Azerbaijanispeaking

Azerbaijanispeaking refers to the community of people who speak Azerbaijani as their primary language. The term commonly overlaps with ethnic Azerbaijanis, particularly those for whom Azerbaijani is the home language. Azerbaijani is a Turkic language in the Oghuz branch, and it exists in two standardized varieties: North Azerbaijani, spoken in the Republic of Azerbaijan, and South Azerbaijani, spoken mainly in northwestern Iran. The two varieties are mutually intelligible to a large extent but differ in pronunciation, vocabulary, and orthography.

Azerbaijani is written in different scripts depending on the country: in Azerbaijan, the Latin alphabet is used; in Iran, the Perso-Arabic script is standard for South Azerbaijani, though Latin scripts are also used in some contexts and among diaspora communities. The language is rich in classical literature and modern media; significant Azerbaijani-language literature and poetry date to medieval writers such as Nizami and Khatai, and contemporary media, music, and film are produced in Azerbaijani in Azerbaijan and in diaspora communities.

The community is concentrated in Azerbaijan and Iran, with sizable populations in Georgia, Russia, Turkey, and across the Azerbaijani diaspora in Europe and the Americas. Language policy and education vary: Azerbaijani is an official language in Azerbaijan; in Iran, Azerbaijani is widely spoken but not official; in other countries, it exists primarily through community media and education in cultural contexts. The language has been influenced by Persian, Russian, and Turkish, and continues to evolve through contact with these languages and through standardization efforts by national and regional bodies.