Chapter 16 Section 2
Transcaucasia
A VARIETY OF CULTURES
Today more than 50 peoples live in in the region. Migrants brought many differnent languages to the region. The Arab geographers called the region Jabal Al-Alsun (mountain of language).
LAND OF FLAMES
The significance of oil in the regiion has a long history. The name Azerbaijan means "land of flames". The republics founders chose the name because of the fires erupted seemingly by magic from both the rocks and the waters of the Caspian Sea. The fires were the result of uunderground oil and gas deposits.
DIVIDING THE CASPIAN SEA
Since the break up of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan and the other four countries bordering the Caspian Sea have argued about whether the Caspian is an inland sea or a lake. The resolution of this argument will decide how resources are divided among the five countries.