AZERBAIJAN
Population mid-2006 ................................ 7,961,619
GDP per capita 2006 (Purchase Parity method, US$)........... 7,300
GNP 2006 (Atlas method, US$ billions)................ 14.5
Unemployment.....................................................................1.2%
Average annual growth 1991-97
Population (%) ....... .8
Labor force (%) ....... 1.6
Total Area...................................................................33,346 sq. mi.
Poverty (% of population below national poverty line)...... 68
Urban population (% of total population) ............................... 56
Life expectancy at birth (years)..................................................... 71
Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births)........................................ 20
Child malnutrition (% of children under 5) ..............................10
Illiteracy (% of population age 15+) ............................................. 3
HISTORY
This ancient region has been occupied by a variety of peoples including the indigenous nomadic Azeris, as well as Persians, Muslims, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, and Russians. Because of its geographic location, the capital Baku has been important in controlling the Caspian Sea. Though the Persians, Ottomans, and Russians wrestled with each other for hegemony over the area during the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the Russians who eventually gained the upper hand through the Treaty of Turkmenchai (1828), which gave them the northern part of the land. Persia got the southern half. The Russians transformed Azerbaijan into an industrial center. It also became a revolutionary center. Though the first republic established in 1918 was overthrown in 1920 by the Soviet Red Army, a separate Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic did come into being. During the period under Soviet domination, the country underwent industrial growth, collectivization of agriculture, and religious persecution. In 1988, Azerbaijan went to war against neighboring Armenia over the Naborno-Karabakh region (ethnically Armenian, but within Azerbaijan territory). The ensuing hostilities continue. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has had difficulties with issues of democracy as it tried to hold free and honest elections in 1995 and 1998. Charges of vote-rigging persist and officials sent to monitor the elections of 1998 charged that there were serious irregularities in the process.
Government
Capital:
name: Baku (Baki, Baky)
geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 52 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
66 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular);
rayons: Abseron, Agcabadi, Agdam, Agdas, Agstafa, Agsu, Astara, Babak, Balakan, Barda, Beylaqan, Bilasuvar, Cabrayil, Calilabad, Culfa, Daskasan, Fuzuli, Gadabay, Goranboy, Goycay, Goygol, Haciqabul, Imisli, Ismayilli, Kalbacar, Kangarli, Kurdamir, Lacin, Lankaran, Lerik, Masalli, Neftcala, Oguz, Ordubad, Qabala, Qax, Qazax, Qobustan, Quba, Qubadli, Qusar, Saatli, Sabirabad, Sabran, Sadarak, Sahbuz, Saki, Salyan, Samaxi, Samkir, Samux, Sarur, Siyazan, Susa, Tartar, Tovuz, Ucar, Xacmaz, Xizi, Xocali, Xocavand, Yardimli, Yevlax, Zangilan, Zaqatala, Zardab
cities: Baku, Ganca, Lankaran, Mingacevir, Naftalan, Naxcivan (Nakhichevan), Saki, Sirvan, Sumqayit, Xankandi, Yevlax
Independence:
30 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 18 October 1991 (adopted by the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan)
National holiday:
Republic Day (founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan), 28 May (1918)
Constitution:
history: several previous; latest adopted 12 November 1995
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by at least 63 members of the National Assembly; passage requires at least 95 votes of Assembly members in two separate readings of the draft amendment six months apart and requires presidential approval after each of the two Assembly votes, followed by presidential signature; constitutional articles on the authority, sovereignty, and unity of the people cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2009, 2016 (2017)
Legal system:
civil law system
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: yes
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003); First Vice President Mehriban ALIYEVA (since 21 February 2017)
head of government: Prime Minister Novruz MAMMADOV (since 21 April 2018); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for unlimited terms); election last held on 11 April 2018 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; note - a constitutional amendment approved in a September 2016 referendum expanded presidential terms from 5 to 7 years; a separate constitutional amendment approved in the same referendum also introduced the post of first vice-president and additional vice-presidents, who are directly appointed by the president
election results: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV (YAP) 86%, Zahid ORUJ (independent) 3.1%, other 10.9%
note: OSCE observers noted shortcomings in the election, including a restrictive political environment, limits on fundamental freedoms, a lack of genuine competition, and ballot box stuffing
Legislative branch:
description: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 1 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - YAP 69, CSP 2, AVP 1, Civil Unity 1, CUP 1, Democratic Enlightenment 1, Democratic Reforms 1, Great Undertaking Party 1, National Renaissance Party 1, Social Democratic Party 1, Social Prosperity Party 1, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front 1, independent 43, invalid 1
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, vice chairman, and 23 judges in plenum sessions and organized into civil, economic affairs, criminal, and rights violations chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis; judges appointed for 10 years; Constitutional Court chairman and deputy chairman appointed by the president; other court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis to serve single 15-year terms
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (replaced the Economic Court in 2002); district and municipal courts;
Political parties and leaders:
Civil Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLI]
Civil Unity Party or CUP [Sabir HAJIYEV]
Democratic Enlightenment [Elshan MUSAYEV]
Democratic Reforms Party [Asim MOLLAZADE]
Great Undertaking [Fazil MUSTAFA]
Musavat [Arif HAJILI]
Popular Front Party [Ali KARIMLI]
Motherland Party or AVP [Fazail AGAMALI]
National Renaissance Party
Social Democratic Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]
Social Prosperity Party [Khanhusein KAZIMLI]
Unity Party [Tahir KARIMLI]
Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party [Gudrat HASANGULIYEV]
Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party or YAP [President Ilham ALIYEV]
People
The overwhelming majority of Azerbaijans population are of Azeri ethinic group and Muslim. The population lives in the major cities and in the fertile agricultural regions. The estimated population in 2017 was 9,961,396. The age expectancy is slightly above 63 years, and almost .79 percent of infants die at birth.
AZERBAIJAN National Air Transport System
number of registered air carriers: 2
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 35
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,803,112
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 41,954,600 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
4K (2016)
Airports:
37 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 108
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 30
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2013)
Heliports:
1 (2012)
Pipelines:
condensate 89 km; gas 3,890 km; oil 2,446 km (2013)
Railways:
total: 2,944.3 km
broad gauge: 2,944.3 km 1.520-m gauge (approx. 1,767 km electrified) (2017)
country comparison to the world: 62
Roadways:
total: 52,942 km
paved: 26,789 km
unpaved: 26,153 km (2006)
country comparison to the world: 76
Merchant marine:
total: 311
by type: general cargo 48, oil tanker 48, other 215 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 50
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Baku (Baki) located on the Caspian Sea
Tourism
Tourism has become an important industry for Azerbaijan. In 2017 2,690,000 tourist visited the country. Tourism grew by 20 over the year before. The largest number of tourist to the country come from Russia(31%) , Georgia(19%), Iran (13%).
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