Azerbaijan

Internet country code

.az

Internet hosts

880 (2006)

Internet users

678,800 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization; teledensity of 14 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: country code - 994; the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2 (2005)

Telephones - main lines in use

1,091,400 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2.242 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

2 (1997)

Agriculture - products

cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats

Budget

revenues: $3.18 billion expenditures: $2.986 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

Azerbaijani manat (AZM)

Current account balance

$167.3 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$1.873 billion (2005 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.5 (2001)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA, $140 million (2000 est.)

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 long-term 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. A consortium of Western oil companies is scheduled to begin pumping 1 million barrels a day from a large offshore field in early 2006, through a $4 billion pipeline it built from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Economists estimate that by 2010 revenues from this project will double the country's current GDP. 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. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector, the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and the pervasive corruption. 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.

Electricity - consumption

20.25 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

700 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

2.35 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

20 billion kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,727.1 (2005), 4,913.48 (2004), 4,910.73 (2003), 4,860.82 (2002), 4,656.58 (2001) note: on 1 January 2006 Azerbaijan revalued its currency, with 5,000 old manats equal to 1 new manat

Exports

$6.117 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs

Exports - partners

Italy 30.3%, France 9.4%, Russia 6.6%, Turkey 6.3%, Turkmenistan 6.3%, Georgia 4.8%, Israel 4.5%, Croatia 4.1% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$10.4 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$42.99 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 14.1% industry: 45.7% services: 40.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

26.4% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 27.8% (1995)

Imports

$4.656 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals

Imports - partners

Russia 17%, UK 9.1%, Singapore 9.1%, Turkey 7.4%, Germany 6.1%, Turkmenistan 5.8%, Ukraine 5.4%, China 4.1% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

40% (2005 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9.6% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

54.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

5.45 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 41% industry: 7% services: 52% (2001)

Natural gas - consumption

9.2 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

5.13 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption

123,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

477,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

589 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line

49% (2002 est.)

Public debt

11.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.192 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

1.1% official rate (2005 est.)

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

Climate

dry, semiarid steppe

Coastline

0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km est.)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

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: Air Pollution, 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

Geographic coordinates

40 30 N, 47 30 E

Geography - note

both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked

Irrigated land

14,550 sq km (2003)

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

Land use

arable land: 20.62% permanent crops: 2.61% other: 76.77% (2005)

Location

Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

droughts

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina

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

Administrative divisions

59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika) rayons: Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Astara Rayonu, Balakan Rayonu, Barda Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu, Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu, Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu, Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu, Gadabay Rayonu, Goranboy Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu, Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu, Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran Rayonu, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu, Neftcala Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax Rayonu, Qobustan Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu, Saatli Rayonu, Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Susa Rayonu, Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu, Xacmaz Rayonu, Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu cities: Ali Bayramli Sahari, Baki Sahari, Ganca Sahari, Lankaran Sahari, Mingacevir Sahari, Naftalan Sahari, Saki Sahari, Sumqayit Sahari, Susa Sahari, Xankandi Sahari, Yevlax Sahari autonomous republic: Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi

Capital

name: Baku (Baki, Baky) geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 51 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Constitution

adopted 12 November 1995

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan conventional short form: Azerbaijan local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi local short form: Azarbaycan former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Anne E. DERSE embassy: 83 Azadliyg Prospecti, Baku AZ1007 mailing address: American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050 telephone: [994] (12) 4980-335 through 337 FAX: [994] (12) 4656-671

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Yashar ALIYEV chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500 FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911 Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Abbas ABBASOV (since 10 November 2003) 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2003 (next to be held October 2008); prime minister and first deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly election results: Ilham ALIYEV elected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV 76.8%, Isa GAMBAR 14%

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

Government type

republic

Independence

30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

International organization participation

AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, YES 2, Motherland 2, other parties with single seats 7, independents 42, undetermined 4

National holiday

Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918)

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 Shovkat HACIYEVA]; Motherland Party; Musavat [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; Yeni Azerbaijan Party; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan or PNIA [Etibar MAMMADLI, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP [Araz ALIZADE and Ayaz MUTALIBOV] 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; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces (UPAF)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it 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 528,000 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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 1,961,973 females age 18-49: 2,033,186 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,314,955 females age 18-49: 1,676,408 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 82,358 females age 18-49: 78,067 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.6% (FY99)

Military service age and obligation

men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)

Age structure

0-14 years: 25.8% (male 1,046,501/female 1,011,492) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 2,573,134/female 2,706,275) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 246,556/female 377,661) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

20.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

9.75 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census) note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,400 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 79 deaths/1,000 live births male: 81.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 76.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 63.85 years male: 59.78 years female: 68.13 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.8% male: 99.5% female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 27.7 years male: 26.3 years female: 29.2 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Azerbaijani(s), Azeri(s) adjective: Azerbaijani, Azeri

Net migration rate

-4.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

7,961,619 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

0.66% (2006 est.)

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

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: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.46 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratify Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 8,367 (Russia) IDPs: 528,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2005)

Airports

36 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 27 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Heliports

1 (2006)

Merchant marine

total: 84 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,395 GRT/436,666 DWT by type: cargo 26, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 43, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 3 registered in other countries: 4 (Georgia 2, Malta 2) (2006)

Pipelines

gas 3,190 km; oil 2,436 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

Baku (Baki)

Railways

total: 2,957 km broad gauge: 2,957 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways

total: 27,016 km paved: 12,698 km (including 128 km of expressways) unpaved: 14,318 km (2003)