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Azerbaijanis
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<p>Azerbaijanis , Azeris (<i>Azərilər</i>, آذریلر), or Azerbaijani Turks (<i>Azərbaycan türkləri</i>, آذربایجان تۆرکلری) are a <a href="/facts/Turkic_peoples/ocd7rpI3">Turkic</a> ethnic group living mainly in the <a href="/facts/Azerbaijan_(Iran)/m0hNEXRu">Azerbaijan</a> region of northwestern Iran and the <a href="/facts/Azerbaijan/Ho5joRTJ">Republic of Azerbaijan</a>. They are predominantly <a href="/facts/Shia_Islam/JIQl7ooz">Shia Muslims</a>. They comprise the largest ethnic group in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the second-largest ethnic group in neighboring <a href="/facts/Iran/24yukge8">Iran</a> and <a href="/facts/Georgia_(country)/ccBF8bBE">Georgia</a>. They speak the <a href="/facts/Azerbaijani_language/RBrpdUk2">Azerbaijani language</a>, belonging to the <a href="/facts/Oghuz_languages/pvQk67uf">Oghuz</a> branch of the <a href="/facts/Turkic_languages/RXqsmfgh">Turkic languages</a>. </p><p>Following the <a href="/facts/Russo-Persian_Wars/EmRpTVN7">Russo-Persian Wars</a> of <a href="/facts/Russo-Persian_War_(1804%25E2%2580%25931813)/PPeaUu8n">1813</a> and <a href="/facts/Russo-Persian_War_(1826%25E2%2580%25931828)/IblUJoFl">1828</a>, the territories of <a href="/facts/Qajar_Iran/qSYcpC8f">Qajar Iran</a> in the Caucasus were ceded to the <a href="/facts/Russian_Empire/hg1g5SpV">Russian Empire</a> and the <a href="/facts/Treaty_of_Gulistan/k9qDVafV">treaties of Gulistan</a> in 1813 and <a href="/facts/Treaty_of_Turkmenchay/vYGcuz7K">Turkmenchay</a> in 1828 finalized the borders between Russia and Iran. After more than 80 years of being under the Russian Empire in the Caucasus, the <a href="/facts/Azerbaijan_Democratic_Republic/mgadN3Lz">Azerbaijan Democratic Republic</a> was established in 1918 which defined the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. </p>