Baku (Azerbaijani: Bakı), sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakou, is the capital, the largest city, and the largest port of Azerbaijan and all the Caucasus. Located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, the city consists of two principal parts: the downtown and the old Inner City (21.5 ha). Baku is one of the oldest and biggest cities in East for antiquity, territory and population.[3] Its population in 2008 was estimated at 1.9 million people.[2] In 2003 Baku additionally had 153,400 internally displaced persons and 93,400 refugees.[4]
In 2007 Culture Ministers of the member-states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference declared Baku to be the capital of Islamic Culture for 2009.[5] The Walled City of Baku along with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Baku is divided into eleven administrative districts (Azizbayov, Binagadi, Garadagh, Narimanov, Nasimi, Nizami, Sabail, Sabunchu, Khatai, Surakhany and Yasamal) and 48 townships. Among these are the townships on islands in the Baku Bay and the town of Oil Rocks built on stilts in the Caspian Sea, 60 km (37 mi) away from Baku.
Etymology
The name Baku is widely believed to be derived from the old Persian names of the city Bād-kube, meaning "Wind-pounded city", in which bād means "wind" and kube is rooted in the verb kubidan, "to pound", thus referring to a place where wind is strong and pounding. Indeed, the city is renowned for its fierce winter snow storms and harsh winds.[6] It is also believed that Baku refers to Baghkuh, meaning "Mount of God". Baga (now bagh) and kaufa (now kuh) are the Old Persian words for "god" and "mountain" respectively; the name Baghkuh may be compared with Baghdād ("God-given") in which dā is the Old Persian word for "give". Arabic sources refer to the city as Baku, Bakukh, Bakuya, and Bakuye, all of which seem to come from a Persian name.
Various different hypotheses were also proposed to explain the etymology of the word Baku. According to L.G.Lopatinski[7] and Ali Huseynzade[8] Baku is derived from Turkic word for "hill". Caucasian history specialist K.P. Patkanov also explains the name as "hill" but in the Lak language.[8] The Turkish Islamic Encyclopedia presents the origin of the word Baku as being derived from the words Bey-Kyoy, which mean "the main city" in Turkic.
History
Entrenchments and antitank obstacles near Baku (during the
operation Edelweiss). 1976, Ilya Repin Academy of Arts, Saint Petersburg.
The first written evidence for Baku dates to the 6th century AD.[9] Much of its history since that time has been linked to various Persian Empires.
The city became important after an earthquake destroyed Shamakhy in the 12th century, when the ruling Shirvanshah, Ahsitan I, chose Baku as the new capital. In 1501, Safavid Shah Ismail I laid a siege on Baku. At this time the city was however enclosed within the lines of strong walls, which were washed by sea on one side and protected by a wide trench on land. In 1540 Baku was again captured by the Safavid troops. In 1604 the Baku fortress was destroyed by Iranian shah Abbas I.
On 26 June 1723, after a lasting siege using cannons, Baku surrendered to the Russians. According to Peter the Great's decree the soldiers of two regiments (2,382 people) were left in the Baku garrison under the command of Prince Baryatyanski, the commandant of the city. In 1795, Baku was invaded by Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar to defend against tsarist Russia's ambitions to subjugate the South Caucasus. In the spring of 1796, by Catherine II's order, General Zubov's troops began a major campaign in Transcaucasia. Baku surrendered after the first demand of Zubov who had sent 6,000 troops to capture the city. On 13 June 1796 the Russian flotilla entered Baku Bay and a garrison of Russian troops was placed in the city. General Pavel Tsitsianov was appointed Baku's commandant. Later, however, Czar Paul I ordered him to cease the campaign and withdraw Russian forces. In March 1797 the tsarist troops left Baku but a new tsar, Alexander I, began to show a special interest in capturing Baku. In 1803, Tsitsianov reached an agreement with the Baku khan to compromise, but the agreement was soon annulled. On 8 February 1806, upon the surrendering of Baku, Huseyngulu khan of Baku stabbed and killed Tsitsianov at the gates of the city.
In 1813, Russia signed the Treaty of Gulistan with Persia, which provided for the cession of Baku and most of the Caucasus from Iran and their annexation by Russia.
Oil boom
The first oil well to be mechanically drilled was in the Bibi-Heybat suburb of Baku in 1846, though hand dug wells pre date this. Large-scale oil development started in 1872, when the Russian imperial authorities auctioned the parcels of oil-rich land around Baku to private investors. Within a short period of time Swiss, British, French, Belgian, German, Swedish and American investors appeared in Baku, among them were the firms of the Nobel brothers together with the family von Börtzell-Szuch (Carl Knut Börtzell, who also owned the Livadia Palace) and the Rothschild family. An industrial oil belt, better known as Black City, was established near Baku. By the beginning of the 20th century almost half of world production was being extracted in Baku.[10]
In 1917, after the October revolution and amidst the turmoil of World War I and the breakup of the Russian Empire, Baku came under the control of the Baku Commune, which was led by veteran Bolshevik Stepan Shaumyan. Seeking to capitalize on the existing inter-ethnic conflicts, by spring 1918, Bolsheviks inspired and condoned civil warfare in and around Baku. During the infamous March Days, using the support of the Dashnak Armenian militia in the city, and under the pretext of suppressing Musavat party, Bolsheviks attacked and massacred thousands of Azeris and other Muslims in Baku.[11]
On 28 May 1918 the Azerbaijani fraction of the Transcaucasian Sejm proclaimed the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) in Ganja. Shortly after, Azerbaijani forces, with support of the Ottoman Army of Islam led by Nuru Pasha, started their advance into Baku, eventually capturing the city from the loose coalition of Bolsheviks, Esers, Dashnaks, Mensheviks and British forces under the command of General Lionel Dunsterville on 15 September 1918. Thousands of Armenians in the city were massacred in revenge for the earlier March Days.[12] Baku became the capital of the ADR. On 28 April 1920, the 11th Red Army invaded Baku and reinstalled the Bolsheviks, making Baku the capital of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.
Historical city core
The centre of Baku is the old town, which is also a fortress. In December 2000, the Inner City of Baku with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower became the first location in Azerbaijan classified as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
Most of the walls and towers, strengthened after the Russian conquest in 1806, survived. This section is picturesque, with its maze of narrow alleys and ancient buildings: the cobbled streets past the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, two caravansaries (ancient inns), the Maiden Tower (nice view of the harbor), the baths and the Juma Mosque (it used to house the Carpet and Applied Arts Museum, but now is a mosque again; the carpets got moved to the former Lenin museum). The old town also has dozens of small mosques, often without any particular sign to distinguish them from the next building.
In 2003, UNESCO placed the Inner City on the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing damage from a November 2000 earthquake, poor conservation as well as "dubious" restoration efforts.[13]
See Further reading links below for more information.
Geography
Topography
Climate
During Soviet times, Baku was a vacation destination where citizens could enjoy beaches or relax in now-dilapidated spa complexes overlooking the Caspian Sea. The climate is hot and humid in the summer, and cool and wet in the winter. During the winter gale-force winds sweep through on occasion, driven by masses of polar air (strong northern winds Khazri and southern Gilavar are typical here); however, snow is rare at 28 m below sea level, and temperatures on the coast rarely drop to freezing. The average annual temperature of Baku and that of the Earth differ by less than 0.1°C (0.2°F): it is 14.2 °C (57.6 °F).[14] The southwestern part of Great Baku is a more arid part of Azerbaijan (precipitation here is less than 150 mm (6 in) a year). In the vicinities of the city there are a number of mud volcanoes (Keyraki, Bogkh-bogkha, Lokbatan and others) and salt lakes (Boyukshor, Khodasan etc.).
| Weather data for Baku |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Average high °C (°F) |
6
(43) |
6
(43) |
9
(48) |
16
(61) |
22
(72) |
27
(81) |
31
(88) |
29
(84) |
26
(79) |
19
(66) |
13
(55) |
9
(48) |
| Average low °C (°F) |
2
(36) |
2
(36) |
4
(39) |
9
(48) |
14
(57) |
19
(66) |
22
(72) |
23
(73) |
19
(66) |
13
(55) |
8
(46) |
4
(39) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) |
20
(0.79) |
20
(0.79) |
20
(0.79) |
17
(0.67) |
17
(0.67) |
7
(0.28) |
2
(0.08) |
5
(0.2) |
15
(0.59) |
25
(0.98) |
30
(1.18) |
25
(0.98) |
| Source: Weather.com[15] 2008 |
Governance
Districts of Baku
Today, Baku is divided into 11 rayons (administrative districts) and 5 settlements of city type.[16][17]
Demographics
Until 1988 Baku had very large Armenian, Russian, and Jewish population that contributed to cultural diversity and added in various ways (music, literature, architecture) to Baku's history treasure chest. Under Communism, the Soviets took over the majority of Jewish property in Baku and Kuba. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliev has returned several synagogues and a Jewish college nationalized by the Soviets, to the Jewish community. He has encouraged the restoration of these buildings and is well-liked by the Jews of Azerbaijan. Renovation has begun on seven of the original eleven synagogues, including the Gilah synagogue, built in 1896, and the large Kruei Synagogue.[18] The new Azerbaijan constitution grants religious freedom and asserts that there is no state religion.
Currently the vast majority of the population of Baku are ethnic Azerbaijanis (more than 90%). The intensive growth of the population started in the middle of the 19th century when Baku was a small town with the population of about 7 thousand people. The population increased again from about 13,000 in the 1860s to 112,000 in 1897 and 215,000 in 1913, making Baku the largest city in the Caucasus region.[19]
Baku has been a cosmopolitan city at certain times during its history, meaning ethnic Azerbaijanis did not constitute the majority of population.[20]
| Year |
Azerbaijanis |
Russians |
Armenians |
Iranian Citizens |
Germans |
Jews |
Georgians |
Total |
| 1897 |
40,148 |
37,399 |
19,060 |
9,426 |
2,460 |
2,341 |
971 |
111,904 |
| 1903 |
44,257 |
56,955 |
26,151 |
11,132 |
3,749 |
n/a |
n/a |
155,876 |
| 1913 |
45,962 |
76,288 |
41,680 |
25,096 |
3,274 |
9,690 |
4,073 |
214,672 |
Religion
More than 94% of the residents of Baku practice various forms of Islam. A small minority of the population (about 4%) are Christians (majority Russian Orthodox Church, Georgian Orthodox Church and Molokans). Baku also has three Jewish communities, namely the Ashkenazim Jews, the Mountain Jews, and the Georgian Jews.
Art and Culture
Baku has a vibrant life regarding theatre, opera and ballet, drawing both from the rich local dramatic portfolio and from the international repertoire. The main movie theatre is "Azerbaijan Cinema". The Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, designed by architect N. G. Bayev, is one of the most ornate music halls in the city. The State Philharmonic Hall with excellent acoustic conditions often holds performances outside, in a pleasant park. The Carpet and Applied Arts Museum exhibits the carpets from all periods, styles and from both Azerbaijan proper and the Azeri provinces in Iran. Baku also houses country's biggest art museum - Azerbaijan State Museum of Art, a depository of both domestic and foreign works of art, Western and Eastern, and the Nizami Museum of Azerbaijan Literature.
Heydar Aliyev Palace, one of the main venues featuring sizeable performances (e.g. that of Coolio), has recently reopened after a major refurbishment. Some of the most popular discotheques and night clubs include, "X-Site", "Le Chevalier" at Grand Hotel Europe, "Zagulba Disco Club" and "Le Mirage". Most of them are open till the early hours of the morning.
Most of the pubs and bars are located near Fountain Square and are usually open until the early hours of the morning. There are several British, Scottish and Irish style public houses, among them "The Clansman", The Caledonia, "Corner Bar", "Shakespeares", "Finnigans" the "Rig Bar", "O'Malley's" and the "Phoenix Bar". There is also a Jazz Club. The Baku International Jazz Festival is organized annually.
Notable beaches include Shikhovo, "Amburan" in Bilgah and "One Thousand and One Nights".
Monuments and Landmarks
The municipality of Baku.
Azerbaijan National Dramatic Theatre.
The Martyrs' Lane, formerly the Kirov Park, is dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives during the Nagorno-Karabakh War and also to the 137 people who were killed on Black January, 1990.
Churches
Hamams (Turkish baths)
Historical monuments
Libraries
Mosques
- Bibi Heybat mosque
- Taza Pir mosque
- Juma mosque
- Shahidlar mosque
Museums
Operas
Palaces
Shrines and tombs
Towers
Entertainment
Cinemas
Theatres and concert halls
Parks and gardens
Other prominent parks and gardens include:
- Heydər Əliyev parkı (Heydar Aliyev Park)
- Səməd Vurğun parkı (Samad Vurgun Park)
- Nərimanov parkı (Narimanov Park)
- Fəvvarələr Bağı (Fountains Park)
Economy
Office buildings at Jafar Jabbarli St.
The basis of Baku's economy is petroleum. The existence of petroleum has been known since the 8th century. In the 10th century, the Arabian traveler, Marudee, reported that both white and black oil were being extracted naturally from Baku.[21] By the 15th century oil for lamps was obtained from hand dug surface wells. Commercial exploitation began in 1872, and by the beginning of the 20th century the Baku oil fields were the largest in the world. Towards the end of the 20th century much of the onshore petroleum had been exhausted, and drilling had extended into the sea offshore. By the end of the 19th century skilled workers and specialists flocked to Baku. By 1900 the city had more than 3,000 oil wells of which 2,000 of them were producing oil at industrial levels. Baku ranked as one of the largest centres for the production of oil industry equipment before World War II. The World War II Battle of Stalingrad was fought to determine who would have control of the Baku oil fields. Fifty years before the battle, Baku produced half of the world's oil supply: Azerbaijan and the United States are the only two countries ever to have been the world's majority oil producer. Currently the oil economy of Baku is undergoing a resurgence, with the development of the massive Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field (Shallow water Gunashli by SOCAR, deeper areas by a consortium lead by BP), development of the Shah Deniz gas field, the expansion of the Sangachal Terminal and the construction of the BTC Pipeline. The old Intourist Hotel was one of Baku's largest, now demolished, but overshadowed by the newer Hyatt Park, Hyatt Regency, Park Inn and Excelsior.
The Baku Stock Exchange has been operating since February 2001.
Infrastructure
Bulk power supply of Baku is provided by five 110 kV lines. As of 8 February 2008 three of them (total length 23.6 km/15 mi) have been completely refitted and modernized with their carrying capacity being doubled.[22] Three 110 kV and twelve 35 kV substations were commissioned recently.[22] Water supply is secured by several lines, the purest water comes from Khachmaz and Shollar lines.[23]
Communication
Baku had its first permanent internet link only in 1995, through the Academy of Sciences. Dial-up internet access has been available since 1991. ADSL service was made widely available in 2007. The city is served by the English language paper Baku Today.[24]
Transportation
Baku is served by the Heydar Aliyev International Airport and the Baku Metro. There were once also trams. There are two official taxi companies in the city: the yellow Star cabs and the white taxis with blue sign from "Azeri Taxis". The van buses stop at any point along that route when flagged down or told to stop. Shipping services operate regularly from Baku across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnovodsk) in Turkmenistan and to Bandar Anzali and Bandar Nowshar in Iran.
Education
As Azerbaijan's centre of education, Baku boasts many universities and vocational schools. After Azerbaijan gained independence, the fall of Communism led to development of a number of private institutions. Baku also houses the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan founded here in 1945 .
Public universities
Private universities
Sport
Baku was bidding for the 2016 Summer Olympics, but was eliminated on 4 June 2008.[25]
The city's two main football clubs are Neftchi Baku (currently in the Azerbaijan Premier League) and FK Baku, both of whom play at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium. Neftchi has won five Azerbaijani titles, whilst FK Baku has won twice. Baku also has several clubs in the premier and regional leagues, including Inter Baku, Olimpik-Shuvalan in Premier League, MOIK Baku, Adliyya Baku and Bakili Baku in Azerbaijani First Division.
In the Azerbaijan Basketball League, Baku is represented by Gala BC Baku, whose home is the Palace of Hand Games.
Media
The large majority of Azerbaijan’s media companies (including television, newspaper and radio) are headquartered in Baku. The films The World Is Not Enough and The Diamond Arm are set in the city. Amphibian Man (film) also included several scenes filmed in Baku.
Television
There is six national TV channels which broadcast in Baku: Aztv, Ans, Atv, Ictimai TV, Lider TV, Space.
Radio
Out of the city’s radio stations Radio Antenn (101 FM), Burc FM (100.5 FM), and Lider FM Jazz are some of the more influential competitors with large national audiences.
Press
Baku has a number of newspaper publishing houses. Some of the most noteworthy newspapers include the daily Zaman ("The Time"), Bakinskiy Rabochiy ("Worker of the Baku"), Echo, the English-language based Baku Today
Notable residents
Because of intermittent periods of great prosperity and as the largest city in the Caucasus and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the Soviet Union, Baku prides itself on having produced a disproportionate number of notable figures in the sciences, arts and other fields. Some of the houses they resided in display commemorative plaques.
International relations
Twin towns - Sister cities
Baku is a member of Sister Cities International,[26] and is twinned with:
Amman, Jordan
Ankara, Turkey
Erzurum, Turkey
Basra, Iraq
Balakovo, Russia
Bordeaux, France (since 1985)
Dakar, Senegal
Honolulu, United States
Houston, United States (since 1976)
Isparta, Turkey
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Partnership relations at different levels were established with Berlin, Paris, Aberdeen, Vienna, Stavanger, Tbilisi, Astana, Minsk, Moscow, Volgograd, Kizlyar, Tashkent and Chengdu.[31]
Gallery
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Azerbaijan state museum of art
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Monument to Azeri participants on the Eastern Front of WWII
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Fountains in Baku boulevard
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Further reading
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "Administrative, density and territorial units and land size by economic regions of Azerbaijan Republic for January 1. 2007". Archived from the original on 2007-11-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20071124164655/http://www.azstat.org/statinfo/demoqraphic/en/010.shtml#s11. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ a b "Population by economic and administrative regions, urban settlements at the beginning of the 2008". http://www.azstat.org/statinfo/demoqraphic/en/013.shtml#s14. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "The Executive Power of Baku City". Bakucity.az. http://bakucity.az/main/index_en.html. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
- ^ (Russian)"Баку". Archived from the original on 2007-07-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20070701132551/http://www.baku-online.com/ru/baku.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ APA Azeri Press Agency
- ^ "Culture & Religion on Podium: Politicizing Linguistics". Web.archive.org. http://web.archive.org/web/20071013212555/http://iranchamber.com/podium/culture/020920_politicizing_linguistics.php. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
- ^ Ган К.Ф. Oпыть объяснения кавказских географических названий. Тифлис, 1909
- ^ a b .The Name “Baku”
- ^ "Azerbaijan - Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace...". Archived from the original on 2008-01-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080102011734/http://worldheritage.heindorffhus.dk/frame-AzerbaijanBaku.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
- ^ Window2Baku.com
- ^ Michael Smith. "Anatomy of Rumor: Murder Scandal, the Musavat Party and Narrative of the Russian Revolution in Baku, 1917-1920", Journal of Contemporary History, Vol 36, No. 2, (Apr. 2001), p. 228
- ^ Furuz Kazemzadeh, Struggle For Transcaucasia (1917 - 1921), New York Philosophical Library, 1951, p. 143-144
- ^ "Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/958. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
- ^ Window to Baku
- ^ "Monthly Averages for Baku, Azerbaijan". Weather.com. http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/AJXX0001. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
- ^ bakupages.com "Baku's History"
- ^ kishmish.az "Baku's History"
- ^ JewishVirtualLibrary.org
- ^ Country-data.com
- ^ Audrey Altstadt, Conflict, Cleavage, and Change in Central Asia and the Caucasus, Cambridge University Press, 1997, p. 112, table 4.1, Ethnic composition of Baku, 1897, 1903,1913
- ^ "The History of Oil in Azerbaijan by Natig Aliyev". Azer.com. http://www.azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/22_folder/22_articles/22_historyofoil.html. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
- ^ a b (Russian)"Выполненные ОАО "Бакыэлекрикшебеке" обеспечивают стабильность электроснабжения Баку". http://www.azeri.ru/papers/news-azerbaijan/13024/. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
- ^ (Russian)"Институциональные аспекты управления и охраны водных ресурсов в Азербайджане". http://water-resources.iatp.az/water-resources/Rus/Institutional%20Aspects.html. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
- ^ "Baku Today". Baku Today. http://www.bakutoday.net/baku-today.html. Retrieved 2009-07-20. "Baku Today began 3 years ago as the first online English language newspaper to cover Azerbaijan and the Caucasus, and continues today as the online English language news source updated 24 hours for the Caucasus/Caspian region."
- ^ "ESPN - Chicago among four finalists to host 2016 Olympics - Olympics". Sports.espn.go.com. 2008-06-04. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=3425680. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
- ^ "The main directions of foreign relations of the executive authorities of Baku". http://www.bakucity.az/main/index_en.html. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ "Sister Cities of Istanbul". http://www.greatistanbul.com/sister_cities.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ Erdem, Selim Efe (2009-07-01). "İstanbul'a 49 kardeş" (in Turkish). Radikal. http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=94185. Retrieved 2009-07-22. "49 sister cities in 2003"
- ^ "Saint Petersburg in figures - International and Interregional Ties". Saint Petersburg City Government. http://eng.gov.spb.ru/figures/ities. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
- ^ Fraternity cities on Sarajevo Official Web Site
- ^ (Russian)"Executive Power of the Baku City". Azerbaijan.az. http://www.azerbaijan.az/_GeneralInfo/_Capital/capital_02_r.html. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
Sources
- Abbasov, Mazakhir. Baku During the Great Patriotic War.
- Madatov, G. Azerbaijan During the Great Patriotic War. Baku, 1975.
- Baku at GEOnet Names Server
External links
Coordinates: 40°22′46″N 49°53′28″E / 40.379571°N 49.891233°E / 40.379571; 49.891233
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Baku |
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| Capital: Baku |
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|
 |
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Capitals of Asia |
|
| Central Asia |
South Asia |
Southeast Asia |
Southwest Asia |
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Astana, Kazakhstan †
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Beijing, People's Republic of China (PRC)
Tokyo, Japan
Pyongyang, North Korea
Seoul, South Korea
Ulan Bator, Mongolia 1
Taipei, Republic of China (ROC) 2
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Naypyidaw, Burma
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Dili, East Timor
Jakarta, Indonesia
Vientiane, Laos
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 4
Putrajaya, Malaysia 5
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea₮
Manila, Philippines
Singapore, Singapore
Bangkok, Thailand
Hanoi, Vietnam
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Yerevan, Armenia ‡
Baku, Azerbaijan †
Manama, Bahrain
Cairo, Egypt †
Tbilisi, Georgia †
Ankara, Turkey †
Tehran, Iran
Baghdad, Iraq
Jerusalem, Israel 6‡
Amman, Jordan
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Beirut, Lebanon
Muscat, Oman
Doha, Qatar
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Damascus, Syria
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Sana'a, Yemen
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| 1 Often considered part of Central Asia. 2 Otherwise known as Taiwan. 3 Full name is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte. 4 Formal. 5 Administrative. 6 See Positions on Jerusalem for details on Jerusalem's status. † Transcontinental country. ‡ Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe.₮ Entirely in Melanesia but having socio-political connections with Southeast Asia. |
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Capitals of European states and territories |
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| Capitals of non-sovereign territories or constituent nations shown in bold italics |
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| Central |
Eastern |
Southern |
Western |
Northern |
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Belgrade, Serbia
Berlin, Germany
Bern, Switzerland
Bratislava, Slovakia
Budapest, Hungary
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Prague, Czech Republic
Vienna, Austria
Warsaw, Poland
Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Zagreb, Croatia
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Astana, Kazakhstan 1
Baku, Azerbaijan 1
Chişinău, Moldova
Kiev, Ukraine
Minsk, Belarus
Moscow, Russia 1
Sukhumi, Abkhazia 3
Tbilisi, Georgia 1
Tskhinvali, South Ossetia 3
Yerevan, Armenia 2
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Ankara, Turkey 1
Athens, Greece
Bucharest, Romania
Gibraltar, Gibraltar4
Nicosia, Cyprus 2
Nicosia, Northern Cyprus 2, 3
Podgorica, Montenegro
Pristina, Kosovo 3
Rome, Italy
San Marino, San Marino
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Skopje, Macedonia
Sofia, Bulgaria
Tirana, Albania
Valletta, Malta
Vatican City, Vatican City
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
Andorra la Vella, Andorra
Brussels, Belgium 5
Douglas, Isle of Man4
Dublin, Ireland
Lisbon, Portugal
London, United Kingdom
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Madrid, Spain
Monaco, Monaco
Paris, France
Saint Helier, Jersey4
Saint Peter Port, Guernsey4
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Copenhagen, Denmark
Helsinki, Finland
Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Mariehamn, Åland Islands
Oslo, Norway
Reykjavík, Iceland
Riga, Latvia
Stockholm, Sweden
Tallinn, Estonia
Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Vilnius, Lithuania
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| 1 Transcontinental country. 2 Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe. 3 Partially recognised country. 4 Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. 5 Also the seat of the European Union, see Location of European Union institutions and Brussels and the European Union. |
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