Azerbaijan
Country Guide

Explore Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan with its capital Baku is located in Asia (Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea). It covers some 86,601 square kilometers (about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania) with a population of 9,961,400. Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian are the languages spoken by people in Azerbaijan (consider regional differences). Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Russia and Turkey are bordering countries.

Azerbaijan is a Turkic state in the Caucasus of Southeastern Europe and Asia. It achieved independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Azerbaijan is known for having nine of the 11 existing ecological zones, although a great deal of it is dry and semiarid steppe. To enter Azerbaijan, an entry visa is required for most countries. If you are planning your visit from your home country, it is a good idea to try to get your visa from an Azerbaijani consulate. Buses, minibuses (marshrutka), and taxis connect most cities. There is often a hub such as a bus station near the bazaar in these cities. The fares for buses and minibuses are posted usually in both old and new manat(qupik). Keep in mind that import and export of manat (local currency) is strictly forbidden.

Popular Destinations in Azerbaijan

Administrative regions of Azerbaijan

• Absheron Rayon
• Aghdam Rayon
• Aghdash Rayon
• Aghjabadi Rayon
• Aghstafa Rayon
• Aghsu Rayon
• Astara District
• Baku City
• Balakan Rayon
• Barda Rayon
• Beylagan Rayon
• Bilasuvar Rayon
• Dashkasan Rayon
• Fizuli Rayon
• Gadabay Rayon
• Ganja City
• Gobustan Rayon
• Goranboy Rayon
• Goychay Rayon
• Goygol Rayon
• Hajigabul Rayon
• Imishli Rayon
• Ismayilli Rayon
• Jabrayil District
• Jalilabad
• Kalbajar District
• Khachmaz Rayon
• Khizi Rayon
• Khojavend District
• Kurdamir Rayon
• Lacin Rayonu
• Lankaran Rayon
• Lankaran Sahari
• Lerik Rayon
• Masally District
• Mingacevir City
• Naftalan City
• Nakhchivan
• Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
• Neftchala Rayon
• Oghuz Rayon
• Qabala Rayon
• Qakh Rayon
• Qazakh Rayon
• Quba Rayon
• Qubadli Rayon
• Qusar Rayon
• Saatly Rayon
• Sabirabad Rayon
• Salyan Rayon
• Samukh Rayon
• Shabran Rayon
• Shaki Rayon
• Shaki city
• Shamakhi Rayon
• Shamkir Rayon
• Shirvan
• Shusha
• Siazan Rayon
• Sumqayit City
• Susa Rayonu
• Tartar Rayon
• Tovuz Rayon
• Ujar Rayon
• Xankandi Sahari
• Xocali Rayonu
• Yardymli Rayon
• Yevlakh Rayon
• Yevlax City
• Zangilan Rayon
• Zaqatala Rayon
• Zardab Rayon

About the country

The topography is 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) to the west with Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea. The average density of population is about 115 per km². The climate in Azerbaijan can be described as dry, semiarid steppe. Potential natural disasters are droughts.

To reach someone Azerbaijan dial +994 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".az". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, F). The sign for the locally used currency Manat is AZM.

Three equal horizontal bands of sky blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in the red band; the blue band recalls Azerbaijan's Turkic heritage, red stands for modernization and progress, and green refers to Islam; the crescent moon and star are a Turkic insignia; the eight star points represent the eight Turkic peoples of the world.

Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily ethnic Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous republic within Soviet Azerbaijan after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the territory's status. Armenia and Azerbaijan reignited their dispute over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated militarily after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the US, France, and Russia, is the framework established to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Corruption in the country is widespread, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum and approved extending presidential terms from 5 to 7 years in 2016, has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced and infrastructure investment has increased substantially in recent years due to revenue from oil and gas production, reforms have not adequately addressed weaknesses in most government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors, as well as the court system.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 114)	86,600	sq km
Land (World Rank: 113)	82,629	sq km
Water (World Rank: 73)	3,971	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 49)	32.10	%
Comparative	about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller 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
Landborder
2468
Elevation
Lowest point (World Rank: 55)	-28	m
Highest point (World Rank: 37)	4,466	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 51)	57.60	%
Arable (World Rank: 46)	22.80	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 78)	2.70	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 49)	32.10	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 39)	14,277	sq km
Map reference
Asia
Environment
Issues	- and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton - and water pollution - from the use of DDT pesticide - 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 - soil pollution results from oil spills
Agreement party	- Air Pollution - Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Hazardous Wastes - Marine Dumping - Ozone Layer Protection - Ship Pollution - Wetlands
Hazzards	droughts
Location
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range
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) to the west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 90)	9,961,400
Deathrate (World Rank: 127)	0.71	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 115)	1.58	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 123)	0.87	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 136)	1.89	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 112)	29.80
Female (World Rank: 94)	33.00
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 89)	1,220,360
0 14 female (World Rank: 94)	1,065,510
15 24 male (World Rank: 87)	775,422
15 24 female (World Rank: 89)	703,027
25 54 male (World Rank: 77)	2,219,610
25 54 female (World Rank: 73)	2,302,360
55 64 male (World Rank: 75)	467,830
55 64 female (World Rank: 69)	545,505
65 x male (World Rank: 95)	253,679
65 x female (World Rank: 86)	408,094
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 70)	2.38	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 141)	73	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 132)	76	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 145)	70	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 26)	3.40
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 43)	4.70
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 102)	89.30	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 107)	19.90	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 146)	87.00	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 72)	23,300,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 70)	20,270,000,000	kWh
Export (World Rank: 71)	265,000,000	kWh
Import (World Rank: 95)	108,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 79)	84.50	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 101)	14.60	%
Source renew (World Rank: 134)	1.00	%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 22)	833,500	bbl / day
Exports (World Rank: 18)	721,600	bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 20)	7,000,000,000	bbl
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 59)	142,100	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 80)	101,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 54)	46,770	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 156)	6,171	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 26)	29,370,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 44)	18,200,000,000	m³
Export (World Rank: 26)	7,320,000,000	m³
Import (World Rank: 58)	0	m³
Carbon footprint
35000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 154)	3	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 19)	4	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 104)	6	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 49)	-0	% of GDP
National symbol
flames of fire
National colours
red
Adjective
Azerbaijani
Noun
Azerbaijani(s)
Background
Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily ethnic Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous republic within Soviet Azerbaijan after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the territory's status. Armenia and Azerbaijan reignited their dispute over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated militarily after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the US, France, and Russia, is the framework established to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Corruption in the country is widespread, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum and approved extending presidential terms from 5 to 7 years in 2016, has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced and infrastructure investment has increased substantially in recent years due to revenue from oil and gas production, reforms have not adequately addressed weaknesses in most government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors, as well as the court system.
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of sky blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in the red band; the blue band recalls Azerbaijan's Turkic heritage, red stands for modernization and progress, and green refers to Islam; the crescent moon and star are a Turkic insignia; the eight star points represent the eight Turkic peoples of the world

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 72)	165,700,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 206)	-3.10	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 94)	17,500	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 118)	6.00	%
Source industry (World Rank: 7)	51.70	%
Source service (World Rank: 197)	42.30	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 81)	5,032,000
In poverty (World Rank: 162)	4.90	%
Products
Industries	- cement - chemicals - iron ore - natural gas - oilfield equipment - petrochemicals - petroleum - petroleum products - steel - textiles
Agriculture	- cattle - cotton - fruit - goats - grain - grapes - pigs - rice - sheep - tea - tobacco - vegetables
Exports	- cotton - foodstuffs - gas roughly - machinery - oil
Imports	- chemicals - equipment - foodstuffs - machinery - metals

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 60)	1,700,230
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 108)	17.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 129)	104.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 55)	7,720,500
Population (World Rank: 52)	78.20	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 60)	30.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 142)	7.00
Heliports (World Rank: 84)	1.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 62)	2,944
Road
Total length (World Rank: 76)	52,942
Paved length (World Rank: 57)	26,789
Unpaved length (World Rank: 57)	26,153

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