Caspian-Uncharted Waters
View for ruins of former hotel Karabakh from train at Baku Railway station.
AZERBAIJAN-BAKU
Baku is a capitol and the largest port of Azerbaijan
The first oil well was drilled in Bibi-Heybat suburb of Baku in 1846 and large-scale oil development started in 1872, when the Russian authorities auctioned the parcels of oil-rich land around Baku to private investors.
Among investors which appeared in Baku were the firms of the Nobel brothers and Rothschilds, and industrial oil belt, better known as Black City, was established near Baku.On April 28, 1920, the 11th Red Army invaded Baku and reinstalled the Bolshevik power - the capital of Azerbaijan SSR.
On October 18, 1991, Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration of Independence which was affirmed by a nationwide referendum in December, 1991, when the Soviet Union was officially dissolved.
The early years of independence were overshadowed by the Nagorno-Karabakh War with neighboring Armenia. By the end of hostilities in 1994, Azerbaijan lost control of up to 16% of its territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh itself.
Heydar Aliyev was the president of Azerbaijan till October 2003, From 1969 till 1982, Aliyev was also the leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, practically dominating the political life of Azerbaijan for over 30 years.He was succeeded by his son Ilham Aliyev .
