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Kocharian, Robert Sedraki

(Encyclopedia)Kocharian or Kocharyan, Robert Sedraki, 1954–, Armenian political leader. He served (1972–74) in the Soviet army and worked as a mechanical engineer (1977–81) before graduating (1982) from the Y...

Aliyev, Ilham

(Encyclopedia)Aliyev, Ilham älēˈyĕf [key], 1961–, Azerbaijani political leader, president of Azerbaijan (2003–), b. Baku; son of President Heydar Aliyev. He earned a degree in history from Moscow State Uni...

Tabriz

(Encyclopedia)Tabriz täbrēzˈ [key], city (1991 pop. 1,088,985), capital of East Azerbaijan prov., NW Iran, on the Aji Chai (Talkheh) River, in the foothills of Mt. Sahand, at an elevation of c.4,600 ft (1,400 m)...

Shamakhi

(Encyclopedia)Shamakhi shĕmˌəkhäˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 24,681), E Azerbaijan, at the foot of the Caucasus. Its chief product is wine. Known since ancient times, Shamakhi was an important silk center in the 1...

Aras

(Encyclopedia)Aras äräsˈ [key], Armenian, Rus., Araks, Azeri Araz, river, c.600 mi (970 km) long, rising in the Transcaucasus Mts., NE Turkey. It flows generally east, forming parts of the Turkey-Armenia, Armeni...

Colombo Plan

(Encyclopedia)Colombo Plan, international economic organization created in a cooperative attempt to strengthen the economic and social development of the nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Officially the Co...

Lankaran

(Encyclopedia)Lankaran lyĕnˌkəränˈyə [key], city (1989 pop. 45,020), SE Azerbaijan, near the Iranian border, on the Caspian Sea. It is a port and an important food-processing center for fish and tea. Its inha...

Khankendi

(Encyclopedia)Khankendi styĭpänˌəkyĕrtˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 56,705), capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region of Azerbaijan. Silk, wine, and food are processed in the city. Khankendi became a town i...

Sumqayit

(Encyclopedia)Sumqayit gīētˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 231,104), E central Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea at the mouth of the Sumqayit River. Once a major industrial center, it became heavily polluted and most of i...

Ptolemaïs, ancient cities, Asia and Africa

(Encyclopedia)Ptolemaïs tŏləmāˈīs [key], ancient name given to several cities to honor members of the dynasty of the Ptolemies. One of these later became known as Akko, in modern Israel. Another was one of th...