Azerbaijan

republicIndependence 28 May 1918

Azerbaijan as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBaku (Baky)

Area86,600 km2

Populationas each edition published it

7.45 million July 1992 · 10.69m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.5% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 27.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 70.6 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.9 children per woman 1992 · 1.69 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

45 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 10.7 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $2,040 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -25% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Total area

86,600km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than Maine

Land boundaries

2,013km total

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 area

86,100 km2;
includes the Nakhichevan' Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast;
region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijan Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991

Disputes

violent and longstanding dispute with Armenia over status of Nagorno-Karabakh, lesser dispute concerns Nakhichevan';
some Azeris desire absorption of and/or unification with the ethnically Azeri portion of Iran;
minor irredentist disputes along Georgia border

Climate

dry, semiarid steppe; subject to drought

Terrain

large, flat Kura Lowland (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Karabakh Upland in west;
Baku lies on Aspheson Peninsula that juts into Caspian Sea

Natural resources

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

Land use

NA% arable land;
NA% permanent crops;
NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland;
NA% other;
includes 70% of cultivated land irrigated (1.2 million hectares)

Environment

local scientists consider Apsheron Peninsula, including Baku and Sumgait, and the Caspian Sea to be "most ecologically devastated area in the world" because of severe air and water pollution

Note

landlocked; major polluters are oil, gas, and chemical industries

People

14 fields

Population

7,450,787

(July 1992), growth rate 1.6% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

26Death

Religions

Moslem 87%Russian Orthodox 5.6%Armenian Orthodox 5.6%other 1.8%

Nationality

noun - Azerbaijani(s); adjective - Azerbaijani

Ethnic divisions

Azeri 82.7%, Russian 5.6%, Armenian 5.6%, Daghestanis 3.2%, other 2.9%;
note - Armenian share may be less than 5.6% because many Armenians have fled the ethnic violence since 1989 census

Languages

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

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1992 est.)

Labor force

2,789,000; agriculture and forestry 32%, industry and construction 26%, other 42% (1990)

Government

Republic

19 fields

Long-form name

Azerbaijani Republic; short-form name: Azerbaijan

Administrative divisions

1 autonomous republic (avtomnaya respublika), Nakhichevan' (administrative center at Nakhichevan');
note - all rayons except for the exclave of Nakhichevan' are under direct republic jurisdiction;1 autonomous oblast, Nagorno-Karabakh (officially abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991) has declared itself Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

Independence

28 May 1918;
on 28 April 1920, Azerbaijan became the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan;
on 30 April 1992 it became the Azerbaijani Republic;
independence declared 30 August 1991

Legislative branch

National Parliament (Milli Majlis) was formed on the basis of the National Council (Milli Shura)

Leaders

Chief of State:: President-elect Ebulfez ELCIBEY (since 7 June 1992)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Rahim GUSEYNOV (since 14 May 1992)

Elections

National Parliament:: last held NA September 1990 (next expected to be held late 1992);
results - seats - (360 total) Communists 280, Democratic Bloc 45 (grouping of opposition parties), other 15, vacant 20;
note - these figures are approximate
President:: held 8 September 1991 (next to be held 7 June 1992); results - Ebulfez ELCIBEY (6,390 unofficial)

Other political or pressure groups

Self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

Diplomatic representation

US:: Ambassador (vacant);
Robert MILES, Charge d'Affaires;
Embassy at Hotel Intourist (telephone 8-011-7-8922-91-79-56) plus 8 hours;
(mailing address is APO New York is 09862);
telephone NA

Flag

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

Economy

Azerbaijan is less developed industrially than either Armenia or Georgia, | the other Transcaucasian states.

17 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

87%

(1991)

External debt

$1.3billion

(1991 est.)

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 cotton, oil, 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 accounts for 1.5% to 2% of the capital stock and output of the former Soviet Union. Although immediate economic prospects are not favorable because of civil strife, lack of economic reform, political disputes about new economic arrangements, and the skittishness of foreign investors, Azerbaijan's economic performance was the best of all former Soviet republics in 1991 largely because of its reliance on domestic resources for industrial output.

GDP

$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate --0.7% (1991)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Budget

revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Exports

$780 million (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: oil and gas, chemicals, oilfield equipment, textiles, cotton (1991)
partners:: mostly CIS countries

Imports

$2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990); commodities: machinery and parts, consumer durables, foodstuffs, textiles (1991)

Industrial production

growth rate 3.8% (1991)

Electricity

6,025,000 kW capacity; 23,300 million kWh produced, 3,280 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis and opium;
mostly for domestic consumption;
status of government eradication programs unknown;
used as transshipment points for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Economic aid

Currency

as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency

Exchange rates

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Networkskm

Highways

36,700Railroads

2,090 (1990)

Highways: (1990); 31,800 km hard surfaced; 4,900 km earth · Railroads: (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines

Railroads

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

Highways

36,700 km total (1990);
31,800 km hard surfaced;
4,900 km earth

Inland waterways

NA km perennially navigable

Pipelines

Ports

inland - Baku (Baky)

Merchant marine

none - landlocked

Civil air

none

Airports

Telecommunications

quality of local telephone service is poor;
connections to other former USSR republics by landline or microwave and to countries beyond the former USSR via the Moscow international gateway switch;
Azeri and Russian TV broadcasts are received;
Turkish and Iranian TV broadcasts are received from INTELSAT through a TV receive-only earth station