Claim: Azerbaijan is independent.
Evidence: The modern Republic of Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence on 30 August 1991 , prior to the official dissolution of the USSR in December 1991.
Azerbaijan -LRB- -LSB- æzərbaɪˈʒɑːn -RSB- ; Azərbaycan -RRB- , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan -LRB- Azərbaycan Respublikası -RRB- , is a country in the South Caucasus region , situated at the crossroads of Southwest Asia and Southeastern Europe.