, ▁but ▁less ▁than ▁in ▁Gil an ▁and ▁Maz and aran . ▁Also ▁A zer ba ij an ▁saw ▁the ▁large ▁infl ux ▁of ▁the ▁so - called ▁White ▁é migr ées ▁who ▁fled ▁to ▁Iran ▁following ▁the ▁B ols he vik ▁revolution ▁in ▁Russia . ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁Iran , ▁especially ▁its ▁contemporary ▁history ▁has ▁proven ▁that ▁the ▁A zer ba ij ani ▁people ▁are ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁patri otic ▁people ▁in ▁Iran . ▁Iran ian ▁national ism ▁is ▁partly ▁the ▁product ▁of ▁A zer ba ij ani ▁intellect uals . ▁A zer ba ij ani ▁provinces ▁have ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁in ▁the ▁cultural ▁and ▁economic ▁life ▁of ▁Iran ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁P ah la vi ▁era ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁Constitution al ▁and ▁Islam ic ▁revolution . ▁ ▁Mon uments ▁The ▁Iran ian ▁provinces ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁both ▁West ▁and ▁East , ▁possess ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁monuments ▁from ▁all ▁periods ▁of ▁history . ▁ ▁Geography ▁Iran ian ▁A zer ba ij an ▁is ▁generally ▁considered ▁the ▁north - west ▁portion ▁of ▁Iran ▁compr ising ▁the ▁provinces ▁of ▁East ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁West ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁and ▁Ar d abil ,. ▁It ▁shares ▁borders ▁with ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁Armen ia , ▁Turkey , ▁and ▁Ira q . ▁There ▁are ▁ 1 7 ▁rivers ▁and ▁two ▁la kes ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁Cot ton , ▁n uts , ▁text iles , ▁tea ,