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; actual practicing adherents are much lower
Languages: 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.)
@Azerbaijan:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Azerbaijani Republic conventional short form: Azerbaijan local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi local short form : none former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: AJ
Government type: republic
National capital: Baku (Baki)
Administrative divisions: 59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11
cities* (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic** (muxtar
respublika); Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas
Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, AliBayramli Sahari*, Astara
Rayonu, Baki Sahari*, Balakan Rayonu, Barda Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu,
Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu, Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu,
Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu, Gadabay Rayonu, Ganca Sahari*, Goranboy
Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu, Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli
Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu, Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran
Rayonu, Lankaran Sahari*, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu, Mingacevir
Sahari*, Naftalan Sahari*, Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi**, Neftcala
Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax Rayonu, Qobustan
Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu, Saatli Rayonu,
Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Saki Sahari*, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi
Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Sumqayit Sahari*,
Susa Rayonu, Susa Sahari*, Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu,
Xacmaz Rayonu, Xankandi Sahari*, Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali
Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Yevlax
Sahari*, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu
Independence: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 May
Constitution: adopted 12 November 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Heydar ALIYEV (since 18 June 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since NA November 1996); First Deputy Prime Ministers Abbas ABBASOV (since NA), Samed SADYKOV (since NA), Vahid AKHMEDOV (since NA), Elchin EFENDIYEV (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; election last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); prime minister and first deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly election results: Heydar ALIYEV elected president; percent of vote - Heydar ALIYEV 97%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 12 and 26 November 1995 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF
[Ebulfez ELCIBEY, chairman]; Musavat Party [Isa GAMBAR, chairman];
National Independence Party [Etibar MAMEDOV, chairman]; Social
Democratic Party or SDP [Araz ALIZADE, chairman]; Communist Party
[Ramiz AKHMEDOV, chairman]; People's Freedom Party [Yunus OGUZ,
chairman]; Independent Social Democratic Party [Arif YUNUSOV and Leila
YUNOSOVA, cochairmen]; New Azerbaijan Party [Heydar ALIYEV, chairman];
Boz Gurd Party [Iskander HAMIDOV, chairman]; Azerbaijan Democratic
Independence Party [Qabil HUSEYNLI, chairman]; Islamic Party of
Azerbaijan [Ali Akram, chairman]; Ana Veten Party [Fazail AGAMALIYEV];
Azerbaijan Democratic Party [Sardar Jalaloglu MAMEDOV]; Azerbaijan
Democratic Party of Proprietors or DPOP [Makhmud MAMEDOV]; Azerbaijan
Patriotic Solidarity Party [Sabir RUSTAMHANLI]; Azerbaijan Republic
Reform Party [Fuad ASADOV]; Communist Party of Azerbaijan
(unregistered) [Sayad SAYADOV]; Equality of the Peoples Party
[Faukhraddin AYDAYEV]; Independent Azerbaijan Party [Nizami
SULEYMANOV]; Labor Party of Azerbaijan [Sabutai HAJIYEV];
Liberal-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan [Lyudmila NIKOLAYEVNA];
National Enlightenment Party [Hajy Osman EFENDIYEV]; National
Liberation Party [Panak SHAKHSEVEV]; Peasant Party [Firuz MUSTAFAYEV];
Radical Party of Azerbaijan [Malik SHARIFOV]; United Azerbaijan Party
[Kerrar ABILOV]; Vetan Adzhagy Party [Zakir TAGIYEV]
Political pressure groups and leaders: self-proclaimed Armenian
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Sadval,
Lezgin movement
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS,
EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NACC, NAM (observer),
OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal PASHAYEV chancery: (temporary) Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 or P. O. Box 28790, Washington, DC 20038–8790 telephone : [1] (202) 842–0001 FAX: [1] (202) 842–0004
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard D. KAUZLARICH embassy: Azadliq Prospekti 83, Baku mailing address : use embassy street address telephone: [9] (9412) 96–03-35 FAX: [9] (9412) 96–04-69
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band
Economy
Economy - overview: Azerbaijan is less developed industrially than either Armenia or Georgia, the other Transcaucasian states. It resembles the Central Asian states in its majority nominally Muslim population, high structural unemployment, and low standard of living. The economy's most prominent products are oil, cotton, and gas. Production from the Caspian oil and gas field has been in decline for several years, but the November 1994 ratification of the $7.5 billion oil deal with a consortium of Western companies should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the ex-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. A major short-term obstacle to economic progress, including stepped up foreign investment, is the continuing conflict with Armenia over