 Located at the intersection of East and West, more than 40 minorities and ethnic groups live in Azerbaijan, including Talyshs, Avars, Lezgins, Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, Poles and others.The town has had an influx of financial support from relatives living in Israel and features the new Bet Knesset Synagogue.However, after Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, many residents emigrated to Israel, the United States, and Europe, and the population dropped from the roughly 18,000 that lived there during the era of Communism.