World Facts Index
 Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920;
it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a
1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the
Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16%
of its territory and must support some 528,000 internally displaced persons as a result of
the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the promise of widespread wealth from
Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled.
Geography of Azerbaijan
|
Location:
|
Southwestern Asia,
bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small
European portion north of the Caucasus range |
|
Coordinates:
|
40 30 N, 47 30 E |
|
Area:
|
total: 86,600 sq km
note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and
the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by
Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991
water: 500 sq km
land: 86,100 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly smaller than Maine |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 2,013 km
border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km,
Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran
(with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave)
179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km |
|
Coastline:
|
0 km (landlocked); note -
Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km, est.) |
|
Maritime claims:
|
none (landlocked) |
|
Climate:
|
dry, semiarid steppe |
|
Terrain:
|
large, flat Kur-Araz
Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with Great
Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in
west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into
Caspian Sea |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
petroleum, natural gas,
iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina |
|
Natural hazards:
|
droughts |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
local scientists consider
the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit)
and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the
world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution
results from oil spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from
toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton |
|
Geography - note:
|
both the main area of the
country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked
|
More Geography
Population of Azerbaijan
|
Population:
|
8,177,717 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,061,318/female
947,607)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 2,753,277/female 2,855,406)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 208,293/female 351,816) |
|
Median age:
|
27.9 years |
|
Growth rate:
|
0.52% (2004 est.), 0.66% (2006 est.), 0.723%
(2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
19.81 births/1,000 |
|
Death rate:
|
9.76 deaths/1,000 |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-4.9 migrant(s)/1,000 |
|
Infant mortality:
|
56.43 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 66.31 years
male: 62.2 years
female: 71 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
2.46 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Azerbaijani(s)
adjective: Azerbaijani |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%,
other 3.9%
note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region |
|
Religions:
|
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%,
Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8%
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual
practicing adherents are much lower |
|
Languages:
|
Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%,
Armenian 2%, other 6% |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.5%
female: 98.2%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Azerbaijan
former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi |
|
Government type:
|
republic |
|
Capital:
|
Baku (Baki) |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11
cities* (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic** (muxtar respublika) |
|
Independence:
|
30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
|
National holiday:
|
Founding of the Democratic Republic of
Azerbaidzhan, 28 May (1918) |
|
Constitution:
|
adopted 12 November 1995 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on civil law system |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31
October 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November 2003); First
Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the
National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a
second term); election last held 15 October 2003 (next to be held in October
2008); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president
and confirmed by the National Assembly |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
Sadval, Lezgin movement; self-proclaimed Armenian
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces
(UPAF) |
Economy
Azerbaijan's high economic growth in 2006 and 2007 is attributable to large
and growing oil exports. Azerbaijan's oil production declined through 1997,
but has registered an increase every year since. Negotiation of
production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have
committed $60 billion to long-term oilfield development, should generate the
funds needed to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the
first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company,
began in November 1997. A consortium of Western oil companies began pumping 1
million barrels a day from a large offshore field in early 2006, through a $4
billion pipeline it built from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
By 2010 revenues from this project will double the country's current GDP.
Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics
in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its
considerable energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only
recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and
structures are slowly being replaced. Several other obstacles impede
Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign investment in
the non-energy sector, the continuing conflict with Armenia over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region, pervasive corruption, and elevated inflation. Trade
with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance,
while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term
prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new oil and gas
pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its energy wealth.
|
GDP:
|
$64.66 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
9.9% (2003 est.), 26.4% (2005 est.), 23.4% (2007
est.) |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$4,800 (2005 est.), $8,000 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 6.2%
industry: 63.3%
services: 30.5% |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
49% (2002 est.), 24% (2005 est.) |
|
Inflation rate:
|
2.9% (2003 est.), 9.6% (2005 est.), 16.7% (2007
est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
3.7 million (2001), 5.45 million (2005 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture and forestry 41%, industry 7%,
services 52% (2001) |
|
Unemployment:
|
16% (official rate is 1.2%) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $6.755 billion
expenditures: $8.572 billion |
|
Industries:
|
petroleum and natural gas, petroleum
products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals;
textiles |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 89.7%
hydro: 10.3%
nuclear: 0% |
|
Agriculture:
|
cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit,
vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats |
|
Exports:
|
oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton,
foodstuffs |
|
Export partners:
|
Italy 25.2%, France 15.4%, US 13.1%, Germany
10.2%, Czech Republic 6.9%, UK 4.2% (2007) |
|
Imports:
|
machinery and equipment, oil products,
foodstuffs, metals, chemicals |
|
Import partners:
|
Russia 17.7%, Turkey 14.7%, Germany 8.5%, UK
6.7%, China 6.7%, Turkmenistan 5.8%, Ukraine 5% (2007) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$1.873 billion |
|
Currency:
|
Azerbaijani manat (AZM) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |