Azerbaijan'

Azerbaijan', or ADERBAIJAN, the ancient Media Atropatene, is the north-western province of Persia, bounded S. by Persian Kurdistan and Irak, E. by Ghilan, NE. and N. by Russian territory, and W. by Turkish Kurdistan. It has an area of about 40,100 sq. m., and a pop. of 2,000,000. The surface of Azerbaijan is very mountainous, many of the ranges rising from 7000 to 9000 feet in height. The peak of Savalan (an extinct volcano), near Ardebil, reaches an elevation of over 13,000 feet. Mount Ararat rises on the north-west border. The chief rivers are the Aras or Araxes, the Kara Su, and the Kizil-Uzen. The salt lake Urmia (q.v.), the largest in Persia, is situated near the western border of the province. The climate of Azerbaijan is not unhealthy, but it is subject to rapid extremes of heat and cold. In the mountainous districts, the hail-storms are occasionally so violent as to kill cattle. The principal products are rice, barley, wheat, maize, flax, hemp, cotton, tobacco, honey, and saffron; camels, horses, cattle, and sheep are also reared; velvet, silks, stuff, carpets, woollens, and leather are the most important articles of manufacture, and a little is done in hardware. Lead, iron, copper, sulphur, saltpetre, and salt are found in the province. The capital is Tabriz; other towns being Urumiah, Khoi, Selmash, and Ardebil.