Railroads:
5,749 km total; 5,652 km government owned and 97 km privately owned
(0.760-, 1.435- and 1.000-meter gauge); 5,394 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge of which 3,154 km is electrified and 1,520 km is double tracked;
339 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge of which 84 km is electrified
Highways:
total:
95,412 km
paved:
21,812 km (including 1,012 km of autobahn)
unpaved:
mostly gravel and earth 73,600 km
Inland waterways:
446 km
Pipelines:
crude oil 554 km; petroleum products 171 km; natural gas 2,611 km
Ports:
Vienna, Linz (Danube river ports)
Merchant marine:
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 158,724 GRT/259,594 DWT, bulk 3,
cargo 23, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2
Airports:
total:
55
usable:
55
with permanent-surface runways:
20
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
4
Telecommunications:
highly developed and efficient; 4,014,000 telephones; broadcast
stations - 6 AM, 21 (545 repeaters) FM, 47 (870 repeaters) TV;
satellite ground stations for Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, Indian Ocean
INTELSAT, and EUTELSAT systems
@Austria, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army (including Flying Division)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,018,954; fit for military service 1,693,341; reach
military age (19) annually 48,710 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 0.9% of GDP (1993)
@Azerbaijan, Geography
Location:
Southwestern Asia, between Armenia and Turkmenistan, bordering the
Caspian Sea
Map references:
Africa, Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian
States, Commonwealth of Independent States - European States, Middle
East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
86,600 sq km
land area:
86,100 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Maine
note:
includes the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh
regions; regions' autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet
on 26 November 1991
Land boundaries:
total 2,013 km, 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
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
note:
Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km, est.)
Maritime claims:
NA
note:
Azerbaijani claims in Caspian Sea unknown; 10-nm fishing zone provided
for in 1940 treaty regarding trade and navigation between Soviet Union
and Iran
International disputes:
violent and longstanding dispute with ethnic Armenians of
Nagorno-Karabakh over its status, lesser dispute concerns Nakhichevan;
some Azerbaijanis desire absorption of and/or unification with the
ethnic Azeri portion of Iran
Climate:
dry, semiarid steppe
Terrain:
large, flat Kur-Araz Lowland (much of it below sea level) with Great
Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag (Karabakh) Upland in west;
Baku lies on Abseron (Apsheron) Peninsula that juts into Caspian Sea
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina
Land use:
arable land:
18%
permanent crops:
4%
meadows and pastures:
25%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
53%
Irrigated land:
14,010 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
local scientists consider the Abseron (Apsheron) Peninsula (including
Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most
devastated area in the world because of severe air, water, and soil
pollution; soil pollution results from the use of DDT as a pesticide
and also from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton
natural hazards:
subject to drought; some coastal areas threatened by rising levels of
the Caspian Sea
international agreements:
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
landlocked
@Azerbaijan, People
Population:
7,684,456 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.41% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
23.04 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
6.58 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
34.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
70.85 years
male:
67.08 years
female:
74.8 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.7 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Azerbaijani(s)
adjective:
Azerbaijani
Ethnic divisions:
Azeri 82.7%, Russian 5.6%, Armenian 5.6%, Dagestani 3.2%, other 2.9%
(1989)
note:
Armenian share is now approximately 0.3% because most Armenians have
fled the ethnic violence since 1989 census; Russian percentage is
probably half what it was for the same reason
Religions:
Muslim 87%, Russian Orthodox 5.6%, Armenian Orthodox 5.6%, other 1.8%
Languages:
Azeri 82%, Russian 7%, Armenian 5%, other 6%
Literacy:
age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100%
Labor force:
2.789 million
by occupation:
agriculture and forestry 32%, industry and construction 26%, other 42%
(1990)
@Azerbaijan, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Azerbaijani Republic
conventional short form:
Azerbaijan
local long form:
Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form:
none
former:
Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
AJ
Type:
republic
Capital:
Baku (Baky)
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
Independence:
30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Novruz Bayram, 21-22 March
Constitution:
adopted NA April 1978; writing a new constitution mid-1993
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 after President ELCIBEY
left Baku for Nakhichevan); election last held 3 October 1993 (next to
be held NA); results - Heydar ALIYEV won 97% of vote
head of government:
Prime Minister Surat HUSEYNOV (since 30 June 1993)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and confirmed by the
Mejlas
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Milli Mejlis):
elections last held 30 September and 14 October 1990 for the Supreme
Soviet (next expected to be held NA 1994 for the National Assembly);
seats for Supreme Soviet - (360 total) Communists 280, Democratic Bloc
45 (grouping of opposition parties), other 15, vacant 20; note - on 19
May 1992 the Supreme Soviet was prorogued in favor of a Popular
Front-dominated National Council; seats - (50 total) Popular Front 25,
opposition elements 25
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Azerbaijan Popular Front (APF), Ebulfez ELCIBEY, chairman; Musavat
Party, Isa GAMBAR, chairman; National Independence Party, Etibar
MAMEDOV, chairman; Social Democratic Party (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 Party, Sardar MAMEDOV, chairman; Azerbaijan
Democratic Independence Party, Qabil HUSELNLI, chairman; Islamic Party
of Azerbaijan, Ali Akram, chairman
Other political or pressure groups:
self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh
independence movement
Member of:
BSEC, CCC, CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO,
IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal Ogly PASHAYEV
chancery:
Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
(202) 842-0001
FAX:
(202) 842-0004
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard KAZLAURICH
embassy:
Hotel Intourist, Baku
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
7-8922-92-63-06 through 09, extension 441, 442, 446, 447, 448, 450
FAX:
Telex 142110 AMEMB SU
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent
and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band
@Azerbaijan, Economy