of peoples, including Armenians, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Greek Empire, and Russians. The first state to emerge in the territory of present-day Republic of Azerbaijan was Mannae in the 9th century BC, lasting until 616 BC when it was overthrown by the Medes. The satrapies of Atropatene and Caucasian Albania were established in the 4th century BC and included the approximate territories of present-day Azerbaijan and southern parts of Dagestan. Islam spread in Azerbaijan following the Arab conquests in the 7th–8th centuries. In the 11th century, the Seljuk Turks became the dominant force in Azerbaijan and laid the ethnic foundation of contemporary Azerbaijanis. In the 13–14th centuries, the country experienced Mongol-Tatar invasions. Azerbaijan was part of the Safavid state in 15th–18th centuries. It also underwent a brief period of feudal fragmentation in the mid-18th to early 19th centuries, and consisted of independent khanates. Following the two wars between the Qajar dynasty of Persia and the Russian Empire, Azerbaijan was acquired by Russia through the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, and the Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828. After the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I, Azerbaijan declared independence and established the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. This first Muslim republic in the world lasted only two years, from 1918 to 1920, before the Soviet Red Army invaded Azerbaijan. Subsequently, Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan re-established its independence upon the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a cease-fire in place since 1994, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the predominantly ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan has lost control of 16% of its territory including Karabakh, and must support some 800,000 refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Azerbaijan Politics of Azerbaijan Politics of Azerbaijan Politics of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan is a presidential republic. The head of state and head of government are separate from the country’s law-making body. The people elect the president for a five-year term of office. The president appoints all cabinet-level government administrators. A fifty-member national assembly makes the country’s laws. The people of Azerbaijan elect the National Assembly. Azerbaijan has universal suffrage above the age of eighteen. After the presidential elections of October 15, 2003, an official release of the Central Election Committee (CEC) gave Isa Gambar – leader of the largest opposition bloc, Bizim Azerbaycan ("Our Azerbaijan") – 14% percent of the electorate and the second place in election. Third came, with 3.6%, Lala Shevket Hajiyeva – leader of the National Unity Movement, the first woman to run in presidential election in Azerbaijan and the whole of the Turkic speaking world. Nevertheless, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, Human Rights Watch and other international organizations, as well as local independent political and NGOs voiced concern about observed vote rigging and a badly flawed counting process. Several independent local and international organizations that had been observing and monitoring the election directly or indirectly declared Isa Gambar winner in the 15 October election. Another view shared by many international organisations is that in reality a second tour of voting should have taken place between the two opposition candidates Isa Gambar and Lala Shevket.
- Human Rights Watch commented on these elections: "Human Rights Watch research found that the government has heavily intervened in the campaigning process in favor of Prime Minister Ilham Aliev, son of current President Heidar Aliev. The government has stacked the Central Election Commission and local election commission with its supporters, and banned local non-governmental organizations from monitoring the vote. As the elections draw nearer, government officials have openly sided with the campaign of Ilham Aliev, constantly obstructing opposition rallies and attempting to limit public participation in opposition events. In some cases, local officials have closed all the roads into town during opposition rallies, or have extended working and school hours—on one occasion, even declaring a Sunday work day—to prevent participation in opposition rallies." (source: [http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/eca/azerbaijan/index.htm HTML format])
- OSCE’s final report (source: [http://www.osce.org/documents/html/pdftohtml/1151_en.pdf.html HTML format] or [http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2003/11/1151_en.pdf PDF format]) Azerbaijan held parliamentary elections on Sunday, 6 November 2005.

Subdivisions

Main article: Subdivisions of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan is divided into:
- 59 raions (rayonlar; rayon – singular),
- 11 cities (şəhərlər; şəhər – singular),
- 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika);

Geography

autonomous republic Main article: Geography of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan has an arid climate, except in the southeast near Gilan. Temperatures vary by season. In the southeast lowland, temperatures average 6°C (43°F) in the winter and 26°C (80°F) in the summer — though daily maxima typically reach 32°C (89°F). In the northern and western mountain ranges, temperatures average 12°C (55°F) in the summer and –9°C (20°F) in the winter. Annual rainfall over most of the country varies from 200 to 400 mm (8 to 16 inches) and is generally lowest in the northeast. In the far southeast, however, the climate is much moister and annual rainfall can be as high as 1300 mm (51 inches). For most of the country, the wettest periods are in spring and autumn, with summers being the driest.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Azerbaijan The economy is largely based on industry. Industries include machine manufacture, petroleum and other mining, petroleum refining, textile production, and chemical processing. Agriculture accounts for one-third of Azerbaijan’s economy. Most of the nation’s farms are irrigated. In the lowlands, farmers grow such crops as cotton, fruit, grain, tea, tobacco, and many types of vegetables. Silkworms are raised for the production of natural silk for the clothing industry. Azerbaijan’s herders raise cattle, domestic sheep and goats near the mountain ranges. Seafood and fish are caught in the nearby Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan has a highly dynamic economy, mainly because of oil, and has a GDP growth rate of up to 11% a year.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan has population of roughly 7,911,974 (July 2005 est), 90.6% of whom are ethnic Azerbaijani, (also called Azeris; 1999 census figures). Azeris also form about 24% of the population of Iran, predominating in the northern regions of the country. Most of Armenia’s Azeri minority have left since independence and the Nagorno-Karabakh war. The second largest ethnic group are Russians, who now form roughly 1.8% of the population, most having emigrated since independence. The Talysh, an Iranian people, predominate in the southernmost regions of the country around the Talysh mountains and across the border into Iran. Some people argue that the number of Talysh is greater than officially recorded, as many of them are counted as Azerbaijanis. Numerous 'Dagestani' peoples live around the border with Dagestan. The main peoples are the Lezgis, Avar and the Tsakhur. Smaller groups include the Budukh, Udi, Kryts and Khinalug/Ketsh around the village of Xinaliq. Around the town of Quba in the north live the Tats, also known as the Mountain Jews, who are also to be found in Dagestan. Many Tats have emigrated to Israel in recent years, though this trend has slowed and even reversed more recently. The country’s large Armenian population mostly fled 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. Almost all of Azerbaijan’s Armenians now live in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan also contains numerous smaller groups, such as Kurds, Georgians, Tatars and Ukrainians. Most Azerbaijanis, or Azeris, are Shia Muslim. Other religions or philosophical beliefs that are followed by many in the country are the Sunni and Sufi sects of Islam, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and various secular beliefs (many of which are left over from the Soviet era of less tolerance for spirituality). The Tat people around Quba follow Judaism.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Azerbaijan The official language of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani, a member of the Oguz subdivision of the Turkic language family, and is spoken by around 95% of the republic’s population, as well as about a third of the population of Iran. Its closest relatives are Turkish and Turkmen. As a result of the language policy of the Soviet Union, Russian is also commonly spoken as a second language among the urbane.
- Music of Azerbaijan
- Islam in Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijani literature

Miscellaneous topics

- Communications in Azerbaijan
- Transportation in Azerbaijan
- Military of Azerbaijan
- Foreign relations of Azerbaijan
- Public holidays in Azerbaijan
- List of Azerbaijanis
- Scout Association of Azerbaijan
- Nagorno-Karabakh

References

- Forrest, Brett (Nov. 28, 2005). "Over A Barrel in Baku". Fortune, pp. 54–60.

External links

- [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/aj.html CIA World Factbook — Azerbaijan]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1235976.stm BBC Country Profile: Azerbaijan]
- [http://www.azerb.com/ Azerbaijan from A to Z]
- [http://www.azer.com Azerbaijan International] – world's largest website about Azerbaijan
- [http://www.azadlig.org/ Democratic Youth Movement New Idea]
- [http://www.zerbaijan.com/ Virtual Azerbaijan Republic]
- [http://www.caucaz.com/home_uk Caucaz.com]: Weekly online publishing articles and reports about Azerbaijan and South Caucasus. Available in English and French
- [http://www.bakutoday.net Baku Today]
- [http://www.azadliq.az/ independant newspaper Azadliq]
- [http://www.azstat.org/indexen.php State Statistical Committee of the Azerbaijan Republic]
- [http://www.un-az.org United Nations Office in Azerbaijan] with a [http://www.un-az.org/couinf.htm country report]
- [http://ifex.org/en/content/view/full/179/ IFEX: Press Freedom in Azerbaijan]
- [http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/amed/azerbaijan/azerbaijan.html Library of Congress Portals on the World — Azerbaijan] Category:Caucasus Category:Southwest Asian countries Category:Landlocked countries Category:Bicontinental countries zh-min-nan:Azerbaijan ko:아제르바이잔 ms:Azerbaijan ja:アゼルバイジャン simple:Azerbaijan th:ประเทศอาเซอร์ไบจาน

Category:Iranian languages

Category:Indo-Iranian languages ko:분류:이란어군

Category:Iranian peoples

This category is based on linguistics, in some cases not on genetics. In other words, it incorporates people from diverse genetic backgrounds who speak a related group of languages. Some of these groups, such as the Mountain Jews and the Hazara, are in part or in whole descended from non-Iranian peoples. Their inclusion here is as a result of their linguistic affiliation. Category:Ethnic groups of Asia Category:Eurasian nomads Category:Indo-Iranian peoples

Belegschaft

Unter einer Belegschaft wird in den Wirtschaftswissenschaften die Gesamtheit der in einem Unternehmen oder Betrieb beschäftigten Arbeitnehmer verstanden. Ihre Interessen gegenüber dem Arbeitgeber werden im Rahmen der betrieblichen Mitbestimmung durch den Betriebsrat vertreten. Um gemeinsam wirtschaftliche und soziale Interessen zu verfolgen, wie beispielsweise den Abschluss von Tarifverträgen, kann sich eine Belegschaft einer Gewerkschaft anschliessen. Innerhalb der Belegschaft wird häufig eine Vertrauensperson, der so genannte Betriebsobmann benannt. In einigen Betrieben oder Unternehmen regt die Geschäftsführung die Publikation einer Mitarbeiterzeitung durch die Belegschaft an oder richtet für sie eine Firmenbibliothek ein. Möglichkeiten der "Verbesserung des Betriebsklimas", die von der Betriebsleitung für die Belegschaft organisiert werden, sind Betriebsausflüge, Betriebsfeiern oder Betriebssport. In einigen Fällen werden zur Information und Fortbildung der Belegschaft Methoden wie Business TV eingesetzt. ---- Verwandte Themen: Arbeitnehmerähnliche Person, Arbeitsverhältnis, Beschäftigungsverhältnis, Belegschaftsaktie, Grundbegriffe des Arbeitsrechts Kategorie:Arbeit Kategorie:Personalwesen

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