# Balakan

> city in Azerbaijan

**Wikidata**: [Q1989793](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1989793)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balakən)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/balakan

## Summary
Balakan (officially Balakən) is a city in Azerbaijan that serves as the administrative capital of the Balakan District. Located at an elevation of 378 meters above sea level at coordinates 41.72°N, 46.42°E, the city has grown from a population of 1,815 in 1959 to approximately 14,800 residents as of 2017. It operates within the UTC+04:00 timezone and uses the postal code AZ0800.

## Key Facts
- **Official Name**: Balakən
- **Country**: Azerbaijan
- **Classification**: City (instance of: large human settlement)
- **Administrative Role**: Capital of Balakan District since August 8, 1930
- **Historical Administration**: Part of Zakatala Okrug from 1859 to 1917
- **Coordinates**: 41.71857232831424°N, 46.41648536011692°E
- **Elevation**: 378 meters above sea level
- **Timezone**: UTC+04:00
- **Postal Code**: AZ0800
- **Local Dialing Code**: +994 2429
- **Official Language**: Azerbaijani
- **Population (1959)**: 1,815
- **Population (1970)**: 5,368
- **Population (1979)**: 6,587
- **Population (1989)**: 8,134
- **Population (2017)**: 14,800
- **Official Website**: http://balaken-ih.gov.az
- **SNARC ID**: 1411
- **Geonames ID**: 587070
- **Freebase ID**: /m/04ggg01
- **GNS Unique Feature ID**: -2705216
- **Who's On First ID**: 85668531
- **Georgian Encyclopedia ID**: 22882
- **Sitelink Count**: 38
- **Alternative Names**: Belokan, バラキャン, Белоканы

## FAQs
**What is Balakan's administrative function?**
Balakan serves as the capital of the Balakan District in Azerbaijan, a role it has held since August 8, 1930. Prior to this, it was part of the Zakatala Okrug from 1859 to 1917.

**Where is Balakan geographically located?**
Balakan is situated in Azerbaijan at coordinates 41.71857232831424°N latitude and 46.41648536011692°E longitude, positioned 378 meters above sea level.

**How has Balakan's population changed over time?**
The city has experienced steady growth from 1,815 residents in 1959 to 14,800 in 2017, with intermediate counts of 5,368 (1970), 6,587 (1979), and 8,134 (1989).

**What linguistic resources are available about Balakan?**
Balakan has Wikipedia articles in 39 languages including Arabic, Azerbaijani, English, German, Russian, Turkish, Persian, Georgian, and Chinese, among others.

## Why It Matters
Balakan represents a significant regional administrative center in northwestern Azerbaijan, demonstrating substantial urban growth over a 58-year period with its population expanding more than eightfold. As the capital of the Balakan District since 1930, it serves as the governmental and civic hub for the surrounding region. The city's documentation across 39 Wikipedia language editions and multiple international geographic databases (Geonames, GNS, Freebase, Georgian Encyclopedia) indicates its recognition as a notable settlement. Its administrative history—transitioning from the Zakatala Okrug in the 19th century to its current district status—reflects the broader geopolitical changes in the Caucasus region.

## Notable For
- Serving as the administrative capital of Balakan District since 1930
- Population growth of over 700% between 1959 and 2017
- Multi-language Wikipedia presence spanning 39 language editions
- Historical inclusion in the Zakatala Okrug during the Russian Imperial period (1859–1917)
- Recognition in multiple international geographic and encyclopedia databases
- Strategic location in the Caucasus region at 378 meters elevation

## Body

### Administrative Status and Governance
Balakan holds the designation of a city (classified as a large human settlement) and functions as the capital of the Balakan District in Azerbaijan. The city's administrative status was formally established on August 8, 1930, when it became the district capital. Its official website is maintained at http://balaken-ih.gov.az. The official language of Balakan is Azerbaijani.

### Historical Administrative Changes
Prior to its current role, Balakan was incorporated into the Zakatala Okrug, an administrative division that existed from 1859 until 1917. This places the city within the historical context of the Russian Empire's administrative structure in the Caucasus before the establishment of Soviet-era district formations.

### Geographic Specifications
Balakan is positioned at precise coordinates 41.71857232831424°N latitude and 46.41648536011692°E longitude. The city sits at an elevation of 378 meters above sea level. It operates within the UTC+04:00 timezone.

### Demographic Timeline
Population records document Balakan's growth across five census points:
- 1959: 1,815 residents
- 1970: 5,368 residents
- 1979: 6,587 residents
- 1989: 8,134 residents
- 2017: 14,800 residents

### Contact and Identification
The city uses postal code AZ0800 and local dialing code +994 2429. Balakan is indexed under SNARC ID 1411.

### Digital Presence and Documentation
Balakan maintains a sitelink count of 38 and is documented in Wikipedia under the title "Balakən" across 39 language editions: Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Avar, Azerbaijani, South Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Chechen, Cebuano, German, English, Spanish, Persian, Finnish, Upper Sorbian, Armenian, Italian, Georgian, Kazakh, Lithuanian, Latvian, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Norwegian, Ossetian, Polish, Western Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Tajik, Turkish, Tatar, Ukrainian, Urdu, Mingrelian, and Chinese.

### Database Identifiers
Multiple international systems reference Balakan:
- Geonames ID: 587070
- Freebase ID: /m/04ggg01 (publication date: October 28, 2013)
- GNS Unique Feature ID: -2705216
- Who's On First ID: 85668531
- Georgian Encyclopedia ID: 22882

### Categories and Associated Content
The city's topic is categorized under "Category:Balakən." Related categories include:
- Category:Births in Balakan (for people born here)
- Category of associated people: Q7907302
- Category for people buried here: Q105451813
- Category for people who died here: Q32391705

### Multimedia Resources
An image of Balakan is available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Balakan_city.jpg. The commons category for the city is "Balakən."

### Alternative Nomenclature
The city is known by several names and spellings:
- Native/Official: Balakən
- Belokan
- バラキャン (Japanese)
- Белоканы (Russian)

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. 1959 Soviet census
3. 1970 Soviet census
4. 1979 Soviet census
5. 1989 Soviet census
6. GeoNames