AZERBAIJAN
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AZERBAIJAN
Note--Azerbaijan continues to be plagued by an unresolved
seven-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 displaced persons 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 fourth year. Nevertheless, Baku and Xankandi
(Stepanakert) 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.
@Azerbaijan:Geography
Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran
and Russia
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States - European States
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AZERBAIJAN - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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BAKU 1,757,000 40.22N, 49.53E 7- GMT+4
Gyandzha 278,000 40.40N, 46.22E 7- GMT+4
Sumgait 231,000 40.36N, 49.38E 7- GMT+4
Mingechaur 70,000 40.45N, 47.03E 7- GMT+4
Sheki 53,000 41.12N, 47.10E 7- GMT+4
Nakhichevan 51,000 39.12N, 45.24E 7- GMT+4
Lenkoran 42,000 38.45N, 48.50E 7- GMT+4
Stepanakert 35,000 39.48N, 46.45E 7- GMT+4
Shemakha 19,000 40.38N, 48.37E 7- GMT+4
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Area:
total area: 86,600 sq km
land area: 86,100 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Maine
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
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: none; landlocked
International disputes: violent and longstanding dispute with ethnic
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh over its status; Caspian Sea boundaries
are not yet determined
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
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 sq km (1990)
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
natural hazards: droughts; some lowland areas threatened by rising
levels of the Caspian Sea
international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Climate Change
Note: landlocked
@Azerbaijan:People
Population: 7,789,886 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (female 1,241,952; male 1,315,313)
15-64 years: 61% (female 2,437,810; male 2,307,496)
65 years and over: 6% (female 303,926; male 183,389) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.32% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 22.05 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 33.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.09 years
male: 67.4 years
female: 74.97 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.64 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Azerbaijani(s)
adjective: Azerbaijani
Ethnic divisions: Azeri 90%, Dagestani Peoples 3.2%, Russian 2.5%,
Armenian 2.3%, other 2% (1995 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; actual
practicing adherents are much lower
Languages: Azeri 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 96%
Labor force: 2.789 million
by occupation: agriculture and forestry 32%, industry and construction
26%, other 42% (1990)
@Azerbaijan:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Azerbaijani Republic
conventional short form: Azerbaijan
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form: none
former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph: AJ
Type: republic
Capital: Baku (Baki)
Administrative divisions: 59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11
cities* (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic** (muxtar
respublika); Abscron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas
Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, AliBayramli 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, Yardimb Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Yevlax
Sahari*, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu
Independence: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 May
Constitution: adopted NA April 1978; writing a new constitution
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); election
last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - Heydar ALIYEV
won 97% of vote
head of government: Acting Prime Minister Fuad QULIYEV (since 9
October 1994); First Deputy Prime Ministers Abbas ABBASOV, Samed
SADYKOV, Vahid AKHMEDOV (since NA)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and
confirmed by the Mejlis
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Milli Mejlis): elections last held 30 September and
14 October 1990 for the Supreme Soviet (next expected to be held
September 1995 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
note: since June 1993 ALIYEV has rotated in several supporters to
replace Popular Front adherents
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Azerbaijan Popular Front (APF), Ebulfez
ELCIBEY, chairman; Musavat Party, Isa GAMBAR, chairman; National
Independence Party, Etibar MAMEDOV, chairman; Social Democratic Party
(SDP), Araz ALIZADE, chairman; Communist Party, Ramiz AKHMEDOV,
chairman; People's Freedom Party, Yunus OGUZ, chairman; Independent
Social Democratic Party, Arif YUNUSOV and Leila YUNOSOVA, cochairmen;
New Azerbaijan Party, Heydar ALIYEV, chairman; Boz Gurd Party,
Iskander HAMIDOV, chairman; Azerbaijan Democratic Independence Party,
Qabil HUSEYNLI, chairman; Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, Ali Akram,
chairman; Ana Veten Party, Fazail AGAMALIYEV; Azerbaijan Democratic
Party, Sardar Jalaloglu MAMEDOV; Azerbaijan Democratic Party of
Proprietors (DPOP), Makhmud MAMEDOV; Azerbaijan Patriotic Solidarity
Party, Sabir RUSTAMHANLI; Azerbaijan Republic Reform Party, Fuad
ASADOV; Communist Party of Azerbaijan (unregistered), Sayad SAYADOV;
Equality of the Peoples Party, Faukhraddin AYDAYEV; Independent
Azerbaijan Party, Nizami SULEYMANOV; Labor Party of Azerbaijan,
Sabutai HAJIYEV; Liberal-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Lyudmila
NIKOLAYEVNA; National Enlightenment Party, Hajy Osman EFENDIYEV;
National Liberation Party, Panak SHAKHSEVEV; Peasant Party, Firuz
MUSTAFAYEV; Radical Party of Azerbaijan, Malik SHARIFOV; United
Azerbaijan Party, Kerrar ABILOV; Vetan Adzhagy Party, Zakir TAGIYEV
Other political or pressure groups: self-proclaimed Armenian
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement
Member of: BSEC, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB,
IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal PASHAYEV
chancery: (temporary) Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC
20005
telephone: [1] (202) 842-0001
FAX: [1] (202) 842-0004
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard D. KAUZLARICH
embassy: Azadliq Prospect 83, Baku
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [9] (9412) 96-00-19, 98-03-37
FAX: [9] (9412) 98-37-55
Flag: 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 is less developed industrially than either
Armenia or Georgia, the other Transcaucasian states. It resembles the
Central Asian states in its majority nominally 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, but
the November 1994 ratification of the $7.5 billion oil deal with a
consortium of Western companies should generate the funds needed to
spur future industrial development. 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 long-term
prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic
reform, and old economic ties and structures have yet to be replaced.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $13.8 billion (1994
estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -22% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,790 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 28% monthly average (1994)
Unemployment rate: 0.9% includes officially registered unemployed;
also large numbers of other unemployed and underemployed workers
(December 1994)
Budget:
revenues: $167.5 million
expenditures: $234.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1994)
Exports: $366 million to non-FSU countries (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: oil and gas, chemicals, oilfield equipment, textiles,
cotton (1991)
partners: mostly CIS and European countries
Imports: $296 million from non-FSU countries (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: machinery and parts, consumer durables, foodstuffs,
textiles (1991)
partners: European countries
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate -25% (1994)
Electricity:
capacity: 4,900,000 kW
production: 17.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 2,270 kWh (1994)
Industries: petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield
equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals;
textiles
Agriculture: cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea,
tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep and goats
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
Economic aid:
recipient: wheat from Turkey
Currency: 1 manat = 100 gopik
Exchange rates: manats per US$1 - 4500 (April 1995), 4168 (end of
December 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Azerbaijan:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 2,090 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 2,090 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways:
total: 36,700 km
paved or graveled: 31,800 km
unpaved: earth 4,900 km (1990)
Pipelines: crude oil 1,130 km; petroleum products 630 km; natural gas
1,240 km
Ports: Baku (Baki)
Airports:
total: 69
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
with paved runways under 914 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7
with unpaved runways under 914 m: 33
@Azerbaijan:Communications
Telephone system: 710,000 telephones; 90 telephones/1,000 persons
(1991); 202,000 persons waiting for telephone installations (January
1991); domestic telephone service is of poor quality and inadequate
local: a joint venture to establish a cellular telephone system
(Bakcel) in the Baku area is supposed to become operational in 1994
intercity: NA
international: connections to other former USSR republics by cable and
microwave and to other countries via the Moscow international gateway
switch; INTELSAT link installed in late 1992 in Baku with Turkish
financial assistance with access to 200 countries through Turkey;
since August 1993 an earth station near Baku has provided direct
communications with New York through Russia's Stationar-11 satellite
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: NA; domestic and Russian TV programs are received
locally and Turkish and Iranian TV is received from an INTELSAT
satellite through a receive-only earth station
televisions: NA
@Azerbaijan:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Maritime Border Guard, National
Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,927,955; males fit for
military service 1,553,736; males reach military age (18) annually
68,407 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 70.5 billion rubles, 10% of GDP (1993 budget
allocation); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars
using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
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