Azerbaijan. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Azerbaijan | 
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| Introduction | Azerbaijan |
| 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. |
| Geography | Azerbaijan |
| Location: |
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
40 30 N, 47 30 E |
| Map
references: |
Asia |
| 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 |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 19.31%
permanent crops: 3.04% other: 77.65% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
14,550 sq km (1998 est.) |
| 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked |
| People | Azerbaijan |
| Population: |
7,798,497 (July 2002 est.) |
| 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.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.38% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
18.84 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-5.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
82.74 deaths/1,000 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.) |
| 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.) |
| Government | Azerbaijan |
| 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 |
| 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 "Reform" 6, CSP 3, PNIA 2, Musavat Party 2, CPA 2, APF "Classic" 1, Compatriot Party 1 note: PNIA, Musavat, and APF "Classic" parties refused to take their seats note: 100 members of the curent parliament were elected on the basis of single mandate constituencies, while 25 were elected based on proportional balloting; as a result of a 24 August 2002 national referendum on changes to the constitution, all 125 members of the next parliament will be elected from single mandate constituencies |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Azerbaijan Popular Front
or APF [Ali KARIMLI, leader of "Reform faction"; Mirmahmud MIRALI-OGLU,
leader of "Classic" faction]; Civic Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLY];
Civic Union Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]; Communist Party of Azerbaijan or CPA
[Ramiz AHMADOV]; Compatriot Party [Mais SAFARLI]; Democratic Party for
Azerbaijan or DPA [Rasul QULIYEV, chairman]; Justice Party [Ilyas ISMAILOV];
Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shvkat HACIYEVA]; Musavat [Isa GAMBAR,
chairman]; New Azerbaijan Party or NAP [Heydar ALIYEV, chairman]; Party
for National Independence of Azerbaijan or PNIA [Etibar MAMMADLIV, chairman];
Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP [Zardust ALIZADE] 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, 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 FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911 telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500 chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ross L. WILSON embassy: 83 Azadliq Avenue, 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 | Azerbaijan |
| 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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $27 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
6.1% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $3,300 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 20%
industry: 33% services: 47% (2001 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
49% (2002) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 28% (1995) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
36 (1995) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.6% (2002 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
3.7 million (1997) (2001) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture and forestry 41%, industry 7%, services 53% (1997) (2001) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
16% (official rate is 1.1% for 2002) (2001 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $786 million
expenditures: $807 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001) |
| Industries: |
petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
6% (2002 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
17.6 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 91%
hydro: 9% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
16.7 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
900 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
1.25 billion kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats |
| Exports: |
$2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs |
| Exports
- 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) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 16.1%, Russia 10.7%, Turkey 10.4%, Kazakhstan 7.0%, Germany 5.1% (2001) |
| Debt
- external: |
$1.4 billion (2002) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
ODA, $140 million (1996) (2000 est.) |
| Currency: |
Azerbaijani manat (AZM) |
| Currency
code: |
AZM |
| Exchange
rates: |
Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,804 (11 February 2002), 4,656.58 (2001), 4,474.15 (2000), 4,120.17 (1999), 3,869 (1998), 3,985.38 (1997) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Communications | Azerbaijan |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
865,000 (2002) |
| Telephones
- 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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: |
175,000 (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
2 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
170,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.az |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
25,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Azerbaijan |
| 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.) |
| Highways: |
total: 36,700 km
paved: 31,800 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads) unpaved: 4,900 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990) |
| Waterways: |
none |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 1,130 km; petroleum products 630 km; natural gas 1,240 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Baku (Baki) |
| 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.) |
| Airports: |
52 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 28 (2002) |
| Military | Azerbaijan |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 2,131,331 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 1,706,325 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 77,099 (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$121 million (FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.6% (FY99) |
| Transnational Issues | Azerbaijan |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
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