Archaeologist dates the first human settlements in present day Azerbaijan to the Stone Age. Pre-historic cave dwellings have been excavated throughout Azerbaijan, one of the more important being the excavation at Gobustan, famous for its rock paintings.The roots of present day Azerbaijan trace back to the fourth century B.C., with the emergence of the two kingdoms of Caucasian Albania in the north, and the Atropatan in the south. The latter takes its name from its founder, Atropat, a satrap of Alexander the Great. In fact many historians believe the word "Azerbaijan" itself derives from Atropatan, whereas others think that it means "The country of fire".

First Azerbaijan's Golden Age (9th -12th century A.D.)

Shirvanshah dynasty's reign (7th - 14th centuries A.D.) made the first Golden Age of Azerbaijan possible. Literature, Arts, Architecture and Science flourished in Azerbaijan. The great Azeri thinker and poet Nizami Ganjevi (12th century) created his literary masterpieces such as Khamsa.

Second Azerbaijan's Golden Age (15th -16th century A.D.)

In 1501 Shah Ismail (Khatai) the First, established the vast Azerbaijani (Safavids) Shah Ismail, was a wise ruler and talented poet. He established Azeri Turkish as a state language of the Safavids Empire and was respected by European Powers of that time.

Partition of Azerbaijan by Russia and Persia (1813 - 1828)
Subsequent centuries saw a decline of Safavid Empire. In the beginning of the 19th century Russia and Persia divided Azerbaijan along the Araz River. The North Azerbaijan came under Russian control, while Southern part went under the rule of Persia.
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Oil Boom (late 19th - early 20th century)
The mass extraction of oil drew the investors and entrepreneurs from all over the world to Baku oil fields. Oil boom gave an impetus to the emergence of Azerbaijani middle class and millionaire mentors. This period witnessed unprecedented renaissance in Azerbaijani national consciousness.

First Democratic Republic of the Islamic Orient (1918 - 1920)
Azerbaijani patriots under the leadership of Mehmet Emin Rasulzadeh established the first Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, recognized by European Powers. The parliament of the young republic included Azerbaijani as well as Russian, Armenian, Jewish and Georgian parties.

Born out of Fire (“The Land of Fire" free again)
After the disintegration of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan accepted the declaration "On the restoration of the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, and the sovereign Azerbaijan Republic was proclaimed. Since obtaining independence in 1991 Azerbaijan has faced a number of serious problems, connected with the economic chaos brought about by the difficulties of the transition to a market economy, and the invasion of our historical soils by the Armenian aggressors.  The contract signed in September 1994 with a consortium of international petroleum companies, called "The Contract of Century", has brought great wealth to the country. The authority and fame of Azerbaijan in the international world is growing continuously. Azerbaijan Republic is known all over the world as democratic, legal and secular state. The constitution of our state, being the result of Heydar Aliyev's mind, is one of the most democratic and perfect one in the world. The stability in our country and carrying out internal reforms positively affect the extension of the international relations. Azerbaijan Republic, basing its foreign policy on principles of equality and mutual interest, is an open act state for all the states of the world.  In spite of any adversity, the Azeri people always have a belief in the future and a large optimism. And today, when our Republic is following the road of independent development, we trust that Azerbaijan will occupy the place in the world that it deserves, according to its past, present and future, and get our lands back from the invaders.