Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

the early 1800s. In 1918 Azerbaijan

declared its independence. In 1920,

however, the new Soviet Union invaded

Azerbaijan. At first the Soviets combined

Azerbaijan with Georgia and Armenia.

In 1936 Azerbaijan became a separate

Soviet republic.With the breakup of the

Soviet Union, Azerbaijan gained independence

again in 1991.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries

Azerbaijan fought with Armenia over

control of the Nagorno-Karabakh

region. Armenia seized control of some

Azerbaijani land.

..More to explore

Baku • Caspian Sea • Union of Soviet

Socialist Republics

Facts About

AZERBAIJAN

Population

(2008 estimate)

8,178,000

Area

33,400 sq mi

(86,600 sq km)

Capital

Baku

Form of

government

Republic

Major cities

Baku, Ganca,

Sumqayit (Sumgait),

Mingacevir

(Mingechaur), Ali

Bayramli

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Azerbaijan 239

 

Aztec

In the 1400s and early 1500s the Aztec

people controlled a large empire in the

area that is now central and southern

Mexico. At its most powerful, the Aztec

Empire spread over 80,000 square miles

(207,000 square kilometers). Montezuma

II, the last great Aztec emperor,

ruled over 5 to 6 million people.

How the Aztec Lived

The capital city of the Aztec was

Tenochtitlan. It was built on land that

today is part of Mexico City. Tenochtitlan

reflected the power and wealth of

the empire. It had gleaming white palaces

and temples on top of pyramids.

City officials lived in houses made from

stone and adobe, or sun-dried clay.

Farmers lived in huts made of woven

rods and twigs covered with clay.

Most Aztec were farmers. They grew

corn, beans, peppers, squash, tomatoes,

tobacco, and cotton. Other Aztec were

traders and craftsmen.

The Aztec spoke a language called

Nahua. They had no alphabet of their

own, but they used picture writing to

record their history.

Religion was very important to the

Aztec. They worshipped several gods

who represented the forces of nature,

such as rain or sun. The god of war was

important, too.

The Aztec often used human sacrifice to

get help from the gods. This practice

involved killing a person to honor a god.

The Aztec believed that because life was

humankind’s most precious possession,

it was the best gift for the gods. They

sacrificed thousands of prisoners captured

in war.

History

The Aztec probably moved into central

Mexico from the north in about AD

1200. There they took on parts of the

cultures of earlier peoples, including the

Toltec, the Maya, and the Zapotec. They

founded Tenochtitlan in about 1325.

They conquered neighboring peoples to

build up their empire.

The Aztec were at the height of their

power when Hernan Cortes and his

Spanish soldiers arrived in 1519. The

Spanish put the emperor Montezuma II

in prison, where he died. In 1521 the

Spanish took control of Tenochtitlan,

ending the Aztec Empire. Many of the

Indians living in the Mexico City region

today are descendants of the Aztec.

#More to explore

Cortes, Hernan • Maya • Mexico

• Mexico City • Toltec

An Aztec drawing shows Aztec and Spanish

soldiers just before a battle. The Spanish

are in a building.

240 Aztec BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Britannica

Student

Encyclopedia

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Volume 2

 

2010 Britannica Student Encyclopedia

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International Standard Book Number: 978-1-61535-363-7

eBook edition January, 2010

 

Johann Sebastian Bach’s music

did not become popular until

about 50 years after his death.

(See Bach, Johann Sebastian.)

Some kinds of bamboo can

grow as much as 1 foot (0.3

meter) per day.

(See Bamboo.)

Boats were once made of wood

or other natural substances.

Today they are often made of

metal, fiberglass, or plastic.

(See Boat.)

Bonobos, a type of ape, live

only in the rain forests of the

Democratic Republic of the

Congo.

(See Bonobo.)

People have been making

bronze, a mixture of copper

and tin, for more than 5,000

years.

(See Bronze.)

Bb

 

Bach, Johann

Sebastian

German musician Johann Sebastian

Bach is considered one of the world’s

greatest composers of music. He was

also a gifted player of the organ and the

harpsichord (another keyboard instrument).

Bach created hundreds of musical compositions,

including works for choir,

orchestra, and individual instruments,

especially the organ. Among his many

masterpieces are the six Brandenburg

concertos, which have parts for both an

orchestra and solo instruments. Bach

composed many works for Lutheran

church services. He also wrote longer

sacred pieces, such as the Mass in B

Minor (1749), for choir, soloists, and

orchestra.

Early Life