Talyshen
The Talysh are an Iranian- speaking ethnic group in the Caucasus who live on the border between Azerbaijan and Iran .
Number and distribution
In Azerbaijan, the Talys live in the Lənkəran region and in Iran in the provinces of Ardabil and Gilan . Culturally they are close to both the people of Dagestan and Azerbaijan. There are no clear population statistics about the Talysh. According to an Azerbaijani census, 80,000 Talysh live in Azerbaijan.
According to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) , around 1,500,000–2,000,000 Talyschen live around the world, around 500,000–750,000 of them in Iran and 500,000–800,000 in Azerbaijan.
language
The Talys call themselves Tolishon and speak the north-west Iranian language Talish . Most Talysh are bi- or trilingual and speak Azerbaijani , Russian or Persian in addition to Talish .
history
In 1993, the Autonomous Talysh Mugan Republic , which supported the former President Ayaz Mütallibov , was proclaimed in southeastern Azerbaijan . However, it was soon smashed again.
Others
The Talysh are members of the Organization of Unrepresented Nations and Peoples .
