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Background:
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Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it 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 600,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the government has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced in recent years, the promise of widespread wealth from development of Azerbaijan's energy sector remains largely unfulfilled.
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Location:
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Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 30 N, 47 30 E
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 86,600 sq km
land: 86,100 sq km
water: 500 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
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maine
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km est.)
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked)
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Climate:
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dry, semiarid steppe
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Terrain:
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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
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
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Land use:
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arable land: 20.62%
permanent crops: 2.61%
other: 76.77% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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14,550 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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30.3 cu km (1997)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 17.25 cu km/yr (5%/28%/68%)
Per capita: 2,051 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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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 pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked
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Population:
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8,120,247 (July 2007 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 25.4% (male 1,086,271/female 975,100)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 2,695,428/female 2,799,047)
65 years and over: 7% (male 211,438/female 352,963) (2007 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 27.6 years
male: 26 years
female: 29.4 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.688% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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17.47 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Death rate:
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8.35 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-2.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.114 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.963 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.599 male(s)/female
total population: 0.968 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 58.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 64.03 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 51.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 65.96 years
male: 61.86 years
female: 70.66 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.05 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1,400 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (2001 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Azerbaijani(s), Azeri(s)
adjective: Azerbaijani, Azeri
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Ethnic groups:
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Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census)
note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region
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Religions:
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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
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Languages:
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Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified 1% (1999 census)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.5%
female: 98.2% (1999 census)
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This page was last updated on 24 January, 2008
- The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook - |
