Balakən

Balakən[lower-alpha 1] (Avar: Билкан) is a city and the administrative centre of the Balakan District of Azerbaijan. The city is situated at the foot of the Great Caucasus mountains and on the Balakan river, a tributary of the Alazani River.

Balakən
City & Municipality
Coat of arms
Balakən
Coordinates: 41°43′33″N 46°24′30″E
Country Azerbaijan
DistrictBalakan
Elevation
378 m (1,240 ft)
Population
 (2009)[1]
 • Total9,317
Time zoneUTC+4 (AZT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+5 (AZT)
Area code(s)+994 119
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Throughout history, the city was ruled by different kingdoms and khanates. In 1918–1920, Balakən was disputed between Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Democratic Republic of Georgia until both countries were occupied by Soviet Russia and the city became part of Azerbaijan SSR. In 1965, Balakən gained city status after the Azerbaijani government's approval.[2]

Economy

The economy of Balakən is partially agricultural, partially tourist-based, with some industries in operation.[2]

Society and Culture

Demography

The majority of the population of Balakən is ethnic Azerbaijanis. There's a significant minority of Avars, Georgians and Ingiloys. According to a 2005 survey, 85% of the population was ethnic Azerbaijani, 14% Avar, and the remaining 1% consisted of other ethnicities.[3]

Cuisine

Balakən's signature cuisine includes maxara, cüttü, chicken chigirtma and Balakən halva.

  • Central Park in the city
  • View of the central park of Balakan
  • Nature of Balakan
  • Balakan Culture House
  • Forest in Balakan
  • Center of Azerishiq in Balakan

References
  1. Transliterated as Balakan, Belokan or Belokany
  1. "The State Statistical Committee of the Azerbaijan Republic".
  2. Balakan Government's Official Website Archived 2009-05-30 at the Wayback Machine (in Azerbaijani)
  3. "Summer Institute of Linguistics Electronic Survey Reports 2005" (PDF). Summer Institute of Linguistics Electronic Survey Reports. 2005.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.