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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 65 usable: 33 with permanent-surface runways: 26 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 23

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 36,700 km paved or graveled: 31,800 km unpaved: earth 4,900 km (1990)

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

inland - Baku (Baky)

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

2,090 km; does not include industrial lines (1990)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

domestic telephone service is of poor quality and inadequate; 710,000 domestic telephone lines [density - 9 lines per 100 persons (1991)], 202,000 persons waiting for telephone installations (January 1991); connections to other former USSR republics by cable and microwave and to other countries via the Moscow international gateway switch; INTELSAT earth station 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; a joint venture to establish a cellular telephone system (Bakcel) in the Baku area is supposed to become operational in 1994; 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

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Air Force, Navy, Maritime Border Guard, National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

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

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,884,458; fit for military service 1,525,123; reach military age (18) annually 68,192 (1994 est.)

Economy

Budget [time series]

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 manat = 100 gopik

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: wheat from Turkey

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 6,025,000 kW production: 22,300 kWh consumption per capita: 2,990 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Exports [time series]

$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

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

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

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate -7% (1993)

Industries [time series]

petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles iculture: cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep and goats

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

20% per month (average 1993); above 50% per month (February 1994)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $15.5 billion (1993 estimate from the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as extrapolated to 1993 using official Azerbaijani statistics, which are very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$2,040 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-13.3% (1993 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

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

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 86,600 sq km land area: 86,100 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maine note: includes the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh regions; regions' autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991

Climate [time series]

dry, semiarid steppe

Coastline [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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: subject to drought; some coastal areas threatened by rising levels of the Caspian Sea international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

14,010 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 18% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 25% forest and woodland: 0% other: 53%

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

landlocked

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Baku (Baky)

Constitution [time series]

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

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal Ogly PASHAYEV chancery: Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: (202) 842-0001

Executive branch [time series]

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) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and confirmed by the Mejlas

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(202) 842-0004

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

Telex 142110 AMEMB SU

Flag [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band

Independence [time series]

30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Azerbaijani Republic conventional short form: Azerbaijan local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi local short form: none former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Legislative branch (National Assembly (Milli Mejlis)) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Novruz Bayram, 21-22 March

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 Party, Sardar MAMEDOV, chairman; Azerbaijan Democratic Independence Party, Qabil HUSELNLI, chairman; Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, Ali Akram, chairman

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard KAZLAURICH embassy: Hotel Intourist, Baku mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: 7-8922-92-63-06 through 09, extension 441, 442, 446, 447, 448, 450

People

Birth rate [time series]

23.04 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.58 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

34.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

2.789 million by occupation: agriculture and forestry 32%, industry and construction 26%, other 42% (1990)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 70.85 years male: 67.08 years female: 74.8 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Azerbaijani(s) adjective: Azerbaijani

Net migration rate [time series]

-2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

7,684,456 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.41% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.7 children born/woman (1994 est.)