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Guide
Introduction
| |
| Background: |
Azerbaijan - a nation of
Turkic Muslims - has been an independent republic since the collapse of
the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a cease-fire, in place since 1994,
Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the
Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated).
Azerbaijan has lost almost 20% of its territory and must support some
750,000 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of
the conflict. Corruption is ......ubiquitous
and the promise of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped
petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled. |
| Location: |
Southwestern Asia, bordering
the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
40 30 N, 47 30 E |
| Map
references: |
Commonwealth of Independent
States |
| Area: |
total: 86,600 sq
km
land: 86,100 sq km
water: 500 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 |
| 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 |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 18%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 41% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
10,000 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
droughts; some lowland areas
threatened by rising levels of the Caspian Sea |
| 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, water, and soil pollution; soil pollution results
from the use of DDT as a pesticide and also from toxic defoliants used
in the production of cotton |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked |
| Population: |
7,771,092 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
28.95% (male 1,146,315; female 1,103,393)
15-64 years: 63.93% (male 2,415,678; female 2,552,759)
65 years and over: 7.12% (male 219,549; female 333,398)
(2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.32% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
18.44 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.55 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-5.67 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
83.08 deaths/1,000 live
births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
62.96 years
male: 58.65 years
female: 67.49 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.24 children born/woman
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
less than 0.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 500 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Azerbaijani(s)
adjective: Azerbaijani |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Azeri 90%, Dagestani 3.2%,
Russian 2.5%, Armenian 2%, other 2.3% (1998 est.)
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% (1995 est.)
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% (1995 est.) |
| Literacy: |
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 96% (1989 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Azerbaijan
conventional short form: Azerbaijan
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form: none
former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon -
singular), 11 cities* (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous
republic** (muxtar respublika); Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam
Rayonu, Agdas Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Ali Bayramli Sahari*,
Astara Rayonu, Baki Sahari*, Balakan Rayonu, Barda Rayonu, Beylaqan
Rayonu, Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu, Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan
Rayonu, Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu, Gadabay Rayonu, Ganca Sahari*,
Goranboy Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu, Imisli Rayonu,
Ismayilli Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu, Lacin Rayonu,
Lankaran Rayonu, Lankaran Sahari*, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu,
Mingacevir Sahari*, Naftalan Sahari*, Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi**,
Neftcala Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax Rayonu,
Qobustan Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu, Saatli
Rayonu, Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Saki Sahari*, Salyan Rayonu,
Samaxi Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Sumqayit
Sahari*, Susa Rayonu, Susa Sahari*, Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar
Rayonu, Xacmaz Rayonu, Xankandi Sahari*, Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu,
Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Yevlax
Sahari*, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu |
| 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 Heydar ALIYEV (since 18 June 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 26
November 1996)
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; election last held 11 October 1998 (next to be held NA October
2003); prime minister and first deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president and confirmed by the National Assembly
election results: Heydar ALIYEV reelected president;
percent of vote - Heydar ALIYEV 77.6%, Etibar MAMEDOV 11.8%, Nizami
SULEYMANOV 8.2% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National Assembly
or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 4 November 2000 (next to be held NA
November 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NAP and allies 108, APF 6, CSP 3, PNIA 2, Musavat Party 2, CPA
2, APF "traditionalist" 1, Compatriot Party 1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Alliance for Azerbaijan Party
[Abutalyb SAMADOV]; Azerbaijani Democratic Party or ADP [Sardar JALAL];
Azerbaijani Independent Democratic Party or AMDP [Leyla YUNUSOVA];
Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF [Ali KERIMOV, leader of "reform
faction"; Mirmahmud FATTAYEV, leader of "traditionalist"
faction]; Civic Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLY]; Civic
Union Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]; Communist Party of Azerbaijan or CPA [Ramiz
AHMADOV]; Communist Party of Azerbaijan or CPA-2 [Firudin HASANOV];
Compatriot Party [Mais SAFARLI]; Democratic Enlightenment Party [Mammadhanifu
MUSAYEV]; Democratic Party for Azerbaijan or DPA [Ilyus ISMAILOV and
Rasul QULIYEV, co-chairman]; Democratic World Party of Azerbaijan [Mamnad
ALIZADE]; Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shvkat HAJIYEVA]; Motherland
Party [Fazail AGAMALI]; National Congress Party of Azerbaijan [Ihtiyar
SHIRIN]; National Movement Party [Samir JAFAROV]; National Statehood
Party [Sabir TARIVERDIYEV]; Musavat [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; New
Azerbaijan Party or NAP [Heydar ALIYEV, chairman]; Party for National
Independence of Azerbaijan or PNIA [Etibar MAMMADOV, chairman]; People's
Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or PDPA [Rafig TURABKHANOGLU]; Social
Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP [Zardusht ALIZADE, chairman]
note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form
new parties |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Sadval, Lezgin movement;
self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence
movement |
| International
organization participation: |
AsDB, BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
(observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal PASHAYEV
chancery: (temporary) Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20005 or P. O. Box 28790, Washington, DC 20038-8790
telephone: [1] (202) 842-0001
FAX: [1] (202) 842-0004 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ross WILSON
embassy: Azadliq Prospekt 83, Baku 370007
mailing address: American Embassy Baku, Department of
State, Washington, DC 20521-7050
telephone: [9] (9412) 98-03-35, 36, 37
FAX: [9] (9412) 90-66-71 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal horizontal bands
of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in
white are centered in red band |
| Economy
- overview: |
Azerbaijan's most prominent
products are oil, cotton, and natural gas. Azerbaijan's oil production
declined through 1997 but has registered an increase every year since.
Negotiation of 19 production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign
firms, which have thus far committed $60 billion to oil field
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.
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. An obstacle to
economic progress, including stepped up foreign investment, is the
continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Trade
with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in
importance while trade is building up with Turkey, Iran, UAE, and the
nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices,
the location of new pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to
manage its oil wealth. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$23.5 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
11.4% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$3,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 22%
industry: 33%
services: 45% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
60% (2000 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
2.9 million (1997) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture and forestry 32%,
industry 15%, services 53% (1997) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
20% (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $777
million
expenditures: $995 million, including capital expenditures
of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
petroleum and natural gas,
petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement;
chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
6.9% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
16.378 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
86.46%
hydro: 13.54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
15.432 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
600 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
800 million kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, grain, rice, grapes,
fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats |
| Exports: |
$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000
est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
oil and gas 75%, machinery,
cotton, foodstuffs |
| Exports
- partners: |
Italy, Turkey, Russia,
Georgia, Iran |
| Imports: |
$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000
est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and equipment,
foodstuffs, metals, chemicals |
| Imports
- partners: |
Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE,
Iran |
| Debt
- external: |
$1 billion (2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
ODA, $113 million (1996) |
| Currency: |
Azerbaijani manat (AZM) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Azerbaijani manats per US
dollar - 4,579 (1 February 2001), 4,342 (October 1999), 4,373 (1999),
3,869 (1998), 3,985.38 (1997), 4,301.26 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
663,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
40,000 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization;
teledensity of 8.6 main lines per 100 persons is very low
domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other
industrial centers - about 700 villages still do not have public
telephone service; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in
its exclave of Naxcivan
international: the old Soviet system of cable and microwave
is still serviceable; a satellite connection to Turkey enables Baku to
reach about 200 additional countries, some of which are directly
connected to Baku by satellite providers other than Turkey (1997) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
2 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
170,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.az |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
8,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 2,125 km
in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge: 2,125 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified)
(1993) |
| Highways: |
total: 24,981 km
paved: 23,057 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced,
and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are
surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable
in all weather)
unpaved: 1,924 km (these roads are made of unstabilized
earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1998) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 1,130 km; petroleum
products 630 km; natural gas 1,240 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Baku (Baki) |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 56 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 253,882 GRT/313,252 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 12, petroleum tanker 40, roll
on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 43
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 28 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air and Air
Defense Forces, Border Guards |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
2,102,780 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
1,684,673 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 77,099
(2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$121 million (FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.6% (FY99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Armenia supports ethnic
Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the
longstanding, separatist conflict against the Azerbaijani Government;
Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran,
Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan |
| Illicit
drugs: |
limited illicit cultivation
of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; limited
government eradication program; transshipment point for opiates via
Iran, Central Asia, and Russia to Western Europe |
......
|
