Map of Azerbaijan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population - 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 800,000 refugees and 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.


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Location: Southwestern Asia bordering the Caspian Sea between Iran and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 40 30 N 47 30 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 86,600 km²
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 km²
Land: 86,100 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries
Total: 2,013 km
Border countries: (6) 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
Extremes highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas iron ore nonferrous metals alumina

Land use
Arable land: 19.31%
Permanent crops: 3.04%
Other: 77.65% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 14,550 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: droughts

Geography
Note: both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked


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Population: 7,798,497 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 0.38% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: 49% (2002)

Nationality
Noun: Azerbaijani
Adjective: Azerbaijani

Ethnic groups
Note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region

Languages: Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89% Russian 3% Armenian 2% other 6% (1995 est.)

Religions
Note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.3% (male 1,122,340; female 1,082,355)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 2,441,830; female 2,577,109)
65 years and over: 7.4% (male 228,735; female 346,128) (2002 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.38% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 18.84 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 9.61 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.41 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2002 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 82.74 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.06 years
Female: 67.53 years (2002 est.)
Male: 58.8 years

Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 500 (1999 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97%
Male: 99%
Female: 96% (1989 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan
Conventional short form: Azerbaijan
Local short form: none
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); 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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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
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 'Reform' 6, CSP 3, PNIA 2, Musavat Party 2, CPA 2, APF 'Classic' 1, Compatriot Party 1
Note:

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders
Note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form new parties

International organization participation: AsDB BSEC CCC CE CIS EAPC EBRD ECE ECO ESCAP FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO (correspondent) ITU NAM (observer) OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OSCE PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Elmar MAMEDYAROV
In the us fax: [1] (202) 337-5,911
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 337-3,500
In the us chancery: 2,741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ross L. WILSON
From the us embassy: 83 Azadliq Avenue, Baku 370,007
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Baku, Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-7,050
From the us telephone: [9] (9,412) 98-03-35, 36, 37
From the us fax: [9] (9,412) 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Azerbaijan's number one export is oil. 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 thus far committed $60 billion to 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. 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 in the non-energy sector 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 with Turkey 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.1% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,300 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 20%
Industry: 33%
Services: 47% (2001 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 6% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 3.7 million (1997) (2001)
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 41%
By occupation industry: 7%
By occupation services: 53% (1997) (2001)

Unemployment rate: 16% (official rate is 1.1% for 2002) (2001 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 49% (2002)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3%
Highest 10: 28% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index: 36 (1995)

Budget
Revenues: $786 million
Expenditures: $807 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2002 est.)

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: $2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: oil and gas 90% machinery cotton foodstuffs
Partners: Italy 57.2% Israel 7.1% Georgia 4.5% Russia 3.4% Turkey 2.9% (2001)

Imports: $1.8 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: machinery and equipment oil products foodstuffs metals chemicals
Partners: US 16.1% Russia 10.7% Turkey 10.4% Kazakhstan 7.0% Germany 5.1% (2001)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.4 billion (2002)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,804 (11 February 2002) 4,657 (2001) 4,474 (2000) 4,120 (1999) 3,869 (1998) 3,985 (1997)


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Electricity
Production: 17.6 billion kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 91%
Production by source hydro: 9%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 16.7 billion kWh (2000)
Exports: 900 million kWh (2000)
Imports: 1.25 billion kWh (2000)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 865,000 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 800,000 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization; teledensity of 10 main lines per 100 persons is low (2002)
Domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other industrial centers - about 700 villages still without 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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .az
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 25,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $121 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 2.6% (FY99)

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: 52 (2001)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 43
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 28 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 1130 km; petroleum products 630 km; natural gas 1240 km

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 est.)

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 246,051 GRT/306,756 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 12, petroleum tanker 40, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and militarily occupies about one-sixth of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan signed bilateral agreements with Russia delimiting the Caspian seabed but littoral states are far from multilateral agreement on dividing the waters and seabed regimes - Iran insists on division of Caspian Sea into five equal sectors while Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Russia and Turkmenistan have generally agreed upon equidistant seabed boundaries; Iran threatens to conduct oil exploration in Azerbaijani-claimed waters while interdicting Azerbaijani activities; Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan await ICJ decision to resolve sovereignty dispute over oilfields in the Caspian Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe