Map of Azerbaijan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Azerbaijan continues to be plagued by an unresolved six-year-old conflict with Armenian separatists over its Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Karabakh Armenians have declared independence and seized almost 20% of the country's territory, creating almost 1 million Azeri refugees in the process. Both sides have generally observed a Russian-mediated cease-fire in place since May 1994, and support the OSCE-mediated peace process, now entering its fifth year. Nevertheless, Baku and Xankandi (Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh region) remain far apart on most substantive issues from the placement and composition of a peacekeeping force to the enclave's ultimate political status, and prospects for a negotiated settlement remain dim.


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Location: Southwestern Asia, between Armenia and Turkmenistan, bordering the Caspian Sea

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa, Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian States, Commonwealth of Independent States - European States, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 86,600 km²
Land: 86,100 km²

Land boundaries: total 2,013 km, Armenia (west) 566 km, Armenia (southwest) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (south) 432 km, Iran (southwest) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Note: Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km, est.)

Maritime claims: NA
Note: Azerbaijani claims in Caspian Sea unknown; 10-nm fishing zone provided for in 1940 treaty regarding trade and navigation between Soviet Union and Iran

Climate: dry, semiarid steppe

Terrain: large, flat Kur-Araz Lowland (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag (Karabakh) Upland in west; Baku lies on Abseron (Apsheron) Peninsula that juts into Caspian Sea

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina

Land use
Arable land: 18%
Permanent crops: 4%
Meadows and pastures: 25%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 53%

Irrigated land: 14,010 km² (1990)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: subject to drought; some coastal areas threatened by rising levels of the Caspian Sea

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population: 7,684,456 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.41% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Azerbaijani(s)

Ethnic groups: Azeri 82.7%, Russian 5.6%, Armenian 5.6%, Dagestani 3.2%, other 2.9% (1989)
Note: Armenian share is now approximately 0.3% because most Armenians have fled the ethnic violence since 1989 census; Russian percentage is probably half what it was for the same reason

Languages: Azeri 82%, Russian 7%, Armenian 5%, other 6%

Religions: Muslim 87%, Russian Orthodox 5.6%, Armenian Orthodox 5.6%, other 1.8%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.41% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 23.04 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 6.58 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.38 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: local scientists consider the Abseron (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
International agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 34.8 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.85 years
Male: 67.08 years
Female: 74.8 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Azerbaijani Republic
Conventional short form:
Former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: republic

Capital: Baku (Baky)

Administrative divisions: 1 autonomous republic (avtomnaya respublika); Nakhichevan (administrative center at Nakhichevan)
Note: all rayons except for the exclave of Nakhichevan are under direct republic jurisdiction

Dependent areas

Independence: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Novruz Bayram, 21-22 March

Constitution: adopted NA April 1978; writing a new constitution mid-1993

Legal system: based on civil law system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Heydar ALIYEV (since 18 June 1993 after President ELCIBEY left Baku for Nakhichevan); election last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - Heydar ALIYEV won 97% of vote
Head of government: Prime Minister Surat HUSEYNOV (since 30 June 1993)

Legislative branch: Army, Air Force, Navy, Maritime Border Guard, National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
National Assembly Milli Mejlis: elections last held 30 September and 14 October 1990 for the Supreme Soviet (next expected to be held NA 1994 for the National Assembly); seats for Supreme Soviet - (360 total) Communists 280, Democratic Bloc 45 (grouping of opposition parties), other 15, vacant 20; note - on 19 May 1992 the Supreme Soviet was prorogued in favor of a Popular Front-dominated National Council; seats - (50 total) Popular Front 25, opposition elements 25

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Richard KAZLAURICH
From the us chancery: Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,005
From the us telephone: 7-8,922-92-63-06 through 09, extension 441, 442, 446, 447, 448, 450
From the us fax: (202) 842-0004
From the us embassy: Hotel Intourist, Baku
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us FAX: Telex 142,110 AMEMB SU

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Azerbaijan is less developed industrially than either Armenia or Georgia, the other Transcaucasian states. It resembles the Central Asian states in its majority Muslim population, high structural unemployment, and low standard of living. The economy's most prominent products are oil, cotton, and gas. Production from the Caspian oil and gas field has been in decline for several years. With foreign assistance, the oil industry might generate the funds needed to spur industrial development. However, civil unrest, marked by armed conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region between Muslim Azeris and Christian Armenians, makes foreign investors wary. Azerbaijan accounted for 1.5% to 2% of the capital stock and output of the former Soviet Union. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the ex-Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its prospects somewhat. Old economic ties and structures have yet to be replaced. A particularly galling constraint on economic revival is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said to consume 25% of Azerbaijan's economic resources.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -13.3% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,040 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep and goats

Industries: petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles

Industrial production growth rate: -7% (1993)

Labor force: 2.789 million
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 32%
By occupation industry and construction: 26%
By occupation other: 42% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 0.7% includes officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers (December 1993)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$NA

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $355 million to outside the FSU countries (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities: oil and gas, chemicals, oilfield equipment, textiles, cotton (1991)
Partners: mostly CIS and European countries

Imports: $240 million from outside the FSU countries (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodities: machinery and parts, consumer durables, foodstuffs, textiles (1991)
Partners: European countries

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: NA


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Electricity
Capacity: 6,025,000 kW
Production: 22,300 kWh
Consumption per capita: 2,990 kWh (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: 2,848 million rubles, NA% of GDP (1992 est.), note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 65
Usable: 33
With permanentsurface runways: 26
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 8
With runways 1220-2439 m: 23

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 1,130 km; petroleum products 630 km; natural gas 1,240 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: violent and longstanding dispute with ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh over its status, lesser dispute concerns Nakhichevan; some Azerbaijanis desire absorption of and/or unification with the ethnic Azeri portion of Iran

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe