Azerbaijani diaspora
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The Azerbaijani diaspora are the communities of Azerbaijanis living outside the places of their ethnic origin:
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
and the Iranian region of
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
. According to Ethnologue, there were over 1 million Azerbaijani-speakers of the north dialect in southern Dagestan,
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
,
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
,
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
,
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
,
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
, and
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
as of 1993.Report for Azerbaijani, North
Ethnologue . Retrieved 9 June 2006.
Other sources, such as national censuses, confirm the presence of Azerbaijanis throughout the former
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
. The Ethnologue figures are outdated in the case of Armenia, where the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaij ...
has affected the population of Azerbaijanis.Peace Talks at Key West between Armenia and Azerbaijan
US State Department, 3 April 2001. Retrieved 9 June 2006.
Ethnologue further reports that an additional 1 million Iranian Azerbaijanis live outside Iran, but these figures most likely are a reference to the
Iraqi Turkmen The Iraqi Turkmens (also spelled as Turkoman and Turcoman; tr, Irak Türkmenleri), also referred to as Iraqi Turks, Turkish-Iraqis, the Turkish minority in Iraq, and the Iraqi-Turkish minority ( ar, تركمان العراق; tr, Irak Türkleri ...
, a distinct though related Turkic people."Azerbaijani, South: A language of Iran"
– ''Ethnologue report'' . Retrieved 7 June 2006.
The number of Azerbaijanis around the world is estimated about 30-35 million people, only 9,961,396 of which are in Azerbaijan, and another 13 million in Iran


History of the Azerbaijani diaspora

The main
migration Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
of Azerbaijani people occurred at the same time of
Turkic migration The Turkic migrations were the spread of Turkic tribes and Turkic languages across Eurasia and between the 6th and 11th centuries. In the 6th century, the Göktürks overthrew the Rouran Khaganate in what is now Mongolia and expanded in all direct ...
between the 6th and 11th centuries (the
Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
), when they spread across most of
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
and into
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
and the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
. In the following centuries the local population began to be assimilated from the emerging Azerbaijani migrants.


Azerbaijanis in North America

The Azerbaijani diaspora in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
was established in the mid-to-late 20th century. The Azerbaijanis have settled in the North, Central and Southern parts of the U.S. and in all major Canadian cities. The majority of Azerbaijanis have settled in the states of
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, New York,
Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
and District of Columbia. Most Azerbaijanis living in the U.S. are migrants from
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. There are several organizations connecting Azerbaijani Americans as well as Azerbaijani Canadians.


US Azerbaijanis Network – USAN

The US Azerbaijanis network combines all Azerbaijani, Turkish and other Diaspora and community organizations of USA, groups, societies, coalitions, networks associations and clubs. Purpose of this network is to bring together Azerbaijani-American potential electorate. Activity of USAN is to inform voters about the voting process and voter registration, to provide their participation in the American political debate, to enhance their participation in the vote and to increase voter turnout. Executive Director of the American Azerbaijanis Network (USAN) is Adil Bagirov.


Azerbaijan America Alliance

Azerbaijan America Alliance The Azerbaijan America Alliance is a non-partisan, non-profit organization providing information broadly about the people, culture, society, industry, history and current events of the Azeri people. The purpose includes research and advocacy on is ...
is a non-governmental organization. Its mission is to help form an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect between the peoples of Azerbaijan and America. The 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was held in February 2012, which is the one of its most significant events. Demonstration of posters and banners in the streets of New York and Washington, D.C., statements by U.S. Congressmen, presentation of films about Khojaly genocide and other events were all a part of the commemoration. One page each in ''The Washington Post'' and ''The New York Times'' were dedicated to the Khojaly genocide.


Azerbaijan Society of America

Azerbaijan Society of America which is the first Azerbaijani-American community organization was established in 1957 in
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, USA by Naghi Sheykhzamanli. His granddaughter Tomris Azari is current chairman of the American Azerbaijanis Society. As well as, Tomris is deputy chairwoman of the Coordinating Council of the World Azerbaijanis. She was awarded the "Order of Glory" by Ilham Aliyev in 2006.


United States-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce

U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) was established in 1995. Its mission is to help the establishment of long-term business ties between Azerbaijan and America. It was a main driving force for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline. USACC provides the improvement of network services between governmental and non-governmental entities, business organizations of the US and Azerbaijan.


Azerbaijani – American Council (AAC)

The council has been operating in Washington since 1994. The organization arranges series of events, exhibitions, and seminars in research centers related to Azerbaijani culture. The members of the organization send statements and letters to the president, all state delegates, senators, congressmen, as well as to the press, about the Khojaly Massacre,
March days The March Days or March Events () was a period of inter-ethnic strife and clashes which led to the death of about 12,000 Azerbaijani: "The results of the March events were immediate and total for the Musavat. Several hundreds of its members wer ...
, the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaij ...
between Armenia-Azerbaijan and other issues. The American-Azerbaijani Council was registered in 2006 as a non-governmental organization. The council is the largest Azerbaijani organization operating in California. The purpose of the council is to bring together ideas of Azerbaijanism, to present these ideas through educational and cultural programs. The Council regularly organizes forums. Azerbaijani students studying in California and people doing a research about Azerbaijan are invited to the forum, and economic, political and technological issues are discussed in this forums. American-Azerbaijan Council has a representative office in
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. The president of the American-Azerbaijani Council is Javid Huseynov.


Network of Azerbaijani Canadians (NAC)

The Network of Azerbaijani Canadians (NAC, French: ''Réseau des Canadiens Azerbaïdjanais'', Azerbaijani: ''Kanadalı Azərbaycanlılar Şəbəkəsi'') is a fully community-funded and the largest grassroots Azerbaijani advocacy organization in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Founded in 2020, the organization advocates on behalf of Azerbaijani Canadians in matters of public policy. The organization is based in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
; board members and organization members are spread across Canada including Ottawa,
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, Calgary,
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
and
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. The Network of Azerbaijani Canadians is a registered non-profit and managed by its board of directors. Nika Jabiyeva is the executive director of NAC, appointed by the organization's board of directors.


Azerbaijanis in Europe


The Federation of Turkish-Azerbaijani Associations

The Federation of Turkish-Azerbaijani Associations was established in 2004 in Kocaeli. The Heydar Aliyev Park was opened in the Kartepe municipal area on the eve of the World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day in 2010 as a result of the activity of Turkish-Azerbaijani Associations Federation. Another park in Derince was put into operation on 29 November 2011. A chairman of Turkey-Azerbaijan Federation of Associations is Bilal Dundar.


Azerbaijani Youth Union of Russia

The Azerbaijani Youth Union of Russia was established on 18 April 2009 in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
. Its purpose is to protect the Azerbaijan national cultural values, support of Azerbaijani youth, better integration of Azerbaijani youth into the cultural life of Russian society, and the development of education. Its central office is located in Moscow, and there are several regional offices in the north and west of Russia, Volga area, North Caucasus, Far East and Siberia. The chairwoman is Leyla Aliyeva.


Organizations

The State Committee of Azerbaijan Republic on Work with Diaspora was established to handle the communication with the diaspora and to drive the creation of new societies and organizations. In 2004 the committee effected the creation of about 40 new Azerbaijani communities worldwide.
Baku, 2007


Current number of Azerbaijanis in select countries


See also

* State Committee on Work with Diaspora (Azerbaijan), State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan Republic


References

{{European diasporas European diasporas Asian diasporas