Today, Azerbaijan is celebrating the Republic Day.

Axar.az reports that 101 years have passed since the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first democratic secular state in the Muslim East on May 28, 1918.

Notably, Republican Day is celebrated as a national holiday since 1990.

The Russian Empire collapsed during the February Revolution of 1917. The national movement of the peoples that were oppressed by Tsarist state in the country began. On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) - the first secular democratic state founded in the Muslim East. This is the first experience of the Azerbaijani statehood in the historical memory of Azerbaijanis.

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic founded by Mammad Amin Rasulzade was the example of the first parliamentary republic in the Turkic and Islamic world and the first democratic, legal and secular state.

The first head of the temporary government of Azerbaijan was Fatali Khan Khoyski. The National Council moved to Ganja after working for ten days in Tbilisi. Only in September 1918, when the Baku was cleared of the Dashnak-Russian forces with the leadership of the Turkish army, the national government moved from Ganja to Baku.

The independent Azerbaijan Republic has achieved great successes and victories during its short life. Among the important accomplishments of the ADR was the extension of suffrage to women, making Azerbaijan one of the first countries in the world, and the very first majority-Muslim nation, to grant women equal political rights with men.

ADR created its national army, national currency, a national bank, carried out economic reforms.

The first state, which officially recognized the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was the Ottoman Empire. That historic event took place on June 4, 1918. On November 9, 1918 on the basis of the proposal by Mammad Amin Rasulzade the three-color flag of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was accepted.

Until then the flag of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was red. The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was able to operate in a tense and complicated socio-political situation for only 23 months.

The Soviet Union invaded Azerbaijan on 28 April 1920. Though the idea of independence was not defeated, and in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Empire, Azerbaijan again declared its independence.