 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Azerbaijan |
 Click to enlarge |
Home Reference Maps Appendixes
| 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. |
| Location: |
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range |
| 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 |
| Population: |
7,830,764 (July 2003 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 27.7% (male 1,101,320; female 1,064,214) 15-64 years: 64.7% (male 2,468,772; female 2,601,312) 65 years and over: 7.6% (male 236,683; female 358,463) (2003 est.) |
| Median
age: |
total: 27.1 years male: 25.7 years female: 28.6 years (2002) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.44% (2003 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
19.28 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-5.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 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 (2003 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: 82.41 deaths/1,000 live births female: 80.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 84.4 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 63.16 years male: 58.95 years female: 67.58 years (2003 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.34 children born/woman (2003 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.) |
| 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. 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. One obstacle to economic progress is the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector. A second obstacle 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 - $3,500 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 20% industry: 33% services: 47% (2001 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
49% (2002 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 27.8% (1995) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
36 (1995) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.6% (2002 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
3.7 million (2001) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture and forestry 41%, industry 7%, services 52% (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.) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats |
| Exports: |
$2 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| 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 (2000 est.) |
| Currency: |
Azerbaijani manat (AZM) |
| Currency
code: |
AZM |
| Exchange
rates: |
Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,860.82 (2002), 4,656.58 (2001), 4,474.15 (2000), 4,120.17 (1999), 3,869 (1998) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003
| |
