Thread by @Tom_deWaal

#Azerbaijan reading day! Two excellent articles on its complex identity and how this is represented in cartography and political discourse. First is by teh brilliant @LaurenceBroers who explores changing ideological outlook of post-Soviet Azerbaijan.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

Laurence analyses 3 phases, each with their cartographic products: in recent times cartographic, sometimes irredentist, obsession with Armenia; before that “cartography of consensus” under Heidar Aliev stressing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity within its Soviet-era borders

The first phase n Popular Front era of '90s was cartographic obsession with "southern Azerbaijan" (Iran). The Iranian dimension is also the topic of Benoit Filou's excellent article. bakuresearchinstitute.org/two-shores-the…

Filou records how USSR mobilized the "southern Azerbaijan" factor in 1940s, then depressed it. Not it is more a subject of historical imagination than reality. In recent years, he notes, Turkey has eclipsed Iran in its capacity to mobilize and engage Azerbaijani society.

I've always been fascinated by Azerbaijani national identity and how it differs from that of its two neighbours, Armenia and Georgia. The map is of central importance in it--just look at bank-notes and coins! Read these two rich articles to get deep insights into this question.