Azerbaijan

= Azerbaijan = Azerbaijan is a country in East Europe / West Asia. It is bordered by the Don-Kuban Union to the north, the Caspian Sea to the east, Persia to the south and Armenia and Georgia to the west.

History
Azerbaijan is generally regarded as 'just another' of the small Caucasian states to rise out of the ruins of the Russian Empire. Since then the small nation has only managed to maintain her independence by carefully balancing its political and economic links with both Russia and the Ottomans - ensuring that neither can gain hegemony over them. With neither Great Power able to secure dominance, Azerbaijan has seen a stable, but precarious, regime in the form of a secular and technocratic dictatorship (which by regional standards, is fairly 'mild' and tolerant), and as a result, economic prosperity has followed.

Thanks to foreign investment in the exploitation of the vast Baku oil fields, Azerbaijan has become the largest oil producer in the region - and rival even to Ploesti. However, this very prosperity may in fact be the country's undoing. In an age in which the consumption of oil is becoming the dominant need of both industrial society and modern warfare, Azerbaijan is increasingly finding herself the battleground of both foreign corporate and national interests.

Politics
President: Rajib Kulbenzhian

Prime Minister: Suleyman Rustam

Foreign Minister: Arash Bubul

Minister of Armament: Rajib Kulbenzhian

Minister of Security: Rasul Reza

Minister of Intelligence: Soultanov Khosrov Ebk

Chief of Staff and Navy: Samed Bey Mehmandarov

Chief of Army: Marmud Nuri Berkoz

Chief of Air Force: Kambiz Krasnoshapka

Army
The Azerbaijani National Army is a small but determined army, composed exclusively of infantry division trained for the defence of the country. The Chief of Staff Samed Bey Mehmandarov is responsible for their training.

Foreign relations
Very good relations with the Ottoman Empire.

Friendly relations with Alash Orda, Persia and Union of Britain.

Unfriendly relations with Armenia, Georgia and Russia.

Despite the good relations with Persia, Azerbaijan claims the province of Tabriz, now a persian region.