City (pop., 2003 est.: 1,828,800), capital of Azerbaijan. Located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea at the sea's best harbour, Baku has long been inhabited. By the 11th century &AD; it was in the possession of the Shirvan shahs, who made it their capital in the 12th century.
In 1723 Peter I (the Great) took Baku, but it was returned to Persia in 1735; Russia recaptured it in 1806. It was the capital of the short-lived independent state of Azerbaijan (1918–20) and in 1920 became the capital of the new Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. The basis of Baku's economy is petroleum. The city's historic centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000.
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