View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1996 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Maritime Border Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

33.5 billion manats, NA% of GDP (1994); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,952,390 males fit for military service: 1,574,813 males reach military age (18) annually: 68,006 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (1 state-owned radio broadcast station)

Radios [time series]

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

202,000 persons waiting for telephone installations (January 1991 est.) domestic: telephone service is of poor quality and inadequate; a joint venture to establish a cellular telephone system in the Baku area was supposed to become operational in 1994 international: cable and microwave radio relay connections to former Soviet republics; connection through Moscow international gateway switch to other countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat and 1 Intersputnik (Intelsat provides service to Turkey and through Turkey to 200 more countries; Intersputnik provides direct service to New York)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

710,000 (1991 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

2 note: 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 [time series]

NA Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $465 million expenditures: $488 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 manat = 100 gopik

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $14 million (1993) note: commitments, 1992-95, $1,000 million ($185 million in disbursements); wheat from Turkey

Economic 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 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 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. Whereas the economies of most of the former Soviet republics had begun to bottom out in 1995, Azerbaijan's economy continued to plummet because of its late start on economic reform.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 4,900,000 kW production: 17 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,200 kWh (1995 est.)

Exchange rates [time series]

manats per US$1 - 4,375 (April 1996), 4,500 (April 1995), 4,168 (end of December 1994)

Exports [time series]

$549.9 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: oil and gas, chemicals, oilfield equipment, textiles, cotton partners: mostly CIS and European countries

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$100 million (of which $75 million to Russia)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $11.5 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

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

$1,480 (1995 est.)

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

-17% (1995 est.)

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]

$681.5 million (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: machinery and parts, consumer durables, foodstuffs, textiles partners: European countries

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-21% (1995 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

85% (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Unemployment rate [time series]

2.3% includes officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of unregistered unemployed and underemployed workers (December 1995)

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 exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's 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: droughts; some lowland areas threatened by rising levels of the Caspian Sea international agreements: party to - Climate Change; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

Geographic coordinates [time series]

40 30 N, 47 30 E

Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]

landlocked

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

violent and longstanding dispute with ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh over its status; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined

Irrigated land [time series]

14,010 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Location [time series]

Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia

Map references [time series]

Commonwealth of Independent States

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural resources [time series]

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

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Baku (Baki)

Constitution [time series]

adopted 12 November 1995

Data code [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal PASHAYEV chancery: (temporary) Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 842-0001

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Heydar ALIYEV (since 18 June 1993) was elected by popular vote; election last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held 1997 or 1998); results - Heydar ALIYEV won 97% of vote head of government: Prime Minister Fuad QULIYEV (since 9 October 1994), First Deputy Prime Ministers Abbas ABBASOV (since NA), Samed SADYKOV (since NA), Vahid AKHMEDOV (since NA), Elchin EFENDIYEV (since NA) were appointed by the president and confirmed by the Milli Mejlis cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president and confirmed by the Mejlis

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

[1] (202) 842-0004

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

[9] (9412) 98-37-55

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)

International organization participation [time series]

BSEC, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NACC, NAM (observer), OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [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 12 and 26 November 1995 (next to be held NA); percent of vote by party NA; seats - (125 total) number of seats by party NA

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 28 May

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 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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

republic

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard D. KAUZLARICH embassy: Azadliq Prospekti 83, Baku mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [9] (9412) 96-00-19, 98-03-37, 98-03-36, 93-64-80, 96-36-21

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 32% (male 1,270,812; female 1,215,781) 15-64 years: 61% (male 2,293,688; female 2,423,222) 65 years and over: 7% (male 179,048; female 294,402) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

22.28 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

8.69 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

74.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 64.84 years male: 60.13 years female: 69.78 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.) total population: 97% male: 99% female: 96%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Azerbaijani(s) adjective: Azerbaijani

Net migration rate [time series]

-5.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

7,676,953 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.78% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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: 0.61 male(s)/female all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.64 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

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 (1994 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 36,700 km paved: 31,800 km (includes graveled) unpaved: 4,900 km (1990 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Baku (Baki)

Railways [time series]

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)